INDIANA, Pa. -- The Crimson Hawks return to George P. Miller Stadium for the final two games of the 2026 regular season, beginning with a PSAC West matchup against Clarion. IUP enters the weekend at 6-3 overall after getting back in the win column with a 17-14 road victory over Gannon last Saturday in Erie.

IUP has controlled the series against Clarion during the Paul Tortorella era, winning all eight meetings since Tortorella took over as head coach in 2017. That stretch includes two shutout victories, while Tortorella has also won each of his meetings against Clarion head coach Raymond Monica.

The two teams produced one of the most entertaining games of the 2025 season, combining for 87 points in a 45-42 IUP victory at Al Jacks Field at Memorial Stadium. The three-point road victory continued IUP's recent dominance in the series, although Clarion pushed the Crimson Hawks to the final whistle.

At 6-3, IUP remains in the NCAA Division II playoff picture with two games remaining in the regular season. The Crimson Hawks are looking to make consecutive NCAA postseason appearances for the first time since qualifying three straight seasons from 2015-17. With both remaining games at Miller Stadium, IUP will look to finish the regular season strong and strengthen its postseason résumé.

THE MATCHUP

Novemebr 7, 2026 | 2:00 PM | Frank Cignetti Field at George P. Miller Stadium | Indiana, Pa.

IUP CRIMSON HAWKS (6-3, 3-3 PSAC WEST)

ROSTER | STATS | SCHEDULE

CLARION GOLDEN EAGLES (4-5, 2-4 PSAC WEST)

ROSTER | STATS | SCHEDULE

GAME DAY LINKS

Streaming: PSAC Digital Network | Radio : U92.5 FM | Live Stats: Stat Broadcast | Game Notes: IUP

QUICK NOTES

• The 87 combined points in IUP's 45-42 win over Clarion last season marked the second-highest scoring IUP game since 2005, trailing only a 94-point game against Millersville. Clarion's 42 points were the most IUP allowed in 2025 and remain the second-most surrendered by the Crimson Hawks over the past two seasons.

• Connor Shamany caught a career-high three touchdowns in the second half of IUP's 45-42 win over Clarion last season. The tight end has eight touchdown receptions this season, including three multi-touchdown games.

• IUP enters the final two weeks of the regular season at No. 8 in the Atlantic Region NPI rankings as the Crimson Hawks continue their postseason push. IUP is looking to make consecutive NCAA playoff appearances for the first time since advancing three straight seasons from 2015-17. With two home games remaining, the Crimson Hawks will look to strengthen their postseason résumé.
• IUP moved into third place in the PSAC West standings following a 17-14 victory at Gannon, its first win since defeating Edinboro on Oct. 3. Clarion fell to sixth after a 48-14 loss to unbeaten Slippery Rock, extending the Golden Eagles' losing streak to three games.

• IUP sophomore running back Leon Parson eclipsed the 100-yard mark for the third time this season in last week's win at Gannon, carrying 22 times for 139 yards — his second-highest rushing total of the season. Parson has rushed for 743 yards on 130 carries this season, averaging 5.7 yards per attempt.

•IUP has scored at least 30 points in each of the five previous meetings between head coaches Paul Tortorella and Raymond Monica. The Crimson Hawks' lowest output during that stretch came in 2024, when IUP posted a 31-0 shutout victory over the Golden Eagles.

STORY LINES

WAS LAST YEAR A ONE-OFF?

IUP has enjoyed plenty of offensive success against Clarion in the five previous meetings with Golden Eagles head coach Raymond Monica. The Crimson Hawks have scored at least 30 points in all five matchups, showing consistency on the offensive side of the ball regardless of how the games have unfolded. IUP's lowest scoring output during that stretch came in 2024, when the Crimson Hawks still put 31 points on the board in a 31-0 victory at George P. Miller Stadium.

The series has also featured several dominant defensive performances from IUP. The Crimson Hawks have shut out Clarion twice in the five meetings against Monica, earning a 45-0 victory in 2022 before blanking the Golden Eagles 31-0 two years later. Those performances stand in contrast to last season's matchup, when the two teams combined for 87 points in one of IUP's highest-scoring games in more than two decades.

IUP came away with a 45-42 road victory at Al Jacks Field at Memorial Stadium in 2025, but the outcome was not decided until Clarion's final possession. The Golden Eagles drove with an opportunity to tie the game before the Crimson Hawks' defense delivered one of its biggest stops of the season. Facing fourth-and-1, IUP linebacker Tai'Don Strickland broke through and tackled All-Region quarterback Anthony Guercio for a six-yard loss, turning the ball over on downs and allowing the Crimson Hawks to run out the clock.

The fourth-down stop carried even greater significance with the PSAC West title on the line. IUP's three-point victory secured the 2025 PSAC West championship and punched the Crimson Hawks' ticket to the PSAC Championship Game at Kutztown. One year later, IUP and Clarion meet again at Miller Stadium, with the Crimson Hawks looking to continue their offensive success against the Golden Eagles while adding another victory to their late-season postseason push.

MEET HIM IN THE ENDZONE

IUP All-Region tight end Connor Shamany has developed into one of the top scoring threats in the PSAC and one of the most reliable targets in the Crimson Hawks' passing attack. Shamany has recorded four career games with multiple touchdown receptions, with three of those performances coming during his breakout 2026 season. His ability to find the end zone has been a key piece of an IUP offense that opened the year with five consecutive victories.

Shamany added another important touchdown to his résumé last Saturday at Gannon. With IUP looking to snap a three-game losing streak, Shamany hauled in his eighth touchdown reception of the season, providing the game-winning score in the Crimson Hawks' 17-14 victory in Erie. The touchdown helped IUP get back in the win column and continued Shamany's emergence as a go-to option in critical situations.

That role is nothing new for Shamany against Clarion. He turned in the best scoring performance of his career against the Golden Eagles last season, catching three touchdown passes in the second half of IUP's 45-42 road victory. All three scores came after halftime, with his final touchdown arriving late in the fourth quarter to give the Crimson Hawks the lead for good. His three touchdown receptions remain a career high and helped IUP secure a victory that clinched the 2025 PSAC West championship.

Shamany has carried that momentum into 2026. He leads all PSAC tight ends with eight touchdown receptions and ranks fourth among all players in the conference in receiving touchdowns. He has reached those marks despite being held to just one touchdown reception over the past four games after finding the end zone seven times during IUP's first five contests.

With Clarion returning to George P. Miller Stadium this weekend, Shamany will look to build on his history of success against the Golden Eagles. After scoring four touchdowns across his past two games against Clarion and Gannon, including the game-winning score in each contest, the All-Region tight end once again gives IUP a proven option in the red zone and in late-game situations.

RUNNING BACK, THE RUNNING BACK

Sophomore running back Leon Parson has emerged as the centerpiece of IUP's rushing attack this season, carrying 130 times for 743 yards while averaging 5.7 yards per attempt. Parson has firmly established himself as the Crimson Hawks' feature back, recording 84 more rushing attempts than the next closest IUP running back while providing consistent production throughout his second collegiate season.

Parson's workload has also placed him among the busiest running backs in the conference. His 130 rushing attempts rank fifth in the PSAC, while his 5.7 yards per carry place him inside the top 15 in the league. Even with one of the highest workloads in the conference, Parson has continued to produce efficiently and enters the final two weeks of the regular season averaging 92.9 rushing yards per game.

That average ranks second among all PSAC running backs, trailing only Slippery Rock's Jay Jay Jordan, who is averaging more than 140 yards per contest. Parson has eclipsed the 100-yard mark three times this season and has provided IUP with a consistent presence on the ground after the Crimson Hawks struggled to establish a featured rushing threat a season ago.

Parson is coming off one of his best performances of the season in IUP's 17-14 victory at Gannon. The sophomore carried a season-high 22 times for 139 yards, recording his third 100-yard rushing performance of the year and his second-highest rushing total of the season. His only larger performance came at Shippensburg, where he rushed for a career-high 187 yards as part of a breakout afternoon.

With 743 rushing yards through eight games played, Parson enters the final two games of the regular season 257 yards shy of the 1,000-yard mark. His emergence has given the Crimson Hawks a dependable option in the backfield and added balance to an offense that has leaned heavily on the passing game at times throughout the season. As IUP continues its postseason push, Parson will look to carry his recent success into the Crimson Hawks' final two home games at George P. Miller Stadium.

GO FOR THE BALL

The Crimson Hawks have consistently created opportunities with their defense this season, ranking third in the PSAC with 11 forced fumbles through nine games. IUP is averaging more than one forced fumble per contest, with the unit's ability to knock the ball loose becoming another way for the defense to disrupt opposing offenses.

IUP turned in its most productive performance of the season in that category during last week's 17-14 victory at Gannon, forcing a season-high five fumbles. The Crimson Hawks recovered three of those loose balls, helping IUP win the turnover battle and snap its three-game losing streak.

Tasso Whipple was at the center of the defensive effort, contributing to two of IUP's fumble takeaways on his way to earning PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Week honors for the first time in his career. Whipple forced one fumble and recovered another while adding six tackles, two tackles for loss and two sacks against the Golden Knights.

Whipple's performance helped lead an IUP defense that held Gannon to 14 points and delivered when needed in a three-point road victory. The combination of pressure in the backfield and an ability to create turnovers played a key role in the Crimson Hawks getting back in the win column and improving to 6-3 on the season.

100-FOR-100 INITIATIVE

IUP football is celebrating its unofficial 100th season in 2026 with the launch of the "100 For 100" campaign, an initiative aimed at raising more than $100,000 to support the current and future needs of the program.

IUP's football record book dates to 1927, with the Crimson Hawks compiling 619 victories, 23 PSAC West titles, five PSAC championships, 21 NCAA playoff appearances and two national championship game appearances over nearly a century of football.

The "100 For 100" campaign gives former players, alumni, families, fans and supporters an opportunity to help build on that tradition and provide resources for the program's next century.

Donate for the 100-for-100 Initiative