SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. -- IUP travels to Shippensburg for the first time since 2022, entering the matchup with its highest AFCA ranking since the Crimson Hawks were ranked No. 11 in October 2022.
IUP is 4-1 against Shippensburg under head coach
Paul Tortorella, winning the most recent matchup in Indiana, Pennsylvania, in the final week of the 2024 season. The Crimson Hawks are 2-0 in road games against the Raiders during Tortorella's tenure. The series dates to 1930, with IUP holding a 47-17-4 all-time advantage.
Tortorella earned his 70th victory as IUP's head coach last week against West Chester, guiding the Crimson Hawks to a double-overtime win. Tight end
Connor Shamany caught two touchdown passes in the victory, including the game-winner.
Punter
Gavin Mentzer was named the PSAC West Special Teams Athlete of the Week following the victory after placing three punts inside the 20-yard line, including a career-long 66-yard punt.
THE MATCHUP
September 19, 2026 | 1:00 PM | Seth Grove Stadium
No. 12 / No. 18 IUP Crimson Hawks (2-0, 0-0 PSAC West)
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NR / NR Shippensburg Raiders (1-1, 0-0 psac East)
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GAME DAY LINKS
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QUICK NOTES
• IUP holds a 47-17 advantage in the all-time series against Shippensburg, with the most recent meeting coming in 2024. The series dates to 1930, and the Crimson Hawks have won the last four matchups.
• IUP is 4-1 against Shippensburg under head coach
Paul Tortorella. Tortorella recorded his 70th career victory as IUP's head coach last week against West Chester, giving him the third-most wins in program history.
Tortorella ranks second in program history in winning percentage, trailing only former Crimson Hawk and current Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti.
• This marks IUP's first trip to Shippensburg since the 2022 season, when the Crimson Hawks earned a 44-21 victory over the Raiders. IUP is 4-1 against Shippensburg under head coach
Paul Tortorella.
The Crimson Hawks will look to earn it ffith-consecutive win over the Raiders.
•IUP's win over West Chester last week marked the Crimson Hawks' 20th regular-season victory over a PSAC East opponent under head coach
Paul Tortorella. IUP has posted a 20-4 record against Eastern Division opponents in regular-season play during Tortorella's tenure.
•Shippensburg was picked to finish sixth in the PSAC East preseason poll after posting a 3-8 record in 2025. The Raiders went 0-3 against PSAC West opponents last season, falling to Clarion, Slippery Rock and California (Pa.).
Shippensburg will look to reverse that trend against an IUP team that has won the last meeting in the series and has posted a 20-4 record against PSAC East opponents in regular-season play under head coach
Paul Tortorella.
•Shippensburg enters Week 3 with a 1-1 record, falling to Lock Haven in the season opener before bouncing back with a victory over West Virginia Wesleyan in Week 2.
Through the first two games, the Raiders have outscored their opponents 40-38.
STORY LINES
PSAC WEST SPECIAL TEAMS ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
IUP second-year punter
Gavin Mentzer was named the PSAC West Special Teams Athlete of the Week after punting seven times against West Chester, with three downed inside the 20-yard line. Mentzer also recorded a career-long 66-yard punt in the victory.
Mentzer appeared in just one game last season and has taken over the punting duties in 2026 following the departure of
Aiden Spitler. Through two games, Mentzer is averaging 45 yards per punt, with two traveling more than 50 yards and a third of his punts being downed inside the 20-yard line.
Mentzer also serves as IUP's kickoff specialist, averaging more than 56 yards per kickoff through the first two games of the season.
A CERTIFIED THREAT
IUP running back
Leon Parson has scored two touchdowns through the first two games of the season, with both coming through the air. The second-year back has rushed for 137 yards on 29 carries, including a season-high 93 yards against West Chester.
Parson has also made an impact as a receiver out of the backfield, recording 77 yards on just five receptions. His longest reception of the season came on a 40-yard screen pass for a touchdown against Ashland in the season opener.
Parson is already well on his way to surpassing his workload from last season. He has recorded 29 rushing attempts through two games after totaling 80 carries during the entire 2025 season.
QB1
IUP quarterback
Mason Maggs has thrown six touchdown passes against just one interception through his first two collegiate starts. Maggs has attempted 67 passes this season, surpassing 30 attempts in each of IUP's first two games.
Maggs threw a career-high four touchdown passes in the double-overtime win over West Chester. Two came on IUP's opening two drives, while his final two touchdown passes came in overtime, including the game-winner to tight end
Connor Shamany.
DOMINATE THE STATE
IUP is 21-4 against PSAC East teams in regular-season play under head coach
Paul Tortorella. The Crimson Hawks are 3-2 against Shippensburg during Tortorella's tenure, with the most recent meeting coming in the final week of the 2024 season.
IUP's last trip to Shippensburg came in 2022, when the Crimson Hawks earned a 44-21 victory over the Raiders. IUP is 2-0 on the road against Shippensburg under Tortorella.
DEFENSIVE BATTLES
IUP's defense did not allow a point during regulation against West Chester, with the Golden Rams' only scores coming on an interception return and a blocked field goal. Despite the strong defensive performance, IUP ranks eighth in the PSAC in scoring defense, allowing 22.8 points per game.
Shippensburg ranks third in the conference through two games, allowing 19 points per contest. Bloomsburg leads the PSAC in scoring defense, surrendering just 11 points per game through the first two weeks of the season.
BACK WHERE WE BELONG
IUP holds its highest ranking in the AFCA Division II Coaches Poll since October 2022, when the Crimson Hawks were ranked No. 11 nationally. That season also marked the last time IUP captured the PSAC championship, defeating Shepherd at home to claim the conference title.
The PSAC West champion will once again host the PSAC Championship Game in 2026, giving IUP an opportunity to repeat some of its 2022 history. The Crimson Hawks returned to the conference title game last season after capturing their first PSAC West crown since 2022, but fell to Kutztown in the 2025 PSAC Championship Game.
THE GOOD AND THE BAD
IUP forced three turnovers against West Chester, including two interceptions. Through the first two games of the season, the Crimson Hawks have recorded three interceptions and two fumble recoveries.
IUP's defense has also spent less time on the field than nearly every team in the PSAC, as the Crimson Hawks rank second in the conference in time of possession at 34:33 per game.
Penalties have been an area of concern through the opening two weeks. IUP is averaging more than 95 penalty yards per game, with only Seton Hill averaging more among PSAC teams.
DEPTH IN THE RECEIVING GAME
IUP has spread the ball around through the first two games of the season, with 13 different players recording at least one reception. Tight end
Connor Shamany leads the Crimson Hawks in receptions, including seven catches last week against West Chester. Shamany also tied his career high with 98 receiving yards against the Golden Rams.
JC Wilson leads IUP's wide receivers with eight receptions and is averaging 54 receiving yards per game. Graduate transfer
D'Avay Johnson has also made his opportunities count, tying for the team lead with two touchdown receptions. Both of Johnson's touchdown catches have come on contested 50-50 balls.
ADDING TO HIS LEGACY
Ninth-year head coach
Paul Tortorella became just the third coach in IUP history to reach 70 career victories with the program. Tortorella was the second-fastest IUP coach to reach the milestone, trailing only College Football Hall of Fame coach Frank Cignetti Sr.
Tortorella owns a .679 winning percentage as IUP's head coach and has posted a 40-14 record against PSAC West opponents. Of his 70 career victories, 36 have come at home.
Overall, Tortorella has spent 31 years at IUP, including 21 seasons as the Crimson Hawks' defensive coordinator from 1995-2016 before taking over as head coach. His nine-year tenure as head coach is also among the longest in program history, trailing only Cignetti, who led IUP from 1986-2005, and Sam Smith, who coached the program from 1949-61.
