ASHLAND, Ohio — IUP football opens the 2026 season with a ranked matchup against Ashland, looking to avenge last season's 13-9 loss in a defensive battle.
Thursday marks the final installment in the series between the two teams, with IUP going 2-1 in the previous three Thursday night matchups. The Crimson Hawks won the most recent meeting in Ashland, defeating the Eagles 19-10 in 2024. IUP has outscored Ashland 52-40 over the past three meetings.
The last time both teams entered the season ranked in the top 25, IUP defeated Ashland 24-17 at Miller Stadium.
THE MATCHUP
September 3, 2026 | 7:00 PM | Jack Miller Stadium (Ashland, Ohio)
#22/NR IUP Crimson Hawks (0-0, 0-0 PSAC)
#12/#12 Ashland Eagles (0-0, 0-0 G-MAC)
GAME DAY LINKS
QUICK NOTES
• The 2025 season marked just the second time IUP lost its season opener in the previous 11 seasons. The Crimson Hawks are 3-1 against Ashland in season- opening matchups over the past four years.
• IUP will have its third different starting quarterback in a season opener in the past three seasons.
• The Crimson Hawks return 12 starters, including 2025 All-Region tight end and 2026 D2Football Elite 100 Watch List selection Connor Shamany.
• Of IUP's 12 returning starters, three earned All-PSAC West honors in 2025. Connor Shamany earned first-team honors at tight end, Tai- Don Strickland was a second-team selection at linebacker and Noah Johnston earned third-team honors at safety.
• IUP welcomes back former player Marco Pecora as its new offensive coordinator for the 2026 season. Pecora previously served as the offensive coordinator at Saint Francis, calling plays in the program's only victory over an FBS opponent when the Red Flash defeated Kent State in September 2024.
• IUP will rely on two young offensive playmakers in running back Leon Parson and wide receiver Jeremiah Coleman. Parson will look to jump-start a rushing attack that ranked last in the PSAC in yards per game in 2025, while Coleman will look to continue his knack for finding the end zone after eight of his 22 receptions went for touchdowns last season.
• IUP was picked to finish first in the PSAC West in 2026, with the Crimson Hawks projected to defend their 2025 division title and host the PSAC Championship Game on Nov. 14.
• Ashland was picked to win the G-MAC after featuring one of the conference's most potent rushing attacks in 2025. The Eagles take an old-school approach, relying on a strong running game and defense to control games rather than a pass-heavy attack.
• Ashland won the most recent matchup between the two teams, a 13-9 defensive battle in Week 1 last season.
STORY LINES
NEW OFFENSE, FAMILIAR FACE
IUP welcomes back former player Marco Pecora to guide the Crimson Hawks' offense in 2026. Pecora, a former safety at Pitt who finished his playing career at IUP, served as the offensive coordinator at Saint Francis before returning to Indiana.
Pecora, along with IUP graduate quarterback Jeff Hoenstine, helped lead Saint Francis to its lone victory over an FBS opponent, a 23-21 win over Kent State in September 2024. In his collegiate debut, Hoenstine completed 11 of 22 passes for 195 yards and a touchdown while adding 50 yards and another score on 10 carries.
Hoenstine enters the 2026 season listed third on the IUP quarterback depth chart.
ESTABLISH THE RUN
Pecora is the third offensive coordinator to call plays for IUP in the past three seasons. Last season, IUP featured a pass-heavy offense led by graduate quarterback Matthew Rueve, who rewrote the program's single-season record book under offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr.
Pecora will look to bring a more balanced approach in 2026, with an emphasis on establishing the running game behind sophomore running back Leon Parson. The Crimson Hawks averaged just over 55 rushing yards per game last season and did not have a 100-yard rusher in any game.
A MIX OF OLD AND NEW
IUP brought in four new quarterbacks following last season, adding two transfers and two freshmen. Hoenstine, mentioned earlier, and redshirt senior Mason Maggs joined the Crimson Hawks after competing at the Division I level last season. Hoenstine reunites with offensive coordinator Marco Pecora after playing for him at Saint Francis, while Maggs spent the first few years of his collegiate career in the Big Ten at Ohio State.
Roman Blanks and Ryan Messina joined the program as freshmen. Blanks arrived on campus last winter after playing at IMG Academy, while Messina had a decorated high school career at WPIAL power Elizabeth Forward.
Redshirt sophomore Zac Hahn is the lone returning quarterback for IUP after spending much of last season third on the depth chart. Hahn did not attempt a pass in 2025.
A THURSDAY-NIGHT TRADITION
This marks the seventh meeting between IUP and Ashland, with the last three coming on opening night. The matchup has become a Thursday-night tradition, with IUP holding a 5-1 advantage in the all-time series. Head coach Paul Tortorella
is 4-1 against the Eagles through his first eight seasons leading the Crimson Hawks.
Ashland's lone victory in the series came last season in a 13-9 defensive battle. IUP took a 9-0 lead into halftime before the Eagles scored 13 unanswered points in the second half to secure the win. The loss was IUP's only home defeat until its final game of the season, an NCAA playoff first-round loss to Assumption.
YOUNG AND HUNGRY
IUP graduated more than 20 players following last season, one of the program's largest senior classes in recent years. As a result, the Crimson Hawks enter 2026 with a young roster, as nearly half of the team is made up of freshmen or redshirt freshmen.
Offensively, IUP will lean on redshirt freshmen Jeremiah Coleman and Leon Parson, two explosive skill players who can help open up the offense. Redshirt junior Connor Shamany, an all-region tight end despite making his first start at the position in Week 7 last season, provides an experienced option and will look to serve as a reliable target over the middle.
EXPERIENCE IN THE TRENCHES
The IUP offensive line returns three key contributors from 2025 while adding two experienced transfers up front. Wyatt Kovell, Anthony Shovlin and Tann Fuchs were mainstays along the offensive line last season and provide continuity for a unit replacing two starters.
All-PSAC selection Chance Battle and center Matthew Nelson have departed, with Saint Francis transfer Joe Enick and Arkansas-Monticello transfer Derius Franklin joining the group. With another year of experience, the offensive line will look to make a greater impact in the running game while providing improved protection for the quarterback.
IUP allowed 3.36 sacks per game last season, while Ashland averaged nearly four sacks per game defensively, setting up an early test for the Crimson Hawks up front.
A WHOLE NEW LINE
On the other side of the ball, IUP enters 2026 replacing its entire defensive line from last season. The Crimson Hawks were led up front by defensive ends Randy Okungu and Logan Goodwin, along with interior linemen Terell Williams and Logan Danielson. The group helped IUP average more than three sacks per game in 2025.
Okungu, Williams and Danielson graduated, while Goodwin moved on to Division I Buffalo. A new-look defensive front will be tested immediately against an Ashland offense that averaged more than 180 rushing yards per game last season. The Crimson Hawks will also look to generate pressure against an Eagles offensive line that surrendered fewer than one sack per game in 2025.
EXPECTATIONS APLENTY
IUP enters the 2026 season picked to finish first in the PSAC West and defend its 2025 division title. A second consecutive PSAC West crown would mark the first time the Crimson Hawks have won back-to-back division titles since the Frank Cignetti Sr. era.
The Crimson Hawks were the only PSAC West team ranked in the preseason AFCA Division II Coaches Poll. Defending PSAC champion Kutztown was the lone representative from the Eastern Division, entering the season ranked inside the top five nationally.
RANKED ON RANKED
IUP and Ashland enter the season opener, both ranked in the AFCA top 25. IUP comes in as preseason No. 25, while Ashland enters in the top 15. Although the two teams are not in the same region, the game will have postseason implications, as the regions border each other, making it a key part of postseason discussions.
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