EDINBORO, Pa. -- IUP and Edinboro renew one of the longest-running series on the Crimson Hawks' schedule Saturday at Sox Harrison Stadium. IUP has won 62 of the previous 90 meetings between the programs, including six of eight matchups under ninth-year head coach Paul Tortorella. The No. 9 Crimson Hawks have dropped just two games to the Fighting Scots during Tortorella's tenure as head coach.

The Crimson Hawks will also see a familiar face leading the Edinboro offense in quarterback Nico Marchitelli, who began his collegiate career at IUP before making his way to the Fighting Scots. Saturday will mark Marchitelli's second start against his former program and his first opportunity to face the Crimson Hawks at Sox Harrison Stadium.


The setting changes this time around, with Marchitelli and the Fighting Scots welcoming the Crimson Hawks to Edinboro. IUP enters the matchup at 4-0 and ranked No. 9 nationally in the AFCA Division II Coaches Poll, while looking to continue its recent success in the series and earn another PSAC West road victory.

THE MATCHUP

October 3, 2026 | 2:00 PM | Sox Harrison Stadium

No. 9 / No. 13 IUP Crimson Hawks (4-1, 1-0 PSAC West)

ROSTER | STATS | SCHEDULE

NR / NR Edinboro Fighting Scots (2-2, 0-1 PSAC West)

ROSTER | STATS | SCHEDULE

GAME DAY LINKS

Streaming: PSAC Digital Network | Radio: U 92.5 FM | Live Stats: Sidearm

Game Notes

IUP

QUICK NOTES

• IUP's No. 9 ranking in the Week 5 AFCA Division II Coaches Poll marks the program's first appearance inside the top 10 since the Oct. 1, 2018, poll, when the Crimson Hawks were ranked No. 2 nationally. 

•The Crimson Hawks last started a season 4-0 in 2024, when IUP finished 7-3 overall with all three losses coming in PSAC West play. That season also marked IUP's most recent loss to Edinboro, one of just two defeats for the Crimson Hawks at Sox Harrison Stadium under head coach Paul Tortorella since 2017.

• Three of IUP's first four games have been decided by 10 points or fewer, but the Crimson Hawks broke that trend with a 35-7 victory over Seton Hill in the PSAC West opener. After the Griffins opened the scoring with a punt return for a touchdown, IUP responded with 35 unanswered points to secure the 28-point victory, the Crimson Hawks' largest margin of victory since defeating Seton Hill 40-13 in Week 4 of the 2025 season.

• The Crimson Hawks have found different ways to win in 2026. Through IUP's first four victories last season, the Crimson Hawks had an average margin of victory of 32 points, including a 46-point win over Millersville. This season, the 4-0 Crimson Hawks have an average margin of victory of 11.5 points per game. Take away IUP's 28-point victory over Seton Hill, and that average drops to 6 points across the other three victories.

•Saturday's meeting with Edinboro marks Paul Tortorella's 95th game as head coach of the Crimson Hawks. Through his first 94 games at the helm, Tortorella has posted a .760 winning percentage, including a .740 winning percentage against PSAC West opponents. Tortorella is just the second coach in program history to reach 95 games as IUP's head coach, joining College Football Hall of Famer Frank Cignetti Sr. Cignetti posted a .779 winning percentage across 20 seasons and 233 games as head coach of the Crimson Hawks.

• Edinboro, the 2025 PSAC West co-champion, was picked to finish fourth in the division in the 2026 preseason poll. The Fighting Scots enter Saturday's matchup coming off a road loss to Clarion in their PSAC West opener last week. division entering conference play.

STORY LINES

PSAC WEST DEFENSIVE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

IUP sophomore defensive back Devon Bertrand became the fourth Crimson Hawk to earn PSAC West Athlete of the Week honors this season, joining redshirt freshman punter Gavin Mentzer, sophomore running back Leon Parson and senior linebacker Tai'Don Strickland. Bertrand earned the recognition following another strong all-around performance in IUP's 35-7 victory over Seton Hill in the PSAC West opener, helping the Crimson Hawks improve to 4-0 on the season.

Bertrand was active throughout the afternoon against the Griffins, finishing with eight tackles, including six solo stops, while adding a tackle for loss, a forced fumble and a pass breakup. His ability to make plays at multiple levels helped IUP keep the Seton Hill offense off the scoreboard. The Griffins' only points came on a punt return for a touchdown to open the scoring before the Crimson Hawks responded with 35 unanswered points.

The performance continued a strong start to the season for Bertrand, who has developed into a key piece of the IUP secondary. He is one of just three Crimson Hawks to record a 10-tackle game this season, reaching double figures during IUP's Week 3 road victory over Shippensburg. Bertrand followed that effort with eight more tackles against Seton Hill, giving him back-to-back games with at least eight stops.

Bertrand's production has gone beyond his tackling numbers, with the sophomore showing an ability to impact the game in coverage, behind the line of scrimmage and by creating turnovers. His forced fumble against Seton Hill added another disruptive play to an IUP defense that has consistently found ways to make timely stops during the Crimson Hawks' unbeaten start.

With Bertrand earning the defensive honor, IUP has now had a player recognized by the PSAC West on offense, defense and special teams through the opening four weeks of the 2026 season.

A QUARTERBACK'S BEST FRIEND

Redshirt junior tight end Connor Shamany has emerged as one of the most productive receiving threats in the PSAC through the opening four weeks of the season. Shamany became the first IUP player to record a 100-yard receiving game in 2026, hauling in 123 yards against Seton Hill last week while continuing to serve as a reliable target over the middle for quarterback Mason Maggs.

Shamany also found the end zone twice against the Griffins, marking his second multi-touchdown performance of the season. He has recorded at least one touchdown in three of IUP's first four games and enters Week 5 with five touchdown receptions, ranking third in the PSAC and just one behind the conference lead of six shared by two players.

A D2Football.com Elite 100 Watch List selection entering the season, Shamany has continued to build on his breakout 2025 campaign. His five touchdown receptions lead all PSAC tight ends, providing the Crimson Hawks with a consistent scoring threat as IUP has opened the season 4-0.

A TALE OF TWO QUARTERBACKS

IUP redshirt senior quarterback Mason Maggs enters Week 5 as the PSAC leader with 13 touchdown passes while throwing just two interceptions through the Crimson Hawks' 4-0 start. The Ohio State transfer has combined his big-play ability with efficiency, with his two interceptions ranking seventh in the conference for fewest thrown this season.

Maggs will match up Saturday with an Edinboro quarterback who is plenty familiar with the Crimson Hawks. Nico Marchitelli began his collegiate career at IUP before transferring to Edinboro and will make his second start against his former team. Marchitelli has thrown just two touchdown passes this season, the fewest among PSAC quarterbacks, but has taken care of the football with only one interception.

The two quarterbacks have taken different paths since beginning their collegiate careers, but both will enter Saturday looking to guide their teams through PSAC West play. Maggs has provided an immediate spark since arriving at IUP, throwing multiple touchdown passes in each of his first four starts and helping the Crimson Hawks open the season undefeated.

Marchitelli's first start against his former team came last season at George P. Miller Stadium. The IUP defense made it a difficult return for the former Crimson Hawk, recording eight sacks as IUP rolled to a 35-12 Homecoming victory over the Fighting Scots.

STAY DISCIPLINED

IUP and Edinboro enter Saturday's matchup on opposite ends of the PSAC when it comes to penalties. The Fighting Scots have been one of the most disciplined teams in the country through four games, leading the PSAC and ranking second nationally with just 28.2 penalty yards per game. Edinboro has been assessed only 115 penalty yards this season, 76 fewer than the next-lowest total in the conference.

The Crimson Hawks have experienced a much different start in that category, ranking 13th in the PSAC with an average of 84 penalty yards per game. IUP ranks ahead of only Seton Hill and Slippery Rock in penalty yards per game entering Week 5.

Despite the disparity in penalties, IUP has found ways to overcome the extra yardage during its 4-0 start. The Crimson Hawks will look to clean up the flags against an Edinboro team that has consistently avoided giving away yards through the opening month of the season.

AND HE KEPT ON RUNNIN'

IUP will turn to junior running back Landyn Moore to lead the way out of the backfield this weekend after a breakout performance against Seton Hill. Moore saw his first substantial action as a Crimson Hawk against the Griffins, rushing for 88 yards and a touchdown while adding a receiving touchdown in IUP's 35-7 victory.

Moore averaged more than 7 yards per carry in the win, providing the Crimson Hawks with a consistent presence on the ground while also showing his versatility as a receiving option out of the backfield. The two-touchdown performance marked the best game of Moore's young IUP career and gives the Crimson Hawks another proven option in the backfield heading into Saturday's PSAC West matchup at Edinboro.

A GROUP EFFORT

IUP has found consistent success on the ground despite dealing with injuries and constant movement along the offensive line through the first four weeks of the season. The Crimson Hawks have yet to start the same combination of offensive linemen in consecutive games, forcing the unit to adjust personnel and positions throughout IUP's 4-0 start.

Despite the changes up front, the Crimson Hawks have experienced a resurgence in the running game under first-year offensive coordinator Marco Pecora and offensive line coach and run game coordinator Mike Campolo. IUP has surpassed 100 rushing yards in three of its first four games, including a pair of 200-yard performances.

The production represents a significant turnaround from last season, when IUP surpassed 100 rushing yards as a team just twice all year. The Crimson Hawks' season-high rushing total in 2025 was 124 yards against Millersville, a mark IUP has already surpassed multiple times through the opening month of the 2026 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