From IUP Sports Information
No. 16 IUP Football squares off in top-20 battle with No. 9 Slippery Rock
#16/21 IUP CRIMSON HAWKS at #9/11 SLIPPERY ROCK “THE ROCK”
Saturday, October 12 | 2 p.m. | Bob DiSpirito Field @ Mihalik-Thompson Stadium
Game Notes: IUP (5-0, 2-0 PSAC West) (PDF) | Slippery Rock (5-0, 2-0 PSAC West) | PSAC Notes
Listen: WQMU 92.5, U92 Sports App
THE GAME
The 16th-ranked Crimson Hawks head out onto the road for a top-20 showdown at 9th-ranked Slippery Rock Saturday. Kickoff from Mihalik-Thompson Stadium is set for 2 p.m.
IUP boasts a perfect 5-0 overall with a pair of divisional wins coming into its second straight rivalry game. The Crimson Hawks are coming off a 17-6 victory over Cal U in the 11th annual Coal Bowl a week ago as the IUP defense limited the Vulcans to just 95 passing yards and 4-13 on third downs. So. WR Duane Brown caught 4 passes for 126 yards and 2 touchdowns while Sr. WR JoJo Gause caught a career-high 129 yards.
The Rock also brings a 5-0 record and a top-10 ranking into their Homecoming weekend. Slippery Rock has five straight blowout victories to start the year including a 45-14 victory at Mercyhurst last Saturday. SRU had its lowest yardage output of the season in Erie with 416 yards but the defense picked off four passes and the special teams had a 70-yard punt return for a touchdown.
QUICK NOTES / STORY LINES
The Crimson Hawks have put together their second 5-0 start in the last three years, and fifth since 2000; 14 times in program history IUP has opened a season with five straight wins
This is the third time in the last four years that both teams enter this matchup with top-25 rankings; the No. 3 Crimson Hawks defeated No. 9 Slippery Rock on the road in 2017
The series between these two rivals has been even over the last 12 years with each team winning six games since 2007; IUP has narrowly outscored its rival 25-22 during that span
This is a matchup between the top two offenses in the PSAC and two of the best in Division II; SRU is 2nd in the country with 53.0 points per game while IUP is 10th at 45.6 and both have 600-yard outputs to their credit
The Crimson Hawks are ranked in both the AFCA Coaches and D2Football.com Media Polls this week; IUP moved up three spots to No. 16 in the coaches poll and remained at No. 21 in the media rankings
The game also features two of the most exciting offensive players in the PSAC in IUP WR Duane Brown and Slippery Rock QB Roland Rivers; Brown leads Division II in scoring and TDs and Rivers leads the country in passing TDs
IUP QBs Quinton Maxwell and Jalen Reese have combined for 19 passing TDs this year, 3rd in Division II; their combined 317.6 passing yards per game are 7th in the country
Since giving up 37 points in the opener, SRU has allowed an average of 11.8 points over its last four games and are top-30 in Division II in scoring, total and rushing defense
Led by Rivers, SRU is 4th in Division II with 339.8 passing yards per game, including two 400-yard outputs
The IUP defense leads the nation with 22 sacks and is 14th giving up 144.2 passing yards per game; Last week Cal U QB Noah Mitchell managed just 95 yards passing and was sacked 4 times
The IUP defense ranks in the top 25 of Division II in eight categories, including 3rd in sacks (18.0), 6th in total defense (231.5), 8th in scoring defense (12.8), and 12th in interceptions (7)
After missing out on the postseason last year, the Crimson Hawks look for a return trip after making the Division II playoffs in 2015, 2016 and 2017; IUP’s 18 Division II playoff appearances is tied for fourth all-time (NW Missouri State 23, North Alabama 21, Grand Valley St. 19, Pittsburg St. 18)
The Crimson Hawks entered the year as one of only nine Division II teams with 80+ wins this decade (80); New PSAC addition and former MEC power Shepherd (91) is the only other team in the region on that list
