FROM IUP SPORTS INFORMATION
WACO, Tex. – With its second straight win and with the help of a loss at the top, the IUP football program has moved up to No. 3 in this week’s American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II Coaches’ Top 25 Poll, released Monday morning.
The Crimson Hawks are coming off a 41-7 home opening win over Millersville Thursday night, making plays in all three phases of the blowout victory. IUP built a solid 41-0 lead at the half before cruising to the easy win. R-Sr. QB Lenny Williams Jr. was named PSAC West Offensive Athlete of the Week (see more below) after passing for 120 yards and three touchdowns in two quarters of action.
The shakeup at the top of the rankings came from last week’s No. 2 West Florida (1-1), which lost to Midwestern State (2-0) 38-17 this weekend.
Texas A&M-Commerce (2-0) received 26 first place votes and remains at No. 1, with Minnesota State (2-0) bumping up one spot to No. 2 with three first place votes. IUP followed with a pair of first place votes, with Northwest Missouri State (2-0) moving up to No. 4 and Grand Valley State (2-0) coming in as the new No. 5.
Ferris State (2-0) is No. 6, with Midwestern State following at No. 7, West Alabama (2-0) at No. 8, Colorado State-Pueblo (2-0) at No. 9, and West Georgia (2-0) rounds out the top 10. NW Missouri State and Midwestern State each grabbed a first place vote.
This ranking equals last year’s highest for the Crimson Hawks, who held onto the AFCA’s No. 3 spot for five weeks in the regular season and remained for the end-of-year poll.
One other PSAC team shows up in this week’s ranking with West Chester (2-0) moving up five spots to No. 18. Kutztown (2-0), Shippensburg (2-0), and Edinboro (2-0) are all receiving votes.
In more news from IUP Sports Information
LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – IUP redshirt senior quarterback Lenny Williams Jr. was named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division Offensive Athlete of the Week, announced by the league office Monday morning.
This is the second straight conference offensive player of the week for the Crimson Hawks, with Williams joining receiver Ricky Rogers from week one.
Williams needed just one half of football to earn top honors, finishing 9-of-13 for 120 yards and three touchdowns through the air, while adding 29 rushing yards, in fourth-ranked IUP’s 41-7 win over Millersville Thursday night.
Williams connected on touchdown passes of 60 yards to Dom McNeil, 13 yards to JoJo Gause, and eight yards to Miles Williamson all in the first half. His 60 yarder came on IUP’s second play of the game and was part of an early explosion that gave the Crimson Hawks a 13-0 lead after less than two minutes of action.
Williams converted three of his five rushing attempts for first downs, including one on a 4th-and-3 in the first quarter that led to IUP’s third touchdown.
It was Williams’ second 3-touchdown game to open the season and the 10th of his career. He now has 60 passing and 85 total touchdowns for his career, fourth and second, respectively, in school history. He’s three total touchdowns shy of tying Bryan Eyerman for the all-time lead.
This was Williams’ fifth career conference player of the week award.
