On Hawk Talk on U92 and Renda Digital TV last night, IUP football coach Paul Tortorella said his Crimson Hawks will be back to work this week even though they won’t play again until Saturday the 16th against Shippensburg. IUP beat Gannon, 35-7 on Saturday and would have played Mercyhurst this week at home, but that game disappeared from the schedule when Mercyhurst chose to become a Division One school and re-did their schedule.
Tortorella told Jack Benedict his front-line players will get a well-deserved rest when practices start again tomorrow after playing several high-intensity games in recent weeks.
IUP wide receiver Maurice Massey is the PSAC Co-Offensive Athlete of the Week for his six-catch, 181-yard day against Gannon, which included three touchdown receptions. Massey shares the honor with Slippery Rock quarterback Brayden Long.
With IUP football having Saturday off and basketball starting this weekend, Tortorella shared the microphone with men’s coach Joe Lombardi and women’s coach Craig Carey.
Lombardi says it’s been a different sort of training camp for IUP, with the most inexperienced team he’s ever had. In fact, veteran returnee Dallas Dillard has become a coach of sorts while he continues making his way back from knee surgery.
The coach says Dillard is still a few weeks away from being able to practice fully with his Crimson Hawks teammates.
The IUP men open with Glenville State on Friday night in Charleston, West Virginia. They will play Charleston on Saturday.
The IUP women will be at the KCAC this weekend, opening their season with a game Saturday afternoon against Salem and Sunday afternoon against Virginia State.
Carey has eight newcomers on his roster this season. He says recruiting talent to IUP is easier because the school sells itself.
The IUP men are picked fourth in the PSAC West preseason poll. The women are third.
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