For IUP, Saturday’s matchup with Lock Haven will feel like a season opener—even if it technically isn’t.
The Crimson Hawks host the Bald Eagles at 4 p.m. in the annual Hall of Fame Game, just nine days after dropping their opener, 13-9, at home against Ashland.
The Ashland game carried some familiarity, as IUP had a good sense of the Eagles’ roster. This week, however, head coach Paul Tortorella and his staff face a very different challenge.
“There’s not much film,” Tortorella said, noting Lock Haven has also played just one game. “You’ve got one game to go off of, so there’s some guesswork involved. Personnel-wise, we’ve got maybe five guys we recognize from last year.”
In that sense, the second game of the season carries the unpredictability of an opener. And with the sting of the Ashland loss still fresh, IUP views this contest as a chance to reset.
“We’d like to get out of here with the win, but there’s still a long season ahead of us,” defensive back Dinari Clacks said after the loss. “Right now, we just have to move forward and be better in the future.”
The challenge is that this isn’t last year’s Lock Haven team—the one IUP beat 20-17 on the road. The Bald Eagles return just four starters on defense and only one on offense.
“But their quarterback is still their best player,” Tortorella said, referring to redshirt senior Jackson Ostrowsky, who led the PSAC in passing yards per game last season (290.7) while ranking second in touchdown passes (27).
Lock Haven opened its season with a 16-13 win over Glenville State, building a 16-0 lead before hanging on late. Much of the roster, however, looks completely different from a year ago. Former offensive coordinator Joe Battaglia is now the head coach and quickly tapped into the transfer portal to rebuild.
“It’s a new head coach, but he’s been there, so it’s still his system,” Tortorella said. “They’ve added a lot of portal guys. Their best part on offense is the quarterback. They were really good at wide receiver last year, but those guys are gone. Defensively, they were solid last year. They’ve got a couple of linebackers and a DB back. They lost a lot of good players but added transfers.”
That turnover makes scouting a headache.
“Yeah, because you’re not developing guys,” Tortorella said. “You’re constantly replacing them. It’s a never-ending cycle. And for us, a lot of the guys who played against Glenville last week didn’t play last year. You can’t rely on old film. Their scheme hasn’t changed much, but the personnel has.”
For IUP, that uncertainty is the biggest hurdle.
“It’s almost like another opener,” Tortorella said. “We’ve got some film, but Glenville’s offense and defense aren’t like ours. And you can’t rely on last year’s personnel—most of those guys aren’t there anymore.”
NOTES: IUP has beaten Lock Haven 36 times in a row, a streak that dates to 1981. That was also the last season in whuch the Bald Eagles finished with a winning record. … Lock Haven has not beaten IUP in Indiana since 1961, the year before George P. Miller Stadium opened. … At halftime, the IUP Athletics Hall of Fame will honor the Class of 2025: Bob Johnston ’72 (baseball), Denise Raymond Erb ’86 (gymnastics), Frank Condino (administrator), James A. Welker ’89 (men’s tennis), Kerri McIntyre Joyce ’99 (cross country & track & field), Rob Zinsmeister ’13 (baseball), Eric Shafer ’91 (track & field & cross country), Zack Kempa ’14 (men’s golf), Allyson Mitidieri-Washick ’14 (swimming), Dennis A. & Regina Stover (honorary bell ringer award), and the 1974 Women’s Tennis Team.
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