IUP is one of four PSAC teams in the first release of the top ten teams in the NCAA Division II Super Region One rankings. Undefeated Kutztown is also listed, along with Cal and Slippery Rock. The initial list is always alphabetical, with next week’s ranking to be numerical. An interesting note: IUP is listed with two regional losses, but because NCAA realignment moved Ashland to Region Three, the Crimson Hawks have only one regional loss. Hopefully, that will be corrected next week.
The alphabetical regional rankings include:
- Assumption
- California (Pa.)
- Charleston (W.Va.)
- Fayetteville State
- Frostburg State
- IUP
- Johnson C. Smith
- Kutztown
- Slippery Rock
- Virginia Union
Sometimes statistics can be deceptive, sometimes they tell a pretty good story. On last night’s Hawk Talk on U92 radio and Renda Digital TV, coach Paul Tortorella talked about his team’s red zone performance, which has been stellar all season on both sides of the ball. On offense, IUP has scored points on 26 of 27 trips inside the opponents’ twenty yard line (21 of them touchdowns), and on defense, the Crimson Hawks have allowed only ten touchdowns out of twenty possessions, having stopped their opponents completely or given up a field goal.
Tortorella says both units are doing the job.
IUP plays Gannon at George P. Miller Stadium on Saturday. The Golden Knights are only 1-7, but that one win was over Slippery Rock, and they have had a lot of close games.
The coach says Gannon is dangerous.
Wide receiver Devon Whitlock was the special guest on Hawk Talk last night. Yesterday, the Pitt transfer was named the PSAC West Offensive Player of the Week after he caught nine passes for 69 yards and two touchdowns, and added 118 return yards on five kickoffs, including a 59-yard return in the first quarter of the Coal Bowl win over Cal.
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