The timing couldn’t have been better.
IUP football coach Paul Tortorella said his team emerged from last week’s bye healthier than it’s been all season, with several key players returning to action ahead of Saturday’s PSAC West clash at Slippery Rock.
“We did three days of practice, kept it short, and focused on what needed to get done—especially special teams,” Tortorella said. “Health-wise, we’re probably in the best shape we’ve been all year.”
Tortorella said freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Coleman, who has caught four touchdown passes this season, is expected back after missing the last game and a half with a hamstring injury. But running back Randy Washington is out indefinitely and will undergo an MRI next week, and his status moving forward is unclear. Tavian Banks and Leon Parson have shared reps at tailback thus far, but Tortorella said redshirt freshman Amir Majors and true freshman Eric Doerue are ready to step in if needed.
“They’re 3 and 3-A,” he said. “We feel good about them if we need to use them.”
The only backfield subtraction is J.D. Younger, who suffered a concussion against Lock Haven in the second game of the season and has chosen to redshirt.
CONTROLLING DESTINY: IUP enters the second half of the season in control of its own fate in the PSAC West, but Tortorella isn’t interested in standings talk.
“We don’t talk about that. It’s always just the next game,” he said. “Our guys don’t get caught up in scenarios.”
That mindset, he added, is a blend of program philosophy and veteran leadership.
“We’ve got older guys who focus on what’s in front of them,” he said, “and that’s all.”
The Crimson Hawks are 4-1 overall and unbeaten (2-0) in PSAC West play. Saturday’s trip to Slippery Rock (4-2, 1-2) could be pivotal in the division race. Tortorella welcomes the challenge.
“We’re not going in with a bunch of young guys like two years ago,” he said. “Most of our starters have played up there before. They know what to expect.”
DEFENDING IUP: Tortorella is glad that he doesn’t have to find a way to stop his own offense. That’s a nightmare he’s leaving to the opposition. But when asked how he’d plan against his own offense, Tortorella has some thoughts.
“You’d better have answers,” he said. “You’d better have answers, and you’d better have options. If you don’t, we’re gonna attack it. If you don’t change up what you’re doing, we’re just going to keep attacking. We move a lot pre-snap—motions, shifts, formations. It looks complex, but it’s just concepts.”
He pointed to wideouts Maurice Massey and Devin Whitlock, and red zone threat Cy Clark as matchup problems. Coleman’s return adds another layer, and QB Matthew Rueve’s decision-making has kept the offense efficient.
“Whitlock moves constantly—hard to double,” Tortorella said. “Clark’s stepped up in the red zone. They’ve caught the ball well. Our issues have been turnovers and penalties,” Tortorella said. “We’ve only punted 13 times all year—six in the first game.”
SACK EMPHASIS: Defensively, Tortorella wants more pressure on opposing quarterbacks. But that won’t be easy this week. Freshman quarterback DaOne Owens has proven to be elusive in the pocket and has only been sacked four times in six games.
“Slippery Rock is plus-14 in sacks,” he said. “Their quarterback helps—he has a quick release and is athletic. They either get it out fast or max protect and go deep.”
IUP’s defense has been solid on third and fourth down and in the red zone, but Tortorella pointed to sacks, takeaways, and penalties as lingering concerns. The Crimson Hawks are minus-four in turnover margin.
“We need more sacks,” he said. “That’s the missing piece.”
PERFECT SCHEDULE: The bye week didn’t just help IUP physically—it also helped financially.
Because the PSAC-mandated schedule sends IUP this season to such nearby locales as Seton Hill, Slippery Rock, and Clarion, the team doesn’t have to shell out the roughly $10,000 per night it costs to put up the team at a hotel for a night until its final game of the season, which right now is scheduled to be at Kutztown.
“It’s the best schedule ever,” Tortorella said. “Bye week right in the middle—perfect timing. And we’ll only have one overnight trip, which saves us a lot of money.”
With a rested roster, a veteran core, and a clear path to the PSAC West title, IUP enters the second half of its season with everything still in play. Tortorella’s message remains the same: focus on what’s in front of you.
And right now, that’s Slippery Rock.
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