Game Notes (PDF)

IUP (5-1, 4-1) @ #NR/25 CAL U (5-1, 4-1)
• When: Saturday, October 18, 2014
• Where: California, PA
• Stadium: Adamson Stadium (6,5000)
• Kickoff: 1 p.m.
• Live Radio: WCAL (91.9 FM) I WQMU (92.5 FM)
• Live Video: America One (PPV)
• Live Stats: Fan Stats I Media Stats

GAME INFORMATION
• General Admission: $10 adults/$5students/FREE 12 and under
• Chairback Seats: $15 adults/$10 students
• Parking: $5
• Directions to Adamson Stadium I GPS Address: 170 California Road, Brownsville, PA 15417

SERIES BREAKDOWN
• All-Time Series: IUP leads 60-24-2
• First Meeting: 1918 - IUP won 20-2
• Last Meeting: Sept. 28, 2013 @ IUP - IUP won 20-7 I Recap I Box Score
• Streak: IUP +1

CAL U NOTES
• Cal U plays the second of back-to-back home games on Saturday when it hosts the sixth-annual Coal Bowl. The Vulcans posted a 48-26 victory last week over then-No. 19 Slippery Rock. Meanwhile, IUP extended its win streak to four games with a 51-28 victory at Seton Hill.
 
• The Vulcans amassed 500 yards of total offense and scored 31 points in the second quarter in a 48-26 win over then-No. 19 Slippery Rock. Cal U forced four turnovers and limited Slippery Rock to a season-low 66 rushing yards, which was over 220 yards less than its average. Quarterback James Harris finished with 326 passing yards and set a career high with four touchdown passes, including two to wide receiver Garry Brown. Linebacker Spencer Lynn led the team with 11 tackles, while defensive back Arnel Farmer, Jr. and defensive lineman Jawan Turner both added nine stops.
 
• The Crimson Hawks lead the all-time series that started in 1918 by a 60-24-2 margin. Cal U has won seven of the last nine meetings, including the initial four games in the history of the Coal Bowl.
 
• After 25-plus years as an assistant coach, Curt Cignetti is in his fourth season as head coach at IUP. He has posted a 33-7 overall record with the Crimson Hawks, winning at least seven games in each of his first three seasons. Cignetti was named PSAC West Coach of the Year in 2012 after leading the program to the PSAC Championship and its first appearance in the NCAA Playoffs since 2007.
 
• IUP returns 10 starters from a team that finished with a 9-2 overall record, but features a first-year starter at both quarterback and running back this season. Junior transfer Chase Haslett, son of former IUP graduate and longtime NFL coach Jim, has started every game at quarterback and passed for nearly 1,000 yards this year while completing roughly 60 percent of his attempts. True freshman Luigi Lista-Brinza ranks third in the league with 582 rushing yards after eclipsing the 100-yard mark five times, including four-straight games. Lista-Brinza is also tied for second in the PSAC with nine rushing touchdowns after scoring eight times in the opening four weeks. Senior wide receiver Drew Carswell leads the team with 465 receiving yards and has a caught a touchdown pass in each of the last four contests. The Crimson Hawks rank second in the country in rushing defense (52.2 yards/game) and sit second in the PSAC in total defense (300.3 yards/game) and sacks (3.17 sacks/game). Sophomore Kevin Clarke leads the team and is among the top 10 in the league with 61 tackles (20 solo) and 7.5 TFL. Senior cornerback Jerell McFadden has tallied 33 stops (24 solo) and registered eight pass break-ups, while eight other players have posted at least 20 tackles this season. On special teams, IUP ranks second in the PSAC with an average of 17.7 yards/punt return following a 96-yard return for a touchdown by freshman Walt Pegues last week. Senior Brett Ullman returns as the kicker and has made four-of-five attempts this season.
 
• With the PSAC adopting a new rule this season, all 16 league teams played two additional games (Week 2, Week 3) that are reflected in the league standings. Previously, only games against divisional opponents counted in the PSAC standings.
 
• The Vulcans were picked to finish second in the preseason PSAC West poll after receiving three first-place votes. Cal U had earned at least a share of the top spot in the preseason divisional poll every year from 2005-12. IUP was picked to finish first in the PSAC West after earning the remaining five first-place votes.
 
• Cal U made its season debut in the national polls this week when it was slotted at No. 25 in the D2Football.com poll. The Vulcans have been receiving at least one vote in every AFCA poll this year and is now the second team among 'Others Receiving Votes' in the latest ranking. Cal U was last ranked in a Top 25 poll last year after Week 3 before losing back-to-back road contests starting with a 20-7 loss at IUP.
 
• The Vulcans registered a season-high three interceptions in last week's victory over Slippery Rock after going back-to-back games without an interception. Cal U has tallied multiple interceptions in a game three times this season after accomplishing the feat four times in 2013.
 
• Cal U has posted a 52-10 overall record (.839) at Adamson Stadium since 2005, highlighted by a 29-3 mark (.906) against opponents in the PSAC West.

• In his last three games, sophomore running back Nick Grissom has rushed for nearly 350 yards and four touchdowns. He registered the second 100-yard game of his career last week against Slippery Rock, posting 121 yards and one score on 21 attempts. Grissom has totaled at least 20 carries in each of the last two weeks after the Vulcans went 12-straight games without featuring a player with 20 attempts in a game. The Cincinnati native has rushed for over 800 yards in his career despite only starting one game.
 
• Cal U senior Cody Nuzzo and IUP senior Brett Ullman are two of the most veteran kickers in the country. Both players enter the weekend tied for fourth place among active players in NCAA Division II with 39 career field goals. Nuzzo leads the PSAC and has already tied his career high with 11 field goals this season, while ranking fourth overall, and first among kickers, in the league with 59 points. A two-time All-PSAC West selection, Ullman has made four field goals and converted 21-of-23 PAT attempts this year.
 
• In last weekend's win against Slippery Rock, sophomore wide receiver Garry Brown caught a pair of touchdowns in the first half. He also registered his second 100-yard game of the season, posting 111 yards on nine receptions. In his first year as a starter, Brown ranks third in the PSAC with 577 receiving yards while sitting sixth in the league with a team-high 35 catches. Cal U has already had two players post a pair of receiving touchdowns in a game this season after not having a player catch two scores in a game last year.
 
• The Vulcans stymied one of the nation's top rushing offenses last week, limiting Slippery Rock to only 66 rushing yards on 33 attempts. The Rock entered the game ranked eighth in NCAA Division II with 287.2 rushing yards/game and running back Shamar Greene was third in the country with 832 rushing yards for the season. The Vulcans sit second in the league, and sixth in the nation, in rushing defense (79.5 yards/game) this year while allowing a scant 2.5 yards/attempt.
 
• Junior quarterback James Harris set a career high with four touchdown passes in last week's victory over Slippery Rock. He also eclipsed the 300-yard mark for the second time this season, finishing with 326 passing yards on 19-of-35 attempts. Harris ranks third in the league, and first in the PSAC West, with almost 1,750 passing yards this season. The Georgia native sits second in the league and No. 13 in the country with 15.08 yards/completion behind 27 completions of at least 20 yards.
 
• Sophomore defensive lineman Jawan Turner set a career high with nine tackles (six solo) and made an interception late in the first half last week against Slippery Rock. He became the first player since All-American linebacker Gary Butler in 2007 to be selected the PSAC West Defensive Player of the Week twice in a season. Turner has registered 25 tackles and is tied for eighth in the league with 4.5 sacks in his first season as a starter.
 
• In last week's victory, the Vulcans posted eight offensive plays that went for at least 20 yards with three resulting in touchdowns. Cal U has tallied 33 'explosive plays' (page 13) while just over the midway point of the season. Wide receivers Kowan Scott and Garry Brown have combined to make 19 'explosive plays' with five touchdowns by Scott going for at least 20 yards.