Full Game Notes (PDF)

#6/9 IUP (4-0, 2-0) @ #15/16 CAL U (4-0, 2-0)
• When: Saturday, Oct. 8, 2016
• Where: California, Pa.
• Stadium: Adamson Stadium (6,500)
• Kickoff: 7 p.m.
• Live Video: SIDEARM Sports
• Live Radio: WCAL (91.9 FM) I WQMU (92.5 FM)
• Live Stats: Fan Stats | Media Stats

SERIES BREAKDOWN
• All-Time Series: IUP leads 61-25-2
• First Meeting: 1918 - IUP won 20-2
• Last Meeting: Oct. 17, 2015 @ IUP - IUP won 20-15 I Recap I Box Score
• Streak: IUP +1

NOTES
• Cal U plays the second of back-to-back home rivalry games on Saturday when it hosts the eighth-annual Coal Bowl. The Vulcans claimed a 52-26 victory last week against then-No. 9 Slippery Rock. Meanwhile, IUP posted a 47-39 victory in its home opener against Seton Hill.

• The Vulcans forced three turnovers and limited Slippery Rock to under 300 yards of total offense in a 52-26 victory last Saturday. Senior Garry Brown broke the all-time school record for both receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, finishing with 136 yards on six catches and three total touchdowns (one rushing). Junior Michael Keir finished with 280 passing yards and four touchdowns on 20-of-35 attempts. Junior Luke Hrapchak and DeVonte Suber led the team with seven tackles, while senior Jordan Bowman registered an interception return for a touchdown.

• The Crimson Hawks lead the all-time series that started in 1918 by a 61-25-2 margin. Cal U has won eight of the last 11 meetings, including five of the seven games in Coal Bowl history.

• After 25-plus years as an assistant coach, Curt Cignetti is in his sixth season as head coach at IUP. He has posted a 47-15 overall record with the Crimson Hawks, winning at least nine games in three of the past four seasons. Last year, Cignetti led IUP to a three-win improvement and helped the program advance to the second round of the NCAA Playoffs while making its second post-season appearance in four years.

• IUP is one of two undefeated programs remaining in the entire 16-team PSAC after returning 17 starters from last season. The Crimson Hawks feature an explosive offense that is directed by sophomore dual-threat quarterback Lenny Williams, Jr. A Harlon Hill nominee in 2015, Williams averages nearly 300 yards of total offense per game and has accounted for 13 touchdowns (six rushing). The Crimson Hawks featured a bevy of talented running backs with freshman Samir Bullock leading the team with 475 rushing yards and seven touchdowns, while junior Chris Temple has over 1,700 career rushing yards. Junior wide receiver Walt Pegues, a former All-PSAC West First-Team return specialist, paces the team with 419 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 23 catches. The Crimson Hawks lead the PSAC with nine interceptions this season, posting at least two interceptions in each game. Junior Takhi Turner leads the team with 28 tackles (16 solo), while junior Jay Watkins and senior Ackeno Robertson each have 17 stops and two interceptions this year. IUP is averaging just 37.8 yards on 13 punts, the lowest punt total in the PSAC, and have attempted only three field goals through four games. Bullock has handled the kick return duties and is averaging 22.6 yards per return.
 
• Cal U was picked to finish third in the preseason PSAC West poll after ranking third place in the divisional standings in each of the last four years. Meanwhile, IUP was chosen as the preseason favorite in the PSAC West after returning seven All-PSAC West selections from last year's nine-win team. 

• The Vulcans climbed nine spots to No. 15 in the AFCA Top 25 this week after debuting in the poll last week for the first time since 2014. Cal U has reached its highest position in the AFCA poll since 2012 when it was ranked as high as No. 6 in the country for three-straight weeks. The Vulcans are facing a top-10 opponent in consecutive weeks for the first time since the 2009 NCAA Playoffs, as IUP is now slotted No. 6.

• This weekend marks the 45th game for the Vulcans against an opponent ranked in the AFCA Top 25 poll since the start of the 2000 season. During that span, Cal U has posted a 22-22 record against nationally-ranked programs with a 12-9 mark at Adamson Stadium, including six-straight victories at home.

• In the eight-year history of the Coal Bowl, this weekend marks the second time in which both Cal U and IUP are featured in the AFCA Top 25 poll. At least one program was nationally-ranked at the time of the rivalry game from 2010-13. Additionally, the winning team on Saturday will be the lone undefeated team in the PSAC West standings with four weeks of divisional play still remaining. 

• Cal U recorded its second win over a top-10 program last week, as it upended then-No. 9 Slippery Rock. The only previous victory by the Vulcans over a team featured in the top 10 of the AFCA poll was a 57-35 win at No. 9 West Liberty in the 2009 NCAA Playoffs.

• Senior Garry Brown broke the all-time school record for receiving yards and receiving touchdowns on the same play late in the fourth quarter last week. He now ranks first in school history with 2,690 career receiving yards, eclipsing the record set last year by Kowan Scott after the previous mark stood for 30-plus years. Brown also set the school record with his 29th career receiving touchdown, breaking the mark held by A.J. Jackson.

• The Vulcans and Crimson Hawks rank first and second, respectively, in NCAA Division II this season in scoring offense. Cal U continues to lead all NCAA divisions with 62.8 points per game after scoring over 50 points in each of its four games. Meanwhile, IUP sits fifth among all NCAA programs with 57.8 points per game with 45-plus points in each game. The Vulcans and Crimson Hawks already share two common opponents.

• Cal U leads NCAA Division II this year in rushing defense at 52.0 yards per game, while IUP ranks fifth in the country with a league-high 293.5 rushing yards per game. The Crimson Hawks feature a balanced rushing attack with the addition of freshman Samir Bullock to the tandem of Lenny Williams, Jr. and Chris Temple, who combined for 389 rushing yards In last year's Coal Bowl.

• In last week's victory, junior running back Nick Grissom eclipsed the century mark for the second time this season. He leads the team with nearly 300 rushing yards after missing all of last year due to injury. In 2014, Grissom finished with a team-high 694 rushing yards despite starting just one game as a sophomore. The Cincinnati native already has three runs of at least 20 yards this season, which matches the most of any player last year.

• Senior defensive back Jordan Bowman recorded his 12th career interception last week and returned the turnover for his fourth career touchdown. However, it marked the first interception return for a touchdown of his career, as he previously scored twice on blocked punts and once on a fumble recovery. Bowman enters the weekend tied for eighth among active players in NCAA Division II with 12 career interceptions.

• Senior Garry Brown has already accounted for 10 touchdowns this season, which is just one score shy of his career high set in 2015. He ranks fourth in the country with 15.0 points per game after scoring at least two touchdowns in each game this year. Brown also sits second in NCAA Division II with eight receiving touchdowns and also has scored once on both a rushing attempt and a kickoff return.

• The Vulcans recorded their initial blocked kick of the season in last week's victory over Slippery Rock. Sophomore defensive lineman Malik Akins blocked a PAT attempt late in the fourth quarter, marking the program's first PAT block since Week 3 of the 2014 season. Cal U has finished with at least five blocked kicks in each of the past five years.

• Cal U scored a combined 34 touchdowns in the opening month of the season yet a combined six touchdowns came on interception, fumble and kickoff returns. Last week, senior Jordan Bowman scored a touchdown on a 68-yard interception return in the first half. The Vulcans finished with a combined three return touchdowns in each of the past two years after totaling eight return touchdowns over 11 games in 2013.