PREVIEW: IUP Soccer Set to Journey to Slippery Rock

The Crimson Hawks, recent off the bye, go on the highway to face prime 25 opponent and PSAC West rival Slippery Rock. IUP seems to be to snap their present two recreation shedding streak towards The Rock. IUP’s prime two passing offense and primary ranked whole protection within the nation seems to be to amass a multi-game lead within the PSAC West towards Shawn Lutz and his elite dashing offense. 

IUP got here out blasting within the first quarter towards Edinboro, scoring 21 of their 35 factors within the first fifteen minutes. Leon Parson logged 124 scrimmage yards and one dashing landing. On protection, Terell Williams recovered a fumble for the Crimson Hawks and returned it for a landing whereas 5 Crimson Hawks recorded atleast one sack. 

Slippery Rock bounced again towards an upset loss towards Gannon with a 49-7 blowout victory towards Seton Hill. The Rock’s offense got here primarily by their run recreation which noticed 410 of their 541 scrimmage yards come on the bottom. JayJay Jones rushed for 189 yards and one landing whereas quarterback DaOne Owens rushed into the top zone 3 times. The Rock’s protection allowed just one landing and compelled Seton Hill to punt 9 occasions. 

Quick Notes/Story Lines

• 2025 marks the 91st assembly between IUP and Slippery Rock. The Crimson Hawks lead the all-time sequence 49-40-2.

• Slippery Rock gained the 2024 matchup on a late landing go which gave them a one level lead, IUP missed a 54-yard area objective after starting the drive with solely 13 seconds left. 

• IUP holds an 11-7 document towards Slippery Rock on the highway, their most up-to-date win on the highway was in 2021 which resulted in a 48-21 exhibiting. 

• IUP’s longest successful streak towards Edinboro was 12 video games from 1984 to 1996 whereas the longest shedding streak was a six recreation stretch from 1927 to 1932. IUP is at present on a two recreation shedding skid. 

• The Crimson Hawks common 20.47 factors per recreation towards Slippery Rock, totaling 1,863 factors in 91 conferences.

• IUP holds a document of 16-9 courting again to 1968 in video games after a bye. Their most up-to-date matchup was in 2024 towards Shippensburg, IUP gained the sport 38-7. 

• Slippery Rock’s most up-to-date matchup towards Seton Hill was a dominant exhibiting from their dashing offense. Quarterback DaOne Owens ran for 3 touchdowns, netting 79 yards on 9 makes an attempt whereas JayJay Jordan rushed for 189 yards, averaging 14.5 YPC. Slippery Rock scored six of their seven touchdowns by the dashing recreation. 

• Slippery Rock’s JayJay Jordan leads the PSAC in dashing yards per recreation (148.7). Jordan has additionally discovered the endzone seven occasions for The Rock and has collected a complete of 892 yards on the bottom. 

• Matthew Rueve leads IUP to the primary passing offense within the PSAC. Leading the convention in completion proportion (76.1%), passing yards (1,608) and passing touchdowns (18). 

• IUP additionally holds two of the highest 5 receivers within the PSAC in receiving yards per recreation, Maurice Massey (94.0) and Devin Whitlock (81.2).

• IUP’s offense and protection rank first within the PSAC in whole yards. The Crimson Hawks have averaged 353.4 yards per recreation on offense and have solely allowed a mean of 139.6 yards per recreation on protection. 

Notebook

KEEP SLINGING IT

Quarterback Matthew Rueve has taken the PSAC by storm after transferring from Findlay. Rueve has taken the mantle and leads the PSAC in whole passing yards (1,608), passing touchdowns (18), passing averages per recreation (321.6), and passing proportion (76.1%). Rueve tied his profession excessive passing landing efficiency towards Millersville the place Rueve torched the Millersville protection for six touchdowns and 443 yards. 

BIG TIME PLAYERS MAKE BIG TIME PLAYS

Maurice Massey set his profession excessive for landing catches in a recreation, catching 4 of Rueve’s six passes for scores. Massey’s earlier excessive was three towards Gannon on Nov. 2, 2024, in Erie. He additionally set a career-high for his longest reception, however his 173 yards receiving was not a career-high, as he had 181 in his three-touchdown recreation towards Gannon.

 

ALL HE DOES IS CATCH TOUCHDOWNS

Jeremiah Coleman has emerged as a strong receiving possibility for Matthew Rueve, having caught 9 passes in three video games, together with 4 touchdowns. Coleman had a career-high 123 receiving yards towards Millersville, breaking a catch and run for a season-high 66 yards. 

 

SPLASH PLAYS A PLENTY

There has been no scarcity of splash performs by the IUP offense and particular groups, as 11 of IUP’s scoring performs have gone for not less than 20 yards. The lone particular crew’s landing, a punt return by Kalen Frazier, went for 60 yards towards Lock Haven. It was the primary punt return landing for IUP since 2014.  

 

GENERATIONAL DEFENSE

The offense could also be getting a number of the headlines, however the Crimson Hawk protection has been setting historic numbers below the radar. IUP ranks first within the PSAC in whole protection, passing protection, and dashing protection. The Crimson Hawk protection solely surrenders a mean of 206.8 yards per recreation, of those yards, 67.2 are dashing yards, whereas the remaining 139.6 have been by the air. IUP has solely given up 72 factors on the season which marks second within the PSAC. In phrases of attending to the quarterback and making splash performs, the Crimson Hawks have sacked the opposing quarterback 21 occasions for a lack of 143 yards up to now. Tortorella is seeking to shatter his defensively finest season in 2012, which noticed the Crimson Hawk protection solely permit 257.9 yards per recreation. 

THREE-GAME RECORD

Matthew Rueve has thrown for 15 landing passes over the Crimson Hawks’ final three video games. This efficiency broke the earlier document of 13 landing passes in a three-game span set by Brian Eyerman, who did this with a 4-5-4 stretch towards Catawba, New Haven, and Millersville in 2002.

EXTREMELY EFFICIENT

Rueve leads the complete NCAA, regardless of the division, with a 206.77 passing effectivity ranking. The subsequent closest in Division II is Gavin Sukup from University of Indianapolis with a 183.23 passer ranking. The highest in Division I is Carlos Del Rio-Wilson from Marshall, who has recorded a 197.98 passer ranking.

IT’S IN THE GENES

IUP Transfer quarterback Matthew Rueve has a protracted line of quarterbacks in his bloodline, most notably his cousin, former NFL quarterback Matthew Hasselbeck. Rueve adopted in his uncle’s footsteps to Boston College to start out his collegiate profession after being a three-star recruit and regarded the  No. 1 pro-style passing prospect within the Ohio Class of 2020. Rueve’s cousin and Matt’s son, Henry Hasselbeck, is a quarterback on UCLA’s roster. Rueve spent final season on the University of Findlay and was named second-team all-conference whereas passing for two,646 yards and 26 touchdowns in his lone season as an Oiler.

FAMILIAR FACES

IUP offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr. recruited Rueve to start out his collegiate profession at Boston College. The quarterback spent two seasons in Cignetti’s offense earlier than Junior moved on to take the OC job on the University of Pittsburgh. The duo will look to prepare dinner up some magic on the sector named after Cignetti’s father and IUP nice, Frank Cignetti Sr.

DEPTH AT RECEIVER

The Crimson Hawks have of the deepest large receiver rooms within the PSAC in addition to Division II.  

Nine totally different Crimson Hawks have caught landing passes this season. Maurice Massey leads the way in which with six scores on 22 receptions. Promising freshman Jeremiah Coleman has caught 4 landing passes on seven receptions, together with a 72-yard bomb that went into the endzone. Coleman is main the way in which with 37-yards per reception, whereas 9 different receivers are averaging double-digit yards per reception. 

THE STANDARD IS THE STANDARD

IUP has made three appearances within the NCAA Regionals below head coach Tortorella. However, the Crimson Hawks haven’t made an look there for the reason that crew’s most up-to-date PSAC Championship in 2022. IUP will look to finish the longest NCAA Playoff drought below the present regime.