WACO, TX – With the help of its fifth straight victory, IUP moved up two more spots to No. 14 in the latest American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II Top 25 Poll, as it was announced on Monday. The Crimson Hawks also bumped up to No. 6 in the NCAA’s Super Region One rankings, which determine the postseason playoff field.
Shippensburg remains No. 1 in the region while Winston-Salem, New Haven and Bloomsburg are second, third and fourth, respectively. California sits one spot ahead of IUP in fifth.
IUP appeared at No. 7 in Super Region One in the first rankings of the season last week. The Crimson Hawks bump up with the help of last week’s win combined with a Shepherd loss. The top six schools, including the four regional conference champions, advance to the NCAA playoffs on November 17. There will be one more ranking prior to the end of the regular season, with the final selection being announced on Sunday, November 11.
IUP moved to 8-1 overall and 5-1 in the PSAC West with a dominating 45-0 home win over Clarion this past Saturday. The Crimson Hawks boasted a balanced attack offensively, passing for 272 yards and rushing for 205 more and limited Clarion to just 253 total yards. Quarterbacks Mike Box (Lawrenceville, GA/Collins Hill) and Pat Smith (Hollidaysburg/Hollidaysburg) combined to complete 12-of-13 passes for 272 yards and three touchdowns while Marvens Toussaint (Fort Lauderdale, FL/Port Charlotte) was named PSAC West Defensive Player of the Week after picking off two passes.
The Crimson Hawks received 377 points in the top 25 poll, just 26 behind Bloomsburg for No. 13 in the nation. Fellow 8-1 teams Missouri Western State, and West Texas State came in 11th and 12th, respectively while Miles, also 8-1, is ranked 15th.
Other PSAC schools in the poll including Shippensburg, which is ranked seventh, and California, which is ranked 22nd.
