With the Division II football season kicking off next week, teams from the PSAC West are out to make a name for themselves in the world of Division II. Last year, Slippery Rock made a run into the playoffs before losing to Winston-Salem State.
This year, IUP is ranked atop the PSAC West again but the No. 23-ranked team in the D2Football.com poll will be looking to replace key contributors from a season ago. The Crimson Hawks of IUP will have to replace its top passer, rusher and receiver from last season.
In 2013, running backs DeAntwan Williams and Erik Finklea led the rushing attack, Williams gaining 1,387 yards and scoring 18 times while Finklea added 547 yards and seven scores from the backup spot. At quarterback, Mike Box was the entrenched starter, throwing for 2,078 yards and 17 touchdowns, earning him a tryout with the Washington Redskins following the NFL draft. Box’s receiver Terrill Barnes also received a tryout with the Redskins after catching 63 passes for 1,014 yards and eight touchdowns.
All of those playmakers are now gone, though.
This year, sophomore running back Izzy Green hopes to lead the charge if he can overcome a nagging preseason injury. Green ran for 342 yards and three scores as a freshman a season ago, including a 103-yard two-touchdown performance against Millersville. A host of freshmen backs will look to take off some of the pressure as well.
At the quarterback position, the third best passer a season ago looks to have won the job after backup Steve Franco has moved to the defensive side of the ball and is competing for the starting nod at safety. Logan Weaver has been the man all through the preseason, starting the team’s scrimmage and completing 15-of-25 passes and tossed a 47-yard score, the game’s only offensive touchdown. Weaver, a redshirt sophomore, threw seven passes last year and completed three for 42 yards.
His top targets this year will include returning receivers Drew Carswell and Sean McVay, who each played in 11 games last year catching a combined 42 passes for 585 yards and five touchdowns. Carswell is a transfer in from Pitt in his second season with IUP as a redshirt senior and McVay is a redshirt junior. They’ll be joined by newcomers Tristan Davis and Walt Pegues, both true freshmen who have impressed so far while stepping in for injuries. At tight end, IUP has a big pass-catcher in Brock DeCiccio, a 6-foot-5, 250-pound transfer from Wisconsin.
On the offensive line, the Crimson Hawks return five guys with starting experience, led by Matt Sasson, who has 34 career starts.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Crimson Hawks feel confident with their talent level.
The defensive line is anchored by senior defensive end Shane Mesiner, who has 27.0 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks in the last two seasons after transferring from Rutgers. From there, the Hawks have a number of players who can play either end or tackle position.
The Crimson Hawks’ deepest position, though, may be at linebacker. The linebacker corps is headed by Alex Berdahl and Dorian Lane. Berdahl missed all but one game last season after leading the team in tackles with 103 in 2012. Lane started in Berdahl’s place last year and had 69 tackles and 8.5 for loss while sacking opposing QBs two times. He also had an interception return for a touchdown.
In the secondary, Jerrell McFadden is poised to lead the way from his boundary cornerback position. He has 181 career tackles, 19 pass breakups and four interceptions. IUP will take a huge blow at the safety position as Eric Williams is academically ineligible to play this season. He led the PSAC with eight interceptions. With that, the Crimson Hawks turn to a group of incoming freshmen to step up.
The special teams group is bolstered by senior kicker Brett Ullman, who has garnered multiple preseason accolades.
The Crimson Hawks kick off their season Sept. 6 at home against Saint Augustine’s at Noon.
Photo Credit: IUP
