Game 7 // Clarion Golden Eagles (4-2, 2-1 PSAC West) at #23/25 IUP Crimson Hawks (4-2, 1-2 PSAC West)
Saturday, October 13 // Noon // Indiana, Pa. // George P. Miller Stadium

Radio: WCCR 92.7 FM / WKQW 96.3 FM

Live Stats | Live Video | Live Audio

Game Notes

The Lead
The Clarion Golden Eagles will try to win their first game in Indiana since 2010 when they take on the #23/25 IUP Crimson Hawks on Saturday, Oct. 13.  Kickoff is scheduled for noon at George P. Miller Stadium.

Mike Kalinowski and Joe Lodanosky will have the radio call for the game on 92.9 WCCR-FM and  96.3 WKQW-FM an hour before kickoff.  Live audio streaming will be available via the C93 website and linked on the schedule at ClarionGoldenEagles.com.

Scouting the Crimson Hawks
IUP ranked as high as second in the nation as recently as two weeks ago, but saw their 21-game regular season winning streak snapped on Sept. 29 with a 36-24 loss to California (Pa.) in the Coal Bowl.  That was followed a week later by a 30-27 loss to Slippery Rock in which The Rock scored the go-ahead touchdown with 2:12 remaining in regulation, dropping the Crimson Hawks to 4-2 overall and 1-2 in PSAC West play.  

The Crimson Hawks remain among the conference and the nation's elite, ranking second in the PSAC in scoring defense at 19.0 points per game while averaging 34.3 points per game themselves.  Special teams loom large when facing the Crimson Hawks, as kick returner Qashah Carter ranks seventh in the nation at 32.1 yards per return.  Quarterback Lenny Williams is a threat with his arm and his feet, as he ranks third in the conference with 13 touchdown passes and also has three ground scores.

Series History
This will be the 89th meeting between the Golden Eagles and the Crimson Hawks, with IUP owning a 61-24-3 advantage in the all-time series with Clarion.  IUP has won each of the last seven meetings.  The last win for Clarion came in Indiana on Oct. 16, 2010, a 21-14 win in which Alfonso Hoggard rushed for 179 yards and two fourth quarter touchdowns.

The Golden Eagles shut IUP out in the second half of last year's meeting but came up just short of the upset, falling 23-17 at Memorial Stadium.  Clarion defenders harassed Lenny Williams all day, recording three sacks, an interception and a strip sack.  Layne Skundrich had a then-career high 15 tackles, while Mylique McGriff rushed for 90 yards and a touchdown.  

About the Coach
Chris Weibel is in his fourth season as the program's head coach after spending many of the previous years as an assistant.  Weibel has an overall record of 16-23 at Clarion, including a 10-14 record in PSAC West play.  A 2010 inductee into the Clarion Sports Hall of Fame, Weibel graduated with every major Clarion passing record to his credit.

Last Week
The Golden Eagles fought through a lengthy lightning delay as well as a tough opponent, falling 41-27 to California (Pa.) at Memorial Stadium.
 
The high-powered Vulcan offense proved a difficult test, scoring 41 points in part because of 128 rushing yards as well as a 10-of-15 day converting third downs.  The Golden Eagles had one of their better offensive outputs themselves, scoring 27 points and recording 418 total offensive yards.  However, turnovers played a key role in the final outcome, with Clarion committing three and California none.
 
Mylique McGriff returned after missing all of the previous two games to injury, going off for a game-high 137 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries.  The sophomore running back ripped off a 55-yard run in the third quarter to set himself up for one of his two scores, representing the longest rush of the season for the Golden Eagles. 

Dana Jackson had his first career 100-yard receiving game, pulling in four passes for 126 yards and a touchdown.  The score came on a 68-yard reception in the fourth quarter, Clarion's longest play from scrimmage this season.  Jeff Clemens started at quarterback, finishing 13-of-25 with a career-high 282 passing yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.    
 
Defensively, Layne Skundrich swarmed the ball on every defensive snap, finishing with a career-high 17 stops as well as a tackle for loss.  Alec Heldreth finished with six tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss and two quarterback hurries.  The Golden Eagles were held without an interception on defense for the first time since the season opener against Shippensburg.

Clarion Picked Seventh in Preseason Poll
In a coaches' poll before the start of the year, Clarion was predicted to finish seventh in the PSAC West division in 2017.  

PSAC West (# of 1st place votes)
1) IUP (7)
2) California (1)
3) Slippery Rock
4) Edinboro
5) Gannon
6) Mercyhurst
7) Clarion
8) Seton Hill

PSAC East (# of 1st place votes)
1) West Chester (6)
2) Shippensburg
3) Kutztown (1)
4) Bloomsburg
5) East Stroudsburg
6) Millersville
7) Lock Haven

Controlling the Skies
Chris Gildea and Corey Wells each recorded interceptions against Seton Hill on Sept. 29, continuing the trend of the Golden Eagles playing havoc with opposing teams' passing offenses.  With those interceptions Clarion has now picked off 12 passes this year, tying them for third in NCAA Division II and the PSAC behind only Edinboro and West Chester.

> Last year, the Golden Eagles recorded just 13 total interceptions as a team, and only two players with picks last year - Sam Fareri and Gus Schmitt - returned to the team this year.

> With Wells' pick against Seton Hill, there are now four Golden Eagles with two or more interceptions, led by Sam Fareri's three picks.  Seven different players have intercepted passes this year.

Swallowed Up
Through six games this year, the Golden Eagle defense hasn't just been one of the best in the conference at stopping the run, they have also been one of the very best in the country.  Clarion ranks sixth in the nation and second in the PSAC in rushing defense, allowing opposing teams an average of just  73.8 yards per game.  Since giving up 299 yards rushing over the first two games, the Golden Eagles have allowed an average of just 58.4 rushing yards per game.

> Clarion has allowed just four rushing touchdowns all season long, and have not allowed an individual runner to top 100 yards in any game this year.

Missing the Point(s)
In addition to the other laudables for the Golden Eagle defense, they've been adept at keeping opposing teams off the scoreboard.  Despite allowing a season-high 41 points to California on Oct. 6, the Golden Eagles still rank fourth in the conference in scoring defense at 21.5 points per game.

From Way Downtown
Junior kicker James Metzgar is second in the PSAC in field goal percentage, ranking 11th in the nation with an 85.7 percent mark on the year.  He is 6-of-7 on field goal attempts this year.

Ball Hawk
Now in his third season, Sam Fareri has been a major factor in creating turnovers throughout his college career.  Coming into this season he had two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and five interceptions, including four picks last season.  This year he has already three more picks, giving him eight in his career, and another forced fumble.

> Fareri was named the PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Week for Sept. 10, coming on the heels of a performance where the junior safety forced three turnovers in a Golden Eagle victory.  He picked off two passes and forced another fumble in Clarion's 30-21 win at Lock Haven.
 
Action Jackson
Since the start of PSAC West play, Dana Jackson has provided big plays and key scores, contributing long touchdown catches in each of the last three weeks.  His 34-yard touchdown reception against Gannon on Sept. 29 was the game-winning score, putting Clarion ahead 14-9, while his 45-yard score against Seton Hill on Oct. 6 last week increased the Golden Eagles' lead to 16-7.  Both games came down to a single score by the conclusion.

> Against California (Pa.) on Oct. 13, Jackson recorded the first 100-yard receiving game for a Clarion player this season, catching four passes for 126 yards and a score.  He scored on a 68-yard reception, the longest play from scrimmage for the Golden Eagles this year and longest reception since Kevin Genevro's 78-yard reception against West Chester on Nov. 12, 2016.

Longest Receptions, Last Five Years
1. 78 yards, Kevin Genevro vs. West Chester - 11/12/16
2. 76 yards, Jaron Moorer at IUP - 11/1/14
3. 73 yards, Matt Lehman vs. California (Pa.) - 10/25/14
4. 71 yards, Seneca Williams vs. Lock Haven - 9/1/16
5. 68 yards, Dana Jackson vs. California (Pa.) - 10/6/18

Sestercentennial Man
With a 10-tackle performance against Gannon on Sept. 22, senior linebacker Layne Skundrich broke the 250-tackle mark for his career at Clarion.  He followed that up two weeks later with 17 stops against California (Pa.), putting him at 272 career stops.  With five games remaining, he could break into the top-10 all-time in program history, starting with Bo Busch's 292 career stops.  With 28 more tackles, Skundrich can become just the ninth player in program history to record 300 tackles in a career.

> Skundrich's 17 tackles against the Vulcans is tied for the second-most in a single game at Clarion since 1999, tying him with Nick Sipes' 17 stops against the Vulcans on Sept. 25, 2010.   Scott McGrady had 18 tackles against West Chester on Oct. 12, 2002.

Welcome Back
After missing all of the previous two games and most of a third with an injury, Mylique McGriff immediately made his presence known against California (Pa.) on Oct. 6.  The sophomore running back rushed for 128 yards and two touchdowns against the Vulcans.

> McGriff ripped off a 55-yard run against the Vulcans, the third-longest rush of his career and the longest rush for the Golden Eagles this season.  

Mylique McGriff - Longest Career Rushes
1. 79 yards, at Gannon - 11/4/17
2. 60 yards, at Slippery Rock - 10/28/17
3. 55 yards, vs. California (Pa.) - 10/6/18
4. 53 yards, vs. Shippensburg - 9/1/18
5. 51 yards, at Slippery Rock - 10/28/17

All Facets
Alec Heldreth had a whale of a game against Gannon on Sept. 22, contributing to the victory in preventing the Golden Knights from scoring, as well as lighting up the scoreboard himself.  The senior defensive tackle scored on a strip-sack of quarterback Jason Dambach in the second quarter, ripping the ball loose and recovering it in the end zone to tie the game at 7-7.  Later, he sacked Dambach on fourth down to halt Gannon's final offensive drive, preserving Clarion's win.

> Heldreth is second on the team with 38 total stops, and ranks among the league leaders in tackles for loss (9.5 - 4th) and sacks (4.5 - T-10th).

Do Not Pass Go
The Clarion defensive line has made headlines this year, starting with its two returning all-conference players in Alec Heldreth and Brandon Vocco.  Vocco ranks fourth on the team in tackles, and his other numbers - 4.0 tackles for loss and one sack - do not paint an accurate picture of how dominant he is on the interior.

The work of the defensive ends has been impressive, as well.  Senior Tyrone Archie ranks second on the team with 6.0 tackles for loss and has two sacks to his credit, while Saif Khan is second on the team with 2.5 sacks and 4.0 tackles for loss.  Vaughn Wallace is also a key part of the rotation with 17 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss and a sack.

Stepping Up
Converted defensive lineman Paul Blendinger has made the transition to linebacker, and the redshirt junior has provided a little bit of everything this year.  Defensively he is third on the team with 32 tackles and also boasts two interceptions and a fumble recovery.  He's also made his mark on special teams, blocking a field goal attempt against Gannon on Sept. 22.

> Clarion had another blocked kick a week later, when safety Chris Gildea blocked a Seton Hill punt to set up a score in the Golden Eagles' 19-16 road win.

Home Cookin'
Clarion fans will be pleased to know that the Golden Eagles have an extended home slate in 2018, playing six home games over the final nine weeks of the season.  The Golden Eagles will not go two weeks without a game in the friendly confines of Memorial Stadium for the remainder of the year.

Lights, Camera, Action!
Clarion University will continue its fruitful partnership with the Pennsylvania Sports Fever Television Network in 2018, with two contests – 9/1 vs. Shippensburg and 11/10 vs. East Stroudsburg – airing live on affiliates across the state of Pennsylvania and made available to millions in the Keystone State.  The selected games will also be streamed on ESPN3 via the Watch ESPN app. 

Eagle Media to Stream Clarion Home Games
In a joint venture between Eagle Media Productions and the athletic department, all Clarion home football games in 2018 will be available via free video streaming.  Viewers will be able to access the streams a number of different ways...

Computer - Via the Clarion portal on Stretch Internet, linked on the schedule page
Streaming Device - Via Roku / Apple TV / Android TV / Amazon Fire TV devices with the Clarion Golden Eagle Vision app
 
What's Next
The Golden Eagles return home for the Battle for the Milk Jug when they host Slippery Rock at Memorial Stadium.  Kickoff is slated for noon on Oct. 20.