IUP Crimson Hawks (4-5, 2-5 PSAC West) at Clarion Golden Eagles (2-7, 1-5 PSAC West)
Saturday, November 4 // 12:00 PM
Clarion, Pa. // Memorial Stadium

Quick Notes

• The Golden Eagle football team will send off their seniors in the final home game of their careers, when Clarion hosts IUP at Memorial Stadium.
• This will be the 93rd meeting between Clarion and IUP, with the Crimson Hawks owning a 65-24-3 edge in the all-time series with the Golden Eagles. 
• The last time Clarion defeated IUP at Memorial Stadium was on Oct. 24, 2009, a 30-28 win that was (coincidentally) also on the Golden Eagles' Senior Day.
• The Golden Eagles are coming off a 42-14 road loss at sixth-ranked Slippery Rock, with Clarion scoring a pair of late touchdowns through the air against SRU. 
• Quarterback Anthony Guercio set season-highs in passing completions, passing attempts and passing yards against the Rock, and added two more passing touchdowns.
• Guercio ranks second among all PSAC quarterbacks and first among PSAC West signal callers in rushing yards with 372 on the season.
• Linebacker Kareem Hamdan ranks second in career tackles per game among all active PSAC players, and needs 18 more to reach 300 tackles in his career.
• Receiver Corahn Alleyne ranks fourth in the PSAC in all-purpose yards at 137.0 yards per game, and is the only player in the PSAC with more than 100 total rushing, receiving, punt return and kick return yards.
• The Golden Eagles remain one of the least penalized teams in the PSAC this season, with their 52.4 penalty yards per game fifth in the conference.
• Clarion boasts the third-best rushing offense in the PSAC and second-best in the West division with an average of 175.0 yards per game on the ground, as well as 4.5 yards per rush. 
• Kicker Andrew Kurtas is tied for sixth in the PSAC with six field goals made this year, and is one of only five kickers in the conference to perfect on 20 or more extra-point attempts.

Series History

• This will be the 93rd meeting all-time between Clarion and IUP, with the Crimson Hawks owning a 65-24-3 advantage in the series. The series dates back to the 1927 season, with IUP winning 51-0 in the initial game between the PSAC West rivals.
• The Crimson Hawks have won 11 straight meetings between the teams dating back to the 2011 season, including six straight at Memorial Stadium.
• Clarion's last win in the series came on the road at IUP, a 21-14 victory on Oct. 16, 2010. Alfonso Hoggard went off for 179 yards, including touchdown runs of 49 and 69 yards in the fourth quarter, to seal the victory. Nick Sipes recorded 10 tackles, a sack, a fumble recovery and an interception.
• The Golden Eagles' last win at Memorial Stadium came the year before that, a 30-28 victory on Oct. 24, 2009. Hoggard ran wild over IUP in that game as well, racking up 292 all-purpose yards - including 162 rushing yards - and two rushing scores, while Sipes tallied 19 tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack.
• To find the most recent time the Golden Eagles beat IUP before 2009, one has to go back to the 1996 season, when Clarion beat the Crimson Hawks 49-15 on Nov. 2. That was IUP's only West loss of the season and briefly gave the Golden Eagles sole possession of first place in the PSAC West; the teams finished the year as co-champions.
• In last year's meeting, the nationally-ranked Crimson Hawks beat Clarion 45-0 at Miller Stadium. Drew Blon and Shane Kemper each recorded 10 tackles, while Jordan Villafane  had three tackles, two pass break-ups and a tackle for loss.

Scouting the Crimson Hawks

• IUP was predicted to finish first in the PSAC West division with six first-place votes in the preseason coaches poll, one year after winning the PSAC West and beating Shepherd 24-21 in the PSAC Championship game at Miller Stadium.
• The year has played out quite differently for the Crimson Hawks, though, as they enter this weekend's game with a 4-5 overall record and a 2-4 mark in PSAC West action.
• The Crimson Hawks enter this Saturday's game on a two-game losing streak, with both losses coming in close one-score results. They fell 35-28 at Seton Hill on October 21 after the Griffins' Cody Rubrecht threw a 35-yard touchdown pass with under two minutes to play in regulation. Last week they fell 16-15 to Gannon after kicker Eric Scarpino kicked a 51-yard field goal as time expired, bouncing it on and over the cross bar.
• IUP remains one of the stingiest scoring defenses in the league, allowing an average of just 21.1 points per game. They have been effective limiting opposing rushing offenses, allowing an average of just 128.7 rushing yards per game and 3.7 yards per carry.
• Naszhir Taylor ranks third in the PSAC with nine total passes defended, including one interception and eight break-ups.

Last Week

The Golden Eagle football team kept the top offense in the conference scoreless in the first quarter with some inspired defensive play, but Clarion ultimately came up short on the road against sixth-ranked Slippery Rock, falling 42-14 at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium.

Clarion was held well below their season average running the ball but compensated in other areas offensively, with quarterback Anthony Guercio showing the ability to move the team through the air. Guercio set season-highs with 18 completions, 24 attempts and 183 passing yards, while also adding two more throwing touchdowns to his season total.

Those touchdown passes came in the fourth quarter, with Guercio hitting Paul Newton and Tony Powell for red zone scores late in the game to sour Slippery Rock's shutout bid. The first came not long after Khalon Simmons ripped off a 29-yard run to put Clarion inside the five-yard line. Newton played a part in the second scoring drive, catching a screen pass from Guercio as the latter was falling down with defender Jake Baker wrapped around his waste. Two plays later, Guercio found Powell in the back corner of the end zone for a score.

DJ Rawley had a team-high eight tackles and a pass break-up, while Kareem Hamdan added seven stops and a tackle for loss. Griffin Buzzell and Colton Irwin also had tackles for loss. The defensive front played a key role in keeping the game scoreless in the first quarter, stuffing Slippery Rock on three straight runs plays at the goal line, including a turnover on downs on fourth quarter. SRU did not score until there was 8:32 remaining in the second quarter.

Guercio Expands His Game

Quarterback Anthony Guercio has been one of the most effective quarterbacks in the PSAC running the football this season - his 372 rushing yards ranks second among all PSAC signal callers and first in the PSAC West division - but over the last two weeks he has shown more polish in the passing game as well. In his last two starts Guercio has completed 24 of 34 passes for 257 yards and five touchdown passes.

Oddly, with his five passing touchdowns over the last two games, Guercio has become the first Golden Eagle quarterback to throw multiple scores in consecutive games since the 2021 season. Taylor Eggers was the last one to do so, throwing four against Shippensburg on Sept. 18, 2021 and two against Gannon on Sept. 25, 2021.

Spreading the Love

In the last two games, quarterback Anthony Guercio has completed five touchdown passes to five different receivers. In the Golden Eagles' win over Edinboro on Oct. 21, he found Khalon Simmons, Zack Kindel and Ray Jackson for scores. One week later, he connected with Paul Newton and Tony Powell for touchdown passes. In total, eight different players have caught touchdown passes this season, with Powell leading the way with a pair of receiving scores.

Kareem of the Crop

Senior linebacker Kareem Hamdan has been a mainstay in the Golden Eagle defense for three years now, and as a result he's turned into one of the most consistent performers in the PSAC. Hamdan currently ranks second among all active PSAC players in tackles per game with a 7.23 per game average, and his 282 total career tackles ranks second in the PSAC among active players behind only Millersville's Isaiah Onuschak (295).

Should he record 18 or more tackles over the final two weeks, Hamdan would become the first Golden Eagle player to reach 300 career tackles in five years. Layne Skundrich was the last Clarion player to hit the mark, doing so in 2018. Only nine players in program history have achieved 300 career tackles.

Force on the Ground

The Golden Eagle rushing attack ranked fourth overall in the PSAC and tops in the PSAC West division in 2022, with the team averaging 161.5 yards per game on the ground. Clarion's 4.4 yards per carry average last year ranked second only the Shepherd, and the team's 17 rushing touchdowns ranked fifth overall and third in the West division behind Slippery Rock and California (Pa.).

Clarion has shown no signs of slowing down in 2023. They are third in the PSAC and second in the West division with an average of 175.0 rushing yards per game. They have also been efficient in their rushing, ranking third in the conference with an average of 4.5 yards per rushing attempt.

Should the Golden Eagles maintain their current pace, it would be the best season in terms of rushing in a decade. The 2013 team ran for an average of 178.8 yards per game, led by Bobby Thomas's 759 rushing yards.

First Triumvirate

The Golden Eagles have had three different players top the 100-yard rushing mark through nine weeks of the season. Khalil Owens broke the century mark rushing against Bloomsburg on Sept. 16, Anthony Guercio has done it twice - once on Sept. 23 against Lock Haven and again at Edinboro on Oct. 21 - and Zach Benedek did it on Oct. 14 against Mercyhurst.

To find the last time three different Golden Eagles broke the century mark on the ground, you have to go back to the 2011 season when four players did it: Ben Fiscus, Patrick Graham-Murphy, Brandon Akins and John Fuhrer.

High Five

Clarion went off for 335 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns against Mercyhurst on Oct. 14, beating the Lakers on the ground for much of the contest. That represented the best single-game rushing total for the team since they put up 341 yards on the ground in the 2019 season opener against Shippensburg.

The last time the Golden Eagles scored five rushing touchdowns in a game was on Nov. 12, 2011, when Patrick Graham-Murphy scored all five in a record-setting performance against Millersville. 

One if by Land, Two if By Air

Corahn Alleyne gave Seton Hill everything they could want to handle and then some on October 7, combining for 140 rushing and receiving yards and two touchdowns against the Griffins. Alleyne scored on a fly sweep in the first quarter and later on a fourth down passing play in the fourth quarter. For his part, Alleyne averaged 9.1 yards per offensive touch against the Griffins, one of the best single-game totals in the PSAC this year.

More on Alleyne's Season

Corahn Alleyne ranks among the national leaders in all-purpose yardage through eight weeks, thanks to his ability to contribute on offense and special teams. Alleyne is averaging 137.0 all-purpose yards per game, which ranks 14th in NCAA Division II and fourth in the PSAC.

The QBs Have Wheels

College box scores can be misleading in that sacks are counted as rushing attempts and lost yardage for quarterbacks. When you boil down the Golden Eagles' quarterbacks rushing totals by designed runs, though, the signal callers are having an impressive season rushing the football. Clarion quarterbacks have taken off on 99 rushing attempts for 728 yards, an average of 7.4 yards per play. Anthony Guercio has been highly effective, rushing for 396 yards on designed plays. Zach Benedek has recorded 341 rushing yards on 42 designed runs and scrambles, an average of 8.1 yards per carry. 

With 372 net rushing yards, Guercio ranks second among PSAC quarterbacks in yards on the ground. Only West Chester's Cooper Jordan (408) has more yards on the ground. 

Quality Not Quantity

Anthony Guercio attempted only 10 passes in the Golden Eagles' win over Edinboro on Oct. 21, but the passes he did throw he made count. Guercio completed six passes, with three of those into the end zone for touchdowns. He became the first Golden Eagle quarterback to throw for three touchdowns in a game since Taylor Eggers threw four scores against Shippensburg on Sept. 18, 2021, a span of 24 games.

What's the Buzz?

Linebacker Griffin Buzzell has taken a step forward in his second season in the Blue & Gold, turning into a dependable tackler at linebacker. Buzzell ranks 11th in the PSAC and fifth in the PSAC West with an average of 7.3 tackles per game. His 35 solo tackles also ranks 11th in the conference.

Johnny on the Spot

Johnny Hutton made a pair of splash special teams plays in Clarion's 34-20 win over Edinboro on Oct. 21, including one that set up a crucial offensive score in the first half. Hutton finished his day with four total tackles, two pass break-ups and an interception, as well as a fumble recovery on a muffed punt late in the first half that enabled the Golden Eagles to take a 21-7 lead.

So Close

With 9.5 tackles for loss this season, Jake Tarburton needs just 0.5 TFL to become the first Golden Eagle to crack double-digits in five years. The last to do it was Alec Heldreth, who had 12.0 TFL in 2018.

Next Week

The Golden Eagles close out the 2023 season on the road when they face off with the West Chester Golden Rams on Saturday, November 11. Kickoff is set for noon.