IUP senior tailback Chris Morgan has been named the PSAC West Offensive Player of the Year, heading a list of nine players on the all-conference team, while Lou Tepper was chosen the Coach of the Year in balloting conducted by the league's head coaches.

Joining Morgan on the first team were Jason Capizzi, Dave Livengood, Nick Wallace, Terrence Jackson and Rob Plowman.  Second team players from IUP were Matt Scott, Anthony Guerra and Quinton Cobb.

In his first season at IUP, Tepper (right) led his team to a share of the PSAC West championship after being selected fourth in the preseason poll.  IUP finished 8-2, a three-game improvement from 2005, and defeated nationally ranked East Stroudsburg (35-20) and California (21-17).  The award is his third in the past four years after also winning in 2003 and 2005 while at Edinboro.

Despite starting as many as nine freshmen and sophomores, Tepper oversaw an IUP turnaround in several defensive categories this season.  The team tied for the PSAC lead in scoring defense (14.4) after placing sixth a year ago (22.4).  IUP also improved from 12th in rushing defense (205.8) to fourth (96.6) and went from a -1 turnover margin to +6.

Tepper has a record of 34-9 over the past four years, including his final three at Edinboro, and his teams have appeared in the final American Football Coaches Association Top 25 each season.  This marks the first time IUP has had the PSAC West Coach of the Year since Frank Cignetti was honored in 1994.

Morgan (Pittsburgh/Woodland Hills) is a three-time All-PSAC West selection and is on the first team for the second straight year.  He rushed for 1,318 yards, the sixth highest single season total in school history, and his average of 131.8 per game ranked second in the PSAC and eighth in the nation.  Morgan (left) scored 15 touchdowns, including one through the air, to place 13th in the country in scoring at 9.0 points per game.

A Harlon Hill Northeast Region finalist, Morgan rushed for over 100 yards in eight of 10 games and broke his own IUP single game record with 286 against East Stroudsburg.  He previously had a 266-yard game against Lock Haven in 2004.  He eclipsed the century mark in 22 of 28 games as the starting tailback over the past four seasons.

Although he started his IUP career as a free safety in 2003, Morgan finished as the second leading rusher in school history with 3,817 yards while also ranking second in rushing touchdowns (34) and attempts (680), fourth in total touchdowns scored (36) and sixth in scoring (216).

Seniors Capizzi (Gibsonia/Pine-Richland) and Livengood (Somerset/Somerset) anchored the left side of the IUP offensive line that paved the way for Morgan and help the team average 171.7 rushing yards per game to rank 28th in the nation. IUP surrendered only nine sacks on the year.

Capizzi, a left tackle, is on the All-PSAC West team for the third time after transferring from the University of Pittsburgh.  He was on the second team the past two seasons.  Capizzi (right) allowed only one sack in his IUP career and graded out at 98 percent against Shippensburg this season.

He was one of only 10 players in Division II named a “pro hopeful” by D2Football.com and has been scouted by all 32 NFL teams, earning a draftable grade. 

He is one of a small number of Division II players selected to play in the Magnolia Bowl, a predominantly Division I/I-AA all-star game, and was nominated for the Gene Upshaw Lineman of the Year award.

Livengood (left) lined up next to Capizzi at left guard and started all 30 games over the past three seasons.  He recorded a total of 48 dominator (pancake) blocks during his career, culminating in his first berth on the all-conference team this season.

Wallace (Fredericksburg, Va./Riverbend) took over the kicking duties this season and was the top performer at his position in the PSAC.  He made 11 of 13 field goal attempts and ranked first in the conference and 11th nationally with an average of 1.10 per game.  Wallace’s (right) 11 field goals are the fourth highest single season figure in school history, and he was 30 of 33 in extra points.

Wallace converted his final 10 field goal tries of the season, including four against Clarion that tied the IUP single game record.  He also had three against Edinboro and Lock Haven.  In the win over the Fighting Scots, Wallace kicked a 25-yard field goal on the last play of regulation to force overtime and connected from 37 yards out in the first extra period to give IUP the win.

Jackson (Media/Penncrest) moves up to the first team after being a second team choice last year when he was also the PSAC West Rookie of the Year. He led the team and ranked 14th in the PSAC with an average of 7.4 tackles per game and was second in the conference and fifth in the nation with an average of 0.44 forced fumbles per game.

A sophomore inside linebacker, Jackson (left) had 11 tackles each against East Stroudsburg and Edinboro, nine against Shippensburg and Slippery Rock and had interceptions versus Millersville and Lock Haven. He has 115 tackles over his first two collegiate seasons.

Plowman (Apollo/Kiski Area) rounds out the IUP first team selections.  A sophomore outside linebacker, he had nine sacks on the year and was first in the PSAC and tied for 12th nationally with an average of 0.9 per game.  He also placed seventh in the conference with 1.50 tackles for loss per contest.

Plowman had a season-high eight tackles and 2.5 sacks against reigning Harlon Hill winner Jimmy Terwilliger in a win over East Stroudsburg.  He also had two sacks against Edinboro and 1.5 against Shippensburg while adding seven tackles against California in the season finale.  He finished the year with 44 tackles and forced two fumbles.

Second team selections Scott (Imperial/West Allegheny) and Guerra (Belle Vernon/Belle Vernon) were standouts along the IUP defensive line this season while Cobb (Harrisburg/Susquehanna Township) was the team’s top defensive back.

Scott (left), a junior nose tackle, is on the all-conference team for the second time. He made 43 tackles, including 13 behind the line of scrimmage which was second on the team. His average of 1.30 tackles for loss was the 10th highest figure in the PSAC and included 1.5 sacks. Scott added a pair of pass breakups.

Scott had four tackles for loss and a sack against Lock Haven and two stops for negative yardage versus Clarion, Mansfield and California. A two-year starter, his career totals include 111 tackles, 26 tackles for loss and five sacks.

A sophomore defensive tackle, Guerra (right) is a first time member of the all-conference team.  He was right behind Scott with 10 tackles for loss among his total of 33 stops on the year. Guerra was in on 1.5 sacks and forced one fumble.

He had back-to-back games with four tackles for loss versus Edinboro and Lock Haven and had a season-high 10 tackles in the overtime win over the Fighting Scots. Guerra moved into the starting lineup as a redshirt freshman last year and has 79 tackles the past two seasons.

Cobb (left), a sophomore strong safety, debuts on the all-conference team in his second season at IUP after transferring from Rutgers. He was second on the team with 47 tackles, including six for losses, paced IUP with five pass breakups and intercepted a pass against Cheyney.

He had a season-high 10 tackles versus Shippensburg and two stops for losses against Millersville and Slippery Rock. He has 98 tackles over the past two seasons.

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