IUP 42, New Haven 6
September 21, 2002
Miller Stadium ** Indiana, Pa.
Brian Eyerman set a new IUP school record with five touchdown passes, with
four coming in the second quarter, as the Indians routed New Haven 42-6 at
Miller Stadium to complete a sweep of their three-game homestand.
The win lifts IUP to 3-1 and ends a stretch which included victories over
playoff contenders Bloomsburg, Catawba and New Haven. The Chargers fell
to 1-2 on the season.
Eyerman finished the night completing 15 of 26 passes for 209 yards and
registered his 10th straight game with at least two touchdown passes. The
previous record of four touchdown passes had been accomplished 11 times in
school history, including Eyerman himself last Saturday against Catawba.
Eyerman moved into second place in career passing yards at IUP with 6,659.
He is now also second in pass attempts (780) and third in completions (428)
and moved to within three of tying Tony Aliucci’s career mark of 65 touchdown
passes.
Fullback Justin Spence supported Eyerman on the ground with 137 yards on 21
carries as the Indians piled up 420 yards of total offense on the evening.
The IUP defense limited New Haven to 296 yards and forced seven turnovers,
including five interceptions.
Rob D’Innocenzio hit on 18 of 29 passes for 160 yards and was picked off
three times. Ed Allen replaced D’Innocenzio in the fourth quarter and
completed 7 of 15 passes for 84 yards and a pair of interceptions. Maikel
Mehu rushed eight times for 49 yards. Charger leading rusher Dawud Hanif
left the game in the first quarter with an injury.
After falling behind 6-0 on a 23-yard touchdown pass from D’Innocenzio to
Devin Robinson midway through the first quarter, Eyerman unleashed his aerial
assault in the second stanza. The senior signal caller hooked up with LeRon
McCoy from five yards out with 13:16 left in the period to give IUP the lead
for good at 7-6.
Adam Kucenic sacked D’Innocenzio and forced a fumble on the first play of the
next drive, and Craig Prince recovered at the New Haven 16. Eyerman covered
the distance on one play, hitting Carmelo Ocasio for a 14-6 IUP lead. Ocasio
now has a touchdown reception in eight consecutive games dating back to last
season.
After forcing a three and out, Eyerman directed a 77-yard drive that ended in
a three-yard pass to Pat Liebert and a 21-6 IUP lead with 8:05 left in the
half. A fumble by Osric Bittle and a recovery by Kris Griffin set the Indians
up at the New Haven 22, and Eyerman hit Liebert again on the second play for
his fourth touchdown of the quarter.
Ocasio caught his second touchdown pass of the game, a 15-yarder from Eyerman
with 8:54 remaining in the third quarter that made the score 35-6, giving him
24 in his career and moving him past Mario Hardison for second place in the
IUP career record book.
Backup quarterback Kevin Weidl, a redshirt freshman making his IUP debut,
provided the final touchdown of the night with a 29-yard run with 5:15 left in
the game.
Griffin starred defensively for IUP, recording eight tackles, two interceptions
and a fumble recovery. Dave Deneen, Mike Howard and Mike Chiapetta also picked
off passes for the Indians, and IUP also sacked New Haven quarterbacks a total
of six times.