IUP 33, Shippensburg 10
November 2, 2002
Seth Grove Stadium ** Shippensburg, Pa.
For the second straight week, IUP trailed at intermission before pulling away
in the second half, this time downing Shippensburg by a score of 33-10 at Seth
Grove Stadium. The Indians have won nine in a row, the longest streak since
1994, and clinched at least a tie for the PSAC West championship.
IUP (9-1, 5-0 PSAC West) was behind 10-7 at halftime and saw its playoff hopes
put in serious jeopardy by the Red Raiders (5-4, 3-2 PSAC West). But IUP
exploded for 26 unanswered points after the break to defeat Shippensburg for
the 15th consecutive time dating back to the 1988 season.
A win over Slippery Rock in the regular season finale next Saturday will wrap
up IUP's ninth PSAC West title in 17 seasons under head coach Frank Cignetti,
and the Indians have shared the league crown on three other occasions. Cignetti
owns a record of 91-9-1 in division play since assuming control of the IUP
program in 1986.
Brian Eyerman returned to the lineup after missing the Lock Haven game with a
concussion and responded by completing 16 of 28 passes for 243 yards and three
touchdowns. Eyerman now has 29 scoring aerials this season, moving him past
Tony Aliucci's total of 27 in 1990 for the top single season mark in IUP
history.
Two of Eyerman's touchdown passes went to Carmelo Ocasio, who now has 16 on the
year, four shy of Jai Hill's school mark, also established in 1990. Ocasio
entered the game ranked second in the nation in touchdown receptions. He had
six catches for 92 yards against the Red Raiders on Saturday.
Elice Parker carried only one time for a three-yard loss in the first half but
then rushed 12 times for 132 yards in the final 30 minutes to finish with a
129-yard game. Parker broke free on a 72-yard touchdown run with 2:51 left in
the game to put the finishing touches on the IUP victory.
John Kuhn had his sixth straight 100-yard game for Shippensburg, rushing 29
times for 120 yards. His seven-yard touchdown run with 5:48 left in the first
quarter gave the Red Raiders the first lead of the game at 7-0.
But IUP quickly answered the Shippensburg score, evening the game just 41
seconds later. J.R. Thomas returned the kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown, but
an illegal block nullified what would have been the first such return for a
score for IUP in 12 years and put the ball at the Red Raider 35.
After an incompletion, Eyerman hooked up with Ocasio to tie the game. After a
series of punts and a failed fourth down conversion play for IUP at the
Shippensburg 30, the Red Raiders marched 66 yards on 13 plays to the Indian four.
Craig Lough culminating the drive with a 22-yard field goal to give the hosts
the lead back at 10-7 with 9:30 left in the first half.
IUP again moved the ball well against the Shippensburg defense, reaching the 24
before Aaron Cochran was stopped on a fourth and one running play. The Red
Raiders got to the IUP 39, but Brian Harris sacked Tyler Novak and the clock
expired, leaving the Indians on the short end of a three-point game.
It was reminiscent of a week earlier, when IUP was down 7-3 at halftime to Lock
Haven at Miller Stadium. The Indians outscored the Bald Eagles 28-7 in the
second half of that contest, and wasted little time showing that it planned to
do the same thing to Shippensburg.
Two runs by Parker covered 18 and 16 yards, and a 22-yard pass to Ocasio put the
ball at the Shippensburg 14. Three plays later, Ocasio caught an 11-yard
touchdown pass from Eyerman to give IUP the lead for good at 14-10 with 11:49
left in the third quarter. Andrew Battle sacked Novak on the ensuing possession
and recovered the resulting fumble at the Red Raider 12.
The IUP offense stalled, but Josh Telenko booted a 27-yard field goal to make it
17-10. Another turnover, this time an interception by Jeff Jackson which he
returned 32 yards to the Shippensburg 10, led to a 22-yard field goal by Telenko
and a 20-10 IUP lead with 36 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
The onslaught continued in the fourth quarter, with Eyerman hitting a streaking
LeRon McCoy for a 53-yard touchdown with 10:18 left in the game to make it 26-10.
Shippensburg reached the IUP 14 in one last attempt to stay in the game, but Dave
Deneen ended that threat with an end zone interception with just under six
minutes left.
After Shippensburg forced a punt, Kairi Cooper picked off backup quarterback Jim
Buffington's pass, and Parker raced 72 yards for a touchdown on the next drive
to end any Red Raider hopes of ending its losing streak to the Indians.
IUP rolled up 446 yards of total offense against a Shippensburg defense that was
surrendering only 254.3 per game entering the contest. The Red Raiders picked
up just 259 yards of their own, with their rushing offense held to 153 yards, 65
below their season average. Shippensburg turned the ball over five times
compared to only once for the Indians.
Several IUP defenders turned in big games. Linebacker Neal Wood led all tacklers
with 14 and recovered a fumble. Jackson had eight tackles, including a sack, to
go along with his interception, Harris had a pair of sacks, and Deneen broke up
two other passes in addition to the one he picked off.
IUP will look to extend its winning streak when it travels to N. Kerr Thompson
Stadium to take on archrival Slippery Rock. The Indians have not won 10 in a
row since capturing 13 straight to start the 1993 campaign before losing to
North Alabama in the national championship contest. A win will also clinch a
postseason bid for the 13th time in the past 16 years.