Welcome to the second round of the playoffs. The PSAC and NE-10 champions will face off for the second consecutive year for a chance to play for a regional title.

Week 13 Capsules

# 3 IUP (11-1, 6-1 PSAC West) @ # 2 New Haven (10-0, 8-0 NE-10)

When: November 24th, 12:00 PM

All-Time Series: IUP leads the series, 5-3-0

Common Opponents: They share one common opponent this year and both walked away with lopsided victories.

vs. Southern Connecticut (NE-10)

8/31/12 @ IUP 33 Southern Connecticut 6
10/27/12 @ New Haven 48 Southern Connecticut 9

Link to Team Stats:

New Haven

IUP

Game day Central:

http://www.newhavenchargers.com/news...114120349.aspx

My thoughts: Are you ready for some playoff football?

Two very talented teams will take the field on Saturday and both teams have high hopes to win the game. Both teams are capable of winning the region and potentially playing for a national title. But first, they will need to win this weekend before they can look ahead.

IUP Scouting Report:New Haven Scouting Report:

New Haven had the week off to rest up and focus on their second consecutive playoff trip. The Chargers dominated the conference this year and won the NE-10 Championship over AIC two weeks ago.

The offense is led by Ryan Osiecki. The senior quarterback was injured in the second game of the season at Saint Augustine's and missed the next four games. He returned on the road at Stonehill and led the team on a game winning drive in the final minutes. He has been very effective since returning and was named Most Outstanding Player for the NE-10 Championship game. Ronnie Nelson will also see snaps in the game to give a change of pace to the offense.

He has a lot of running backs making contributions this year behind him. Mike DeCaro is the most explosive runner out of the backfield. He always seems to make big plays at big times. Victor Jones and Anthony Tillman will also see carries out of the backfield and are very effective on screen passes in the open field.

The strength of the offense is the wide receiver position. Jason Thompson, Josh Smart, Demetrius Washington-Ellison and Chris Ruffin form one of the most dangerous units in the country. Thompson is a very athletic receiver who helps to stretch the field for the Chargers. When the receivers are covered, Kameel Lashley finds space in the middle of the field from his tight end position.

The offensive line for the Chargers has overcome some injuries this year. James Mallory, David Stedman, Zach Guy, Zach Conklin and Thierry Andris will do battle in the trenches. Stedman is the reigning Offensive Lineman of the Year for the NE-10 and two other Chargers made the all-conference team.

Chris Scifo has been very dependable in the kicking game. He has kicked 8 of 10 field goals this year and has missed just one extra point, going 47 for 48. Anthony Greenfield has handled the punting duties and is averaging 37 yards per punt.

The defense for New Haven has a lot of experience on the front line. Raheem Stanley was named the Defensive Player of the Year for the NE-10 and is the anchor of the defense. Tom Herd was named NE-10 Defensive Lineman of the Year and spends a lot of time in the opposing backfield. He leads the team with 10 sacks. Sean Berglund and Brent MacLeod round out the defensive line and stepped up their game after the injury to Ahmet Baki Basci.

Mike Gomes will be all over the field from his linebacking position. Matthew Fallico and Richard Long are two of the top tackles for the Chargers and seem to patrol the field with ease. All three of them are going to have to make plays against the IUP running game.

The secondary has seen a lot of game action over the past couple of years. Bernard Risco and Herbens Antenor will anchor the defense from their safety positions. JD Chalifoux and Kendrick Butler will be called upon to shut down the opposing receivers. Risco leads the team with four interceptions this year.

IUP Keys to the Game:

1. IUP has one of the best running games in the country. It helps them control the clock and wear down the opposing defense. If they are able to run the ball with ease, it is going to be a long day for New Haven.

2. IUP will need to find a way to pressure Osiecki and not allow him time to find his receivers down the field. They can use a similar game plan that they used in the PSAC Championship game when they limited Shippensburg's passing game.

3. The Crimson Hawks will also need to win the turnover battle. It has been a hallmark to their success all season long and they will need to force the Chargers into making bad decisions.

4. IUP will need to take the crowd out of the game. New Haven is expecting a large, noisy crowd for the game and if they are sitting on their hands, it will be good news for IUP.

New Haven Keys to the Game:

1. New Haven will need to find a way to limit the IUP running game and not allow them to run the ball with ease. The front four of the Chargers will have their hands full with the experience of the IUP offensive line. IUP has had at least 200 rushing yards in each game this year. They need to force the Crimson Hawks to throw the ball and make Box beat them.

2. New Haven will have to be able to stretch the field with their receivers. If Osiecki is not able to find his rhythm with Thompson, Washington-Ellison, Smart and Ruffin down the field, it might be a long day for the Charger offense. The Chargers' offensive line will need to protect the quarterback.

3. Mike DeCaro has a tendency to make big plays and if he is able to break off a long run on the ground or in the return game. When he makes a big play for the Chargers, he helps to build the momentum for the offense to move the ball.

4. New Haven did earn a bye week to rest and recover from the grueling season. They will need to play 60 minutes of mistake free football. If they are rusty or off their game, IUP is a team that will take advantage of those mistakes.

So who wins and why?

This is going to be a very physical game. Both teams are used to hard nosed football and pushing around their opponents. But this game will be a standoff as they are equally matched at most positions on the field. Both teams are very deep and have a lot of people capable of making big plays at big times.

IUP will be able to run the ball against New Haven. Nobody has been able to slow them down this year plus they have too much talent in the backfield not to run effectively. But New Haven should be able to throw the ball down the field. They have a height advantage at the receiver position over the IUP defensive backs. They will need to be able to throw quick slants to move the chains and go deep down the field when they have the opportunity.

Both teams are going to battle each other for a full 60 minutes and the game is going to come down to the final minutes. New Haven has a little more experience than IUP and that is going to be the difference in the game. The Chargers will make a late scoring drive and move onto the regional final.

Prediction: New Haven 23 IUP 21