IUP Penalties

[IUPBand8588]

Yikes! 19 penalties for 200 yards against Clarion! This is outrageous. Penalties have been a generational problem for IUP football since the Frank Cignetti days in the 1980s. What is the problem? Is it lack of discipline? Poor coaching? Team chemistry? The type of players we are recruiting? The style of football we play? or is the PSAC out to get IUP? or something else? What do you think? I thought this would be a good discussion thread in our lead up to the Gannon game. I'm hoping the team does not get any ejections that could ruin the season. Fire away!

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Yikes! 19 penalties for 200 yards against Clarion! This is outrageous. Penalties have been a generational problem for IUP football since the Frank Cignetti days in the 1980s. What is the problem? Is it lack of discipline? Poor coaching? Team chemistry? The type of players we are recruiting? The style of football we play? or is the PSAC out to get IUP? or something else? What do you think? I thought this would be a good discussion thread in our lead up to the Gannon game. I'm hoping the team does not get any ejections that could ruin the season. Fire away!

To this point in the season, IUP is averaging about 120 yards per game in penalties.

By game (per the box scores):

New Haven: 11-102
@Millersville: 9-90
Lock Haven: 11-126
@Mercyhurst: 8-85
California: 11-102
@Slippery Rock: 14-135
@Clarion: 19-200

So, obviously, they are trending up here the past two weeks. How in the world you give up 200 yards in penalties and win by 38 is astounding.


In comparison, IUP's opponents, on average, have been hit for 95.14 yards per game.

It would be very interesting (and tedious) to actually see the breakdown of the penalties (personal fouls, holding, etc.). Without looking, they had to be hit for at least 4-6 personal fouls at Clarion.

[Matt Burglund]

What is the problem?

Well...

Is it lack of discipline?

No.

Poor coaching?

No.

Team chemistry?

No.

The type of players we are recruiting?

No.

The style of football we play?

No.

or is the PSAC out to get IUP?

Doubtful.

or something else?

Probably.

What do you think?

Here's what I wrote in today's paper:

"... penalties are up across the board. While Slippery Rock leads the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference this year at 13 penalties per game, Gannon was the most penalized team in the league last year, at 10.3 per game. And in 2017, Kutztown was flagged a league-high 9.1 times per game.

Through seven games this season, IUP is averaging 11 penalties a game, the second-highest total in the PSAC. Last year, IUP was flagged an average of 7.7 times per game, which was 14th out of 15 teams in the conference.

Nationally, four of the top 10 most-penalized teams in NCAA Division II football come from the PSAC: Slippery Rock is first, IUP and Shepherd are tied for fourth and Seton Hill is ninth."

I think officials are simply calling more penalties than they used to. The question is why. It's not an IUP-centric thing.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

To this point (everybody has played 7 games except for Seton Hill which has played 6 games):

Avg per game (rounded):

SRU -122 yards penalized per game
IUP - 105
Seton Hill - 104
Lock Haven 98
Shepherd - 89
Clarion - 88
Edinboro - 86
Cal - 75
WCU - 74
Gannon - 72
Ship - 67
Millersville - 61
Mercyhurst - 61
East Stroudsburg - 60
Bloomsburg - 59
Kutztown - 58


Number of penalties committed per PSAC Web Site:

SRU - 91
IUP - 76
Shepherd - 76
Clarion - 66
Lock Haven - 64
Seton Hill - 62 (played one less game)
Edinboro - 60
Cal - 57
Gannon - 54
WCU - 53
ESU - 51
Ship - 50
Mercyhurst - 47
Bloomsburg - 45
Millersville - 43
Kutztown - 39


So, while flags are up across the board, IUP, Rock and Shepherd are getting flagged dramatically more than most schools. No doubt they've earned a lot of them, but, ... As Tort said: No comment.

[IUPBand8588]

Thanks Matt for another great article and a clarifying post! If you only count the personal fouls, I wonder how things shake out. It seems like IUP gets flagged for a lot of personal fouls which leads to my line of questioning in my original post.

[Horror Child]

Here's what I wrote in today's paper:

"... penalties are up across the board. While Slippery Rock leads the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference this year at 13 penalties per game, Gannon was the most penalized team in the league last year, at 10.3 per game. And in 2017, Kutztown was flagged a league-high 9.1 times per game.

Through seven games this season, IUP is averaging 11 penalties a game, the second-highest total in the PSAC. Last year, IUP was flagged an average of 7.7 times per game, which was 14th out of 15 teams in the conference.

Nationally, four of the top 10 most-penalized teams in NCAA Division II football come from the PSAC: Slippery Rock is first, IUP and Shepherd are tied for fourth and Seton Hill is ninth."

I think officials are simply calling more penalties than they used to. The question is why. It's not an IUP-centric thing.

Wait. What?

[Fightingscot82]

I think officials are simply calling more penalties than they used to. The question is why. It's not an IUP-centric thing.

I agree. In another thread I think its two parts: when officials look for penalties, they're going to see penalties. They also know they'll get less crap for a questionable call than a no-call. Plus players lack discipline. We all know that. Playing without flair and swagger won't get your clip tweeted by the campus Barstool account.

[ClarionPSAC]

To this point in the season, IUP is averaging about 120 yards per game in penalties.

By game (per the box scores):

New Haven: 11-102
@Millersville: 9-90
Lock Haven: 11-126
@Mercyhurst: 8-85
California: 11-102
@Slippery Rock: 14-135
@Clarion: 19-200

So, obviously, they are trending up here the past two weeks. How in the world you give up 200 yards in penalties and win by 38 is astounding.


In comparison, IUP's opponents, on average, have been hit for 95.14 yards per game.

It would be very interesting (and tedious) to actually see the breakdown of the penalties (personal fouls, holding, etc.). Without looking, they had to be hit for at least 4-6 personal fouls at Clarion.

you win by 38 despite 200 yards in penalties when Clarion turns it over 7 times, canceling out any advantage the penalty yards could have provided. IUP aggressively went for the ball and a Clarion gave it up easily and often.

[RockNation]

To this point (everybody has played 7 games except for Seton Hill which has played 6 games):

Number of penalties committed per PSAC Web Site:

SRU - 91
IUP - 76
Shepherd - 76
Clarion - 66
Lock Haven - 64
Seton Hill - 62 (played one less game)
Edinboro - 60
Cal - 57
Gannon - 54
WCU - 53
ESU - 51
Ship - 50
Mercyhurst - 47
Bloomsburg - 45
Millersville - 43
Kutztown - 39


So, while flags are up across the board, IUP, Rock and Shepherd are getting flagged dramatically more than most schools. No doubt they've earned a lot of them, but, ... As Tort said: No comment.

I dont believe SRU-IUP played a dirty game. In fact, the dirtiest team I saw the Rock play so far this year was Seton Hill. The distance between Shep and WCU is shocking. I doubt Shep is a dirty team and Gannon who is historically a dirty team, is low for the PSAC west. I'd like to know what these guys are thinking

[IUPbigINDIANS]

I dont believe SRU-IUP played a dirty game. In fact, the dirtiest team I saw the Rock play so far this year was Seton Hill. The distance between Shep and WCU is shocking. I doubt Shep is a dirty team and Gannon who is historically a dirty team, is low for the PSAC west. I'd like to know what these guys are thinking

In the SRU vs IUP game the most flagrant stuff was usually washed out anyway by offsetting personal fouls. I don't think those show up in the stats?

IUP gets called for holding a ton this year.

[Horror Child]

In the SRU vs IUP game the most flagrant stuff was usually washed out anyway by offsetting personal fouls. I don't think those show up in the stats?

IUP gets called for holding a ton this year.

Offsetting does hide a lot.

It's worth looking at yards/penalty. Shepherd is lowest in the PSAC at 8.2 while Lock Haven, Kutztown, Seton Hill and Edinboro are above 10, with Millersville, West Chester and IUP close behind.

[iupgroundhog]

To this point (everybody has played 7 games except for Seton Hill which has played 6 games):

Avg per game (rounded):

SRU -122 yards penalized per game
IUP - 105
Seton Hill - 104
Lock Haven 98
Shepherd - 89
Clarion - 88
Edinboro - 86
Cal - 75
WCU - 74
Gannon - 72
Ship - 67
Millersville - 61
Mercyhurst - 61
East Stroudsburg - 60
Bloomsburg - 59
Kutztown - 58


Number of penalties committed per PSAC Web Site:

SRU - 91
IUP - 76
Shepherd - 76
Clarion - 66
Lock Haven - 64
Seton Hill - 62 (played one less game)
Edinboro - 60
Cal - 57
Gannon - 54
WCU - 53
ESU - 51
Ship - 50
Mercyhurst - 47
Bloomsburg - 45
Millersville - 43
Kutztown - 39


So, while flags are up across the board, IUP, Rock and Shepherd are getting flagged dramatically more than most schools. No doubt they've earned a lot of them, but, ... As Tort said: No comment.

The most significant thing about these lists is the difference between teams in the East vs. the West. 6 of the top 8 are in the West and 6 of the bottom 7 are in the East.

Not saying what that means but just that it is. That's a sharp distinction, though.

[Matt Burglund]

It would be very interesting (and tedious) to actually see the breakdown of the penalties (personal fouls, holding, etc.). Without looking, they had to be hit for at least 4-6 personal fouls at Clarion.

Through 7 games (this includes penalties declined and/or offset):

Delay of game: 2
False start: 12
Holding: 20 (12 offensive, 1 defensive, 2 ST, 3 declined, 2 offsetting)
Illegal block: 8
Illegal formation: 3
Ineligible downfield: 3
Intentional grounding: 3
Offsides: 3
Pass interference: 11 (10 defensive, 1 offsetting)
Personal foul: 17 (4 offense, 8 defense, 1 ST, 4 offsetting)
Roughing the passer: 1
Targeting: 1
Unsportsmanlike conduct: 7 (2 offense, 2 defense, 1 ST, 2 offsetting)

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Through 7 games (this includes penalties declined and/or offset):

Delay of game: 2
False start: 12
Holding: 20 (12 offensive, 1 defensive, 2 ST, 3 declined, 2 offsetting)
Illegal block: 8
Illegal formation: 3
Ineligible downfield: 3
Intentional grounding: 3
Offsides: 3
Pass interference: 11 (10 defensive, 1 offsetting)
Personal foul: 17 (4 offense, 8 defense, 1 ST, 4 offsetting)
Roughing the passer: 1
Targeting: 1
Unsportsmanlike conduct: 7 (2 offense, 2 defense, 1 ST, 2 offsetting)

Thanks for posting. Very interesting. So, 24 flags for personal foul / unsportsmanlike through 7 games. Not a pretty number. There's some alarming numbers in there.

[Fightingscot82]

Thanks for posting. Very interesting. So, 24 flags for personal foul / unsportsmanlike through 7 games. Not a pretty number. There's some alarming numbers in there.

That was IUPs weakness in the late Frank Sr years.