THE IUP Football Thread

[IUPalum]

Just make sure you get your IUP gear from the Co-Op Store. Tort says over and over that it really pumps up the team.

Redshirt Joe says the same!

[CUlater]

What is the definition of a 'regional power' ?

My guess would be if you'd ask people who actually follow D2 football to name the Top 5 programs in SR1 ... IUP would be included. I'm not a 'fan boy' and realize they've underachieved at times in the past decade. IUP has been winning big for a very long time -- back to the days when Cal was a yearly whipping boy on the schedule, etc. But, for purposes of this conversation, I'll just use the past decade as a reference.

IUP has gone 91-26 in the past 10 seasons. And, yes, that record should be better. For example, they threw away two games last season they had no business losing (Edinboro and Cal). They had a stretch years ago of back-to-back losses to SRU by a combined 6 points. They lost to Shepherd in the playoffs a couple years ago after giving up a 50-some yard pass with 20 seconds remaining on a totally blown coverage. There is the dysfunctional history of oddness in last-second losses at Adamson that has plagued the program the past 15 years. Also included in this stretch was the abysmal 6-5 record in 2014. Of course, losses are losses, and they don't get an asterisk for close ones.

Tort's had four seasons now. Two have been very good (2017 and 2019). Two have made many want to pull their hair out (2018 and 2021). The 2018 (8-3) and 2021 (7-3) teams were both very talented but had some mental lapses at very inopportune times (mostly all inside Miller Stadium).

Keep in mind, IUP has had some very good teams in the same years Cal and SRU have had very good teams. There's no dodging one another. Somebody is taking a loss. IUP also gets the luxury of 'randomly' playing Cal and SRU back-to-back. Every. Single. Year.

'Regional Power' is kind of a made-up phrase. Are they routinely in the Top 5 of SR1? I'd say yes (and realize like all teams they have an off year here and there). For us long-time D2 fans, we've seen many teams rise up for a bit and then fall back down. IUP has been winning pretty consistently since the early 90s. We'll never see the dominance from that time again, but they are on a heck of a 30-some year run of success.

I like many, many aspects of this 2022 edition. But, there are a couple question marks. These first two games are much scarier than I think many in the IUP universe realize. If they can get off to a 2-0 start (with quality road wins at ESU and Ship), they'll likely be in good shape. That should allow them to split the Cal/SRU back-to-back and be firmly in playoff contention. But, these first two are far from easy.

finally someone who comes back with some information and a point of view rather than "your team sucks". The record is great, there is no denying that, but lets look at the games that matter. this is how I see it, I'm not looking this stuff up just going by memory so feel free to correct anything slightly off:

Last 20 years - 1 Regional championship, with 2 appearances (maybe 3). PSAC West Crowns - 7 or 8 that I remember and 4 in a row at one point - pretty good
Last 10 years - 1 Regional Championship, 2 appearances, PSAC West - 3
Last 4 years (taking Torts first year away b/c that wasn't his team and I know that skews things a bit but this is the current roster) - 0 regional championships, 0 appearances, PSAC West Crowns - 0 - that's trending in the wrong direction

Over the same period of time there are others who have multiple Regional championships and West/East crowns. SRU/CAL/SHEP/KUTZ come to mind immediately, can probably through WCU in there. So you've been a good team, and have had a nice stretch of winning seasons, but you've beat the teams you should have and lost a fair amount against the top of the league and you've started to develop a reputation for losing the big game.

[Ram040506]

What is the definition of a 'regional power' ?

My guess would be if you'd ask people who actually follow D2 football to name the Top 5 programs in SR1 ... IUP would be included. I'm not a 'fan boy' and realize they've underachieved at times in the past decade. IUP has been winning big for a very long time -- back to the days when Cal was a yearly whipping boy on the schedule, etc. But, for purposes of this conversation, I'll just use the past decade as a reference.

IUP has gone 91-26 in the past 10 seasons. And, yes, that record should be better. For example, they threw away two games last season they had no business losing (Edinboro and Cal). They had a stretch years ago of back-to-back losses to SRU by a combined 6 points. They lost to Shepherd in the playoffs a couple years ago after giving up a 50-some yard pass with 20 seconds remaining on a totally blown coverage. There is the dysfunctional history of oddness in last-second losses at Adamson that has plagued the program the past 15 years. Also included in this stretch was the abysmal 6-5 record in 2014. Of course, losses are losses, and they don't get an asterisk for close ones.

Tort's had four seasons now. Two have been very good (2017 and 2019). Two have made many want to pull their hair out (2018 and 2021). The 2018 (8-3) and 2021 (7-3) teams were both very talented but had some mental lapses at very inopportune times (mostly all inside Miller Stadium).

Keep in mind, IUP has had some very good teams in the same years Cal and SRU have had very good teams. There's no dodging one another. Somebody is taking a loss. IUP also gets the luxury of 'randomly' playing Cal and SRU back-to-back. Every. Single. Year.

'Regional Power' is kind of a made-up phrase. Are they routinely in the Top 5 of SR1? I'd say yes (and realize like all teams they have an off year here and there). For us long-time D2 fans, we've seen many teams rise up for a bit and then fall back down. IUP has been winning pretty consistently since the early 90s. We'll never see the dominance from that time again, but they are on a heck of a 30-some year run of success.

I like many, many aspects of this 2022 edition. But, there are a couple question marks. These first two games are much scarier than I think many in the IUP universe realize. If they can get off to a 2-0 start (with quality road wins at ESU and Ship), they'll likely be in good shape. That should allow them to split the Cal/SRU back-to-back and be firmly in playoff contention. But, these first two are far from easy.

It was 25 yards max lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJ1RNBfXuhw

[IUPbigINDIANS]

It was 25 yards max lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJ1RNBfXuhw

Old age. Thought it was longer. My bad.

[IUPNation]

And here they come... the IUP fan boy club!

The Personalities were let out of the asylum.

[IUPNation]

https://www.indianagazette.com/sport...s-source=login

He still chose IUP over Other schools.

He also now gets to learn how to spell Pittsburgh correctly too. The H just looks nicer.

[IUPNation]

What is the definition of a 'regional power' ?

My guess would be if you'd ask people who actually follow D2 football to name the Top 5 programs in SR1 ... IUP would be included. I'm not a 'fan boy' and realize they've underachieved at times in the past decade. IUP has been winning big for a very long time -- back to the days when Cal was a yearly whipping boy on the schedule, etc. But, for purposes of this conversation, I'll just use the past decade as a reference.

IUP has gone 91-26 in the past 10 seasons. And, yes, that record should be better. For example, they threw away two games last season they had no business losing (Edinboro and Cal). They had a stretch years ago of back-to-back losses to SRU by a combined 6 points. They lost to Shepherd in the playoffs a couple years ago after giving up a 50-some yard pass with 20 seconds remaining on a totally blown coverage. There is the dysfunctional history of oddness in last-second losses at Adamson that has plagued the program the past 15 years. Also included in this stretch was the abysmal 6-5 record in 2014. Of course, losses are losses, and they don't get an asterisk for close ones.

Tort's had four seasons now. Two have been very good (2017 and 2019). Two have made many want to pull their hair out (2018 and 2021). The 2018 (8-3) and 2021 (7-3) teams were both very talented but had some mental lapses at very inopportune times (mostly all inside Miller Stadium).

Keep in mind, IUP has had some very good teams in the same years Cal and SRU have had very good teams. There's no dodging one another. Somebody is taking a loss. IUP also gets the luxury of 'randomly' playing Cal and SRU back-to-back. Every. Single. Year.

'Regional Power' is kind of a made-up phrase. Are they routinely in the Top 5 of SR1? I'd say yes (and realize like all teams they have an off year here and there). For us long-time D2 fans, we've seen many teams rise up for a bit and then fall back down. IUP has been winning pretty consistently since the early 90s. We'll never see the dominance from that time again, but they are on a heck of a 30-some year run of success.

I like many, many aspects of this 2022 edition. But, there are a couple question marks. These first two games are much scarier than I think many in the IUP universe realize. If they can get off to a 2-0 start (with quality road wins at ESU and Ship), they'll likely be in good shape. That should allow them to split the Cal/SRU back-to-back and be firmly in playoff contention. But, these first two are far from easy.

[IUPNation]

finally someone who comes back with some information and a point of view rather than "your team sucks". The record is great, there is no denying that, but lets look at the games that matter. this is how I see it, I'm not looking this stuff up just going by memory so feel free to correct anything slightly off:

Last 20 years - 1 Regional championship, with 2 appearances (maybe 3). PSAC West Crowns - 7 or 8 that I remember and 4 in a row at one point - pretty good
Last 10 years - 1 Regional Championship, 2 appearances, PSAC West - 3
Last 4 years (taking Torts first year away b/c that wasn't his team and I know that skews things a bit but this is the current roster) - 0 regional championships, 0 appearances, PSAC West Crowns - 0 - that's trending in the wrong direction

Over the same period of time there are others who have multiple Regional championships and West/East crowns. SRU/CAL/SHEP/KUTZ come to mind immediately, can probably through WCU in there. So you've been a good team, and have had a nice stretch of winning seasons, but you've beat the teams you should have and lost a fair amount against the top of the league and you've started to develop a reputation for losing the big game.

Who beat both teams playing in the State Game last year?

IUP.

Oh.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

finally someone who comes back with some information and a point of view rather than "your team sucks". The record is great, there is no denying that, but lets look at the games that matter. this is how I see it, I'm not looking this stuff up just going by memory so feel free to correct anything slightly off:

Last 20 years - 1 Regional championship, with 2 appearances (maybe 3). PSAC West Crowns - 7 or 8 that I remember and 4 in a row at one point - pretty good
Last 10 years - 1 Regional Championship, 2 appearances, PSAC West - 3
Last 4 years (taking Torts first year away b/c that wasn't his team and I know that skews things a bit but this is the current roster) - 0 regional championships, 0 appearances, PSAC West Crowns - 0 - that's trending in the wrong direction

Over the same period of time there are others who have multiple Regional championships and West/East crowns. SRU/CAL/SHEP/KUTZ come to mind immediately, can probably through WCU in there. So you've been a good team, and have had a nice stretch of winning seasons, but you've beat the teams you should have and lost a fair amount against the top of the league and you've started to develop a reputation for losing the big game.

Tort's first year counts for Tort. Did he inherit a loaded roster? Yes. But, he also landed Max Redfield when every major D2 program in the country went after him. Tort was also the breath of fresh air the locker room needed after the more-dictator-type Curt era ended.

If you break down the Tort era (he's been here 5 years but they only played 4 seasons):

* Overall record: 38-9
* Playoff record: 2-2
* PSAC Title Game record: 1-0
* Regional Championship record: 1-0
* West Title: 1

Tort against top-level opponents:

Ashland: 2-0
Cal: 2-2
SRU: 2-2
West Chester: 3-0
New Haven: 1-0
Kutztown: 1-0 (KU's only loss in regular season)
Assumption: 1-0 (Assumption was 11-1 when they met)
Shepherd: 0-2
West Florida: 0-1

Tort's record against perceived top-level competition: 12-7

In Tort's 'big games', he's only really had no shot to win in just one of them (Shepherd game last year they got clocked in the third quarter).

Tort's teams have been incredible on the road, including beating the hell out of SRU in front of 9,000-some last season.

So, that's the positive spin of the Tort era.


Here's the negative spin on the Tort era:

* Many of his teams have really struggled inside Miller Stadium. They've won some really ugly games on their own turf.
* In his two losses to SRU, his teams got walloped in the first half. Both made incredible comebacks but no-showed the first two quarters.
* The 2018 team threw in the towel after the devastating 'Pick 6' loss at Adamson and got blasted at home by Shippensburg -- Ship's first win against IUP in forever. The 2019 team repaid the favor.
* The home loss to Cal in 2021 was probably the worst loss in Miller Stadium ... maybe ever. IUP was in full command of that game and was a dropped (wide open) TD from making it a blow-out. We all know what happened in the final quarter.
* The home loss to Edinboro the following week. No words for that one. Irv Charles didn't play and the offense then made the Boro defense look like the '85 Bears. Having the first two punts blocked -- a week after the punt block heard 'round the world -- was unacceptable.

???????Conclusion:

So, if you get in a DeLorean and go back to the summer of 2017 ... I think most would take the results we've got from the Tort regime. It's had its moments, don't get me wrong. His overall record should be better than 38-9. By my count, he's lost 5 games they shouldn't have. But, overall, he's running a smooth ship -- no player drama off the field, players are staying eligible, he's recruiting well, transfer dependency is way down, etc.

[Iupgh]

Tort's first year counts for Tort. Did he inherit a loaded roster? Yes. But, he also landed Max Redfield when every major D2 program in the country went after him. Tort was also the breath of fresh air the locker room needed after the more-dictator-type Curt era ended.

If you break down the Tort era (he's been here 5 years but they only played 4 seasons):

* Overall record: 38-9
* Playoff record: 2-2
* PSAC Title Game record: 1-0
* Regional Championship record: 1-0
* West Title: 1

Tort against top-level opponents:

Ashland: 2-0
Cal: 2-2
SRU: 2-2
West Chester: 3-0
New Haven: 1-0
Kutztown: 1-0 (KU's only loss in regular season)
Assumption: 1-0 (Assumption was 11-1 when they met)
Shepherd: 0-2
West Florida: 0-1

Tort's record against perceived top-level competition: 12-7

In Tort's 'big games', he's only really had no shot to win in just one of them (Shepherd game last year they got clocked in the third quarter).

Tort's teams have been incredible on the road, including beating the hell out of SRU in front of 9,000-some last season.

So, that's the positive spin of the Tort era.


Here's the negative spin on the Tort era:

* Many of his teams have really struggled inside Miller Stadium. They've won some really ugly games on their own turf.
* In his two losses to SRU, his teams got walloped in the first half. Both made incredible comebacks but no-showed the first two quarters.
* The 2018 team threw in the towel after the devastating 'Pick 6' loss at Adamson and got blasted at home by Shippensburg -- Ship's first win against IUP in forever. The 2019 team repaid the favor.
* The home loss to Cal in 2021 was probably the worst loss in Miller Stadium ... maybe ever. IUP was in full command of that game and was a dropped (wide open) TD from making it a blow-out. We all know what happened in the final quarter.
* The home loss to Edinboro the following week. No words for that one. Irv Charles didn't play and the offense then made the Boro defense look like the '85 Bears. Having the first two punts blocked -- a week after the punt block heard 'round the world -- was unacceptable.

???????Conclusion:

So, if you get in a DeLorean and go back to the summer of 2017 ... I think most would take the results we've got from the Tort regime. It's had its moments, don't get me wrong. His overall record should be better than 38-9. By my count, he's lost 5 games they shouldn't have. But, overall, he's running a smooth ship -- no player drama off the field, players are staying eligible, he's recruiting well, transfer dependency is way down, etc.

Should be 20-1 on road was flat out robbed at Cal in 2018 to the tune the referee crew was suspended 2 games due the calls overturning 2 IUP Touchdowns. I will take 38-9 with garbage facilities and can’t get guys in admissions gang.

[Ram040506]

Should be 20-1 on road was flat out robbed at Cal in 2018 to the tune the referee crew was suspended 2 games due the calls overturning 2 IUP Touchdowns. I will take 38-9 with garbage facilities and can’t get guys in admissions gang.

It's a hell of a record. Tort is a damn good coach. McCook at Shepherd is entering year 5 with 3 seasons accumulating at 30-8 for a total record (31-8 if we are counting the spring game vs Mercyhurst). Shepherd fans have been thrilled as IUP should be about Tort.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Should be 20-1 on road was flat out robbed at Cal in 2018 to the tune the referee crew was suspended 2 games due the calls overturning 2 IUP Touchdowns. I will take 38-9 with garbage facilities and can’t get guys in admissions gang.

The 2018 and 2021 games against Cal ... trying to totally block in my memory. Still painful. LOL. But, seriously.

Including playoffs, Tort is 19-7 at Miller Stadium and 19-2 on the road. Within those marks, he's 2-1 at SRU. Their hosting game in 2020 was cancelled so he's played up there 3 times and only hosted them once.

The last time SRU played here they beat the pi$$ out of IUP for the first two quarters. In front of any empty home side in the second half -- after a long weather delay -- IUP came all the way back and took the lead. If memory serves, SRU converted a 4-and-7 on the final drive and eventually scored to win. The next year, up there, was nearly identical.

[IUPNation]

The Indiana Po Po probably helped remove the biggest problem on the staff…and I wonder just how much of problem they were and why the offense fell short so many times when they had the firepower.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

The Indiana Po Po probably helped remove the biggest problem on the staff…and I wonder just how much of problem they were and why the offense fell short so many times when they had the firepower.

They made a HUGE upgrade in that position. This guy should be a HC.

Now they just have to get Anthony Leonard back here (former DL coach now at Fordham). He should be the next DC.

[EyeoftheHawk]

They made a HUGE upgrade in that position. This guy should be a HC.

Now they just have to get Anthony Leonard back here (former DL coach now at Fordham). He should be the next DC.

This hasn’t been talked about for a while but I totally agree. It was already addition by subtraction simply due to the knucklehead “resigning” after his tough guy move that got him a set of matching bracelets from the law. Then to add Wilson with his experience and track record, he’s probably going to be the most impactful transfer of the off-season.