THE IUP Football Thread

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Some questions as we embark on another season:


1. Will Karst Hunter finally live up to the hype? He looked like a different player after returning from injury last season -- albeit against much lesser competition. In fairness, I think Tort learned how to best use his skill set as the year ended. Remember, he wasn't here for the prior Spring. That's tough for any incoming QB.

2. Lots of mouths to feed in the RB department -- including two all-conference players. Will this be a committee approach all season?

3. Will IUP actually utilize the biggest (D2) TE in the country? Cole Laney should be a focal point and create huge mismatches. Will he be?

4. Can IUP actually beat (on the road this time) Ashland for the fifth straight time? Tort is 4-0 in the series. He could easily be 0-4.

5. The OL has to be better, right? It can't be any worse than a year ago.

6. Lot of hype on the defensive side. Justified?

7. Two stars at WR. Who will emerge as the No. 3?

8. It's safe to say the coaching staff was -- at best -- below average a year ago. Will we see any improvement?

9. IUP took its lumps in an injury-decimated and coaching debacle 2023 season. Will this team be like the 2017 edition -- or, the 2018 edition? There's a very big difference between the two - and, I'm not talking about wins/losses. IUP was very young last year. Leadership wasn't a strength. Hopefully that has changed.

10. Can Tort win (again) in Adamson? They got real lucky in 2022. But, IUP lost several real unlucky games down there, too.

[EyeoftheHawk]

Practice must get underway in about a month.

Per usual, some of the players stick around for the summer and I run into them coming and going from the Field House and sometimes see them working out on the field. Seems like a bigger crowd this summer than usual, although that’s totally anecdotal.

[iupgroundhog]

57 days until Opening Night

Practice must get underway in about a month.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

57 days until Opening Night

[iupgroundhog]

I think Josh means well and is doing a pretty strong job as governor, but let's see him for what he is: a wealthy guy from Montgomery County who doesn't spend much time with rural PA to know their needs.

I find that to be kind of an unlikely characterization of Josh Shapiro. In contrast to virtually all PA Governors in my lifetime, Shapiro is particularly involved with rural PA. He did give the commencement address at IUP, which was not his first IUP visit. He's engaged with small towns and rural communities around the state.

The main thing I've read about (and I'm not in PA) is the Agricultural Innovation Fund that he has spearheaded. Also, his focus on the Clean Streams fund and addressing rural needs in his Economic Development Plan.

https://www.media.pa.gov/Pages/Agric...px?newsid=1394

https://www.spotlightpa.org/statecol...alth-outdoors/

[Fightingscot82]

It’s absurd that Josh Shapiro is sitting on 14 billion in surplus and they can’t fund the rest of this.

I think Josh means well and is doing a pretty strong job as governor, but let's see him for what he is: a wealthy guy from Montgomery County who doesn't spend much time with rural PA to know their needs.

[IUPNation]

Another $2 million gift for the med school:

https://triblive.com/local/regional/...p-2m-donation/

It’s absurd that Josh Shapiro is sitting on 14 billion in surplus and they can’t fund the rest of this.

[Wallst]

Another $2 million gift for the med school:

https://triblive.com/local/regional/...p-2m-donation/

That's impressive. Congrats to IUP

[Fightingscot82]

Another $2 million gift for the med school:

https://triblive.com/local/regional/...p-2m-donation/

[Wallst]

Now when does football start and we get to watch a couple teams from SR1 rise up the polls only to get decimated in the semifinals? Again.

[Wallst]

https://youtu.be/S9LZXheHddI?si=a7FfQdpOet7uD0_0

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Did IUP land any more transfers that have gone under the radar?

Also, to mention, Steve Kline was named Regional Coach of the Year in Baseball. Well deserved. A no-brainer, I suppose.

I've heard some gossip but nothing I can confirm.

[jrshooter]

Well, at least I can applaud Nation on the way out of this thread.

[Matt Witwicki]

Guys,

If you are going to talk politics please either head to the off topic or elsewhere. This chat was flagged for name calling. I realize Brandon would keep on eye on this thread and the forum, but with his condition, he’s got much bigger concerns than the chat..and Chuck and I (who are keeping the lights on) don’t have the time or bandwidth for reading pages of back and forth. Let’s try and be more civil and less political. Thanks.

[iupgroundhog]

Did IUP land any more transfers that have gone under the radar?

Also, to mention, Steve Kline was named Regional Coach of the Year in Baseball. Well deserved. A no-brainer, I suppose.