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IUP no more intense entering playoffs than it was during season

Friday, November 22, 2002

By Phil Axelrod, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

The playoffs finally are here for No. 2 seed IUP (10-1), which is host to No. 3 Saginaw Valley State (9-2) at noon tomorrow in the opening round of the NCAA Division II South Region.

For the past 10 weeks, IUP has played as if it were in the playoffs. IUP has maintained that mentality since Findlay upset the Indians, 37-34, in the opener.

"We've been playing with the understanding that if we lost we wouldn't be in the tournament," said Coach Frank Cignetti, whose Indians have won 10 consecutive games. "We played a great early schedule by design because we wanted to find out a lot about our team.

"I think we've got the right mind-set and all the ingredients to make a run in the playoffs."

IUP also would like to avenge a 33-32 loss to Saginaw Valley in the opening round of the playoffs last year after leading, 32-7, at halftime.

The biggest change in IUP this season has been the addition of senior tailback Elice Parker, a transfer from LSU who has rushed for 1,021 yards and nine touchdowns.

"He's a Marine veteran and is very mature," Cignetti said. "This guy's been around. He'll be ready to play."

Parker's running complements a high-octane passing attack that features quarterback Brian Eyerman and wideout Carmelo Ocasio.

"They know what we're doing," Cignetti said. "They've been doing it for four years."

IUP has won 12 consecutive games on the synthetic surface at Miller Stadium.

"It's very important to be playing at home," Cignetti said. "We prefer to play on a fast surface because we have very good speed."

Duquesne (11-0) at Albany, N.Y. (7-4), 1 p.m. tomorrow, ECAC Classic.

The Dukes, winners of 11 games in a season for the first time in school history, have won four consecutive Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championships and are No. 1 in NCAA Division I-AA Mid-Major. They need a convincing victory to impress the selection committee that will offer at-large bids Sunday to the I-AA national playoffs, which include scholarship, partial scholarship and non-scholarship schools. The Dukes are ranked No. 21 in ESPN/USA Today and The Sports Network polls that include all Division I-AA schools.

Duquesne is 1-2 in the ECAC game and that includes a 31-15 loss to Sacred Heart last season.

Duquesne leads the country in scoring defense (8.3 ppg) and is the only team to yield fewer than 100 points. Of the 10 touchdowns scored against the Dukes, eight came against the defense. Dayton returned a fumble for a touchdown and Lafayette scored on a blocked punt.

Albany, champion of the Northeast Conference, is led by tailback Gary Jones, who set school records by rushing for 1,315 yards and 20 touchdowns, and quarterback Ryan Roeder (1,137 yards passing, eight touchdowns).

Christopher Newport (6-4) at Washington and Jefferson (8-2), tomorrow, noon, NCAA Division III South Region.

Washington and Jefferson, ranked No. 24 in the American Football Coaches Association poll, received an at-large bid to the playoffs. The Captains earned an automatic bid as champion of the Dixie Conference.

W&J senior quarterback Brian Dawson (Thomas Jefferson) has passed for at least 300 yards in each of his previous three playoff appearances, completing 54 of 98 for 1,034 yards and seven touchdowns. Dawson has passed for 2,121 yards and 17 touchdowns this season.

All-American receiver Todd Fry didn't play last week with an ankle injury that has hampered him the past month or so. He has 34 catches for 414 yards and four touchdowns. Mike Virgin leads with 35 catches for 789 yards and six touchdowns. Joey Nichols has rushed for a team-high 1,178 yards and 11 touchdowns.

W&J averages 35.8 points per game and Christopher Newport allows 10.1 ppg. ... The Presidents have won 15 of their past 16 games in which they've scored first. ... Dawson holds 22 W&J passing records, including 10,905 career yards and 98 touchdowns. ... Senior linebacker Roger Snyder, the second-leading kickoff returner in Division III with a 33.5-yard average, holds the school career record with 37 returns.

Geneva (6-5) vs. Northwestern (8-1), 1 p.m. today, Minneapolis Metrodome, NCCAA Victory Bowl:

The Golden Tornadoes, who won in 1998 and '99, can become the first team to win the game three times.