PSAC preview
IUP, Bloomsburg favored again IUP has won or shared 11 of the last 17 PSAC Western Division football championships and has reached the NCAA Division II playoffs 13 times during that span.
Bloomsburg has won or shared the PSAC Eastern Division title six of the last eight seasons and qualified for the NCAA playoffs three times.
So is it any surprise that Indiana and Bloomsburg are the preseason favorites in one of the nation’s most competitive NCAA Division II conferences?
“It’s a great honor to be picked No. 1,” Bloomsburg coach Danny Hale said.
“To win the PSAC East is our number one goal.”
With only 10 starters returning from a 9-2 team, Bloomsburg could find it tough to win a third consecutive division title.
“We can make a run for it, but it will be difficult,” Hale said. “It’s going to be a challenge. There’s a lot of parity, and that bulls-eye is definitely big.”
Bloomsburg has six starters returning on offense, but must replace quarterback Chris Thompson (1,650 yards passing) and tailback Marques Glaze (1,327 yards rushing).
“Our weakness right now is offense,” Hale said.
The new starting quarterback, once he is chosen, will have a couple of experienced targets in Tierell Johnson, who had 12 touchdowns among his 43 receptions, and Rocco Forgione, who caught 29 passes.
In the West, IUP has 13 starters returning from a team that went 8-2 last year, seven on defense.
“We made a fourth straight playoff appearance last year, but had a very disappointing finish,” IUP coach Frank Cignetti said, referring to a 33-32 loss to Saginaw Valley State in the first round of the Division II playoffs. “We had a great group of kids but, for some reason, we didn’t play up to our potential.”
With fourth-year starter Brian Eyerman (2,009 yards passing and 19 touchdowns) returning at quarterback, along with receivers Carmelo Ocasio (47 catches) and J.R.
Thomas (29 catches), Cignetti’s team could be better than a year ago.
“We have talent, maybe the best we’ve ever had,” Cignetti said. “But talent doesn’t win games. We have to develop a chemistry on both sides of the ball.”
Finishing behind Indiana in the Western Division coaches poll were Slippery Rock and Shippensburg.
“It was quite a surprise to be voted second,” Slippery Rock coach George Mihalik said. “We are a mystery team. We have a lot of unanswered questions to resolve.”
Slippery Rock has six starters returning on each side of the ball from a team that went 6-4 last season, but must replace its entire backfield.
“We have everybody back on the offensive line,” Mihalik said. “That will be our strength at the start of the season.”
Shippensburg was 8-3 last season and finished second in the Western Division.
The Red Raiders have 14 starters back, but lack senior leadership on offense.
“We will have only one senior starting on offense, but do have our whole line back,” Shippensburg coach Rocky Rees said. “Our lack of seniors could hurt us.”
In the Eastern Division, Kutztown and East Stroudsburg are considered Bloomsburg’s main competition.
Kutztown was third in the East the last two years and was 6-4 last season.
The Golden Bears have nine starters back on each side of the ball, including quarterback Rob Flowers (1,100 yards passing).
East Stroudsburg has 13 starters back after going 7-3 last year. Jeremy Palm (1,924 yards passing and 22 touchdowns) is one of six starters back on offense.
“Five teams have a shot, four for sure (to win the East),” Hale said, referring to West Chester and Millersville.
“It will be tough to go through our schedule unscathed.”
Four PSAC teams open on Thursday, Aug. 29: Clarion plays at Division I-AA power Youngstown State, Lock Haven plays host to Northeastern, Indiana travels to Findlay and West Chester plays host to New Haven.