SPORTS

Sports Editor: Jeff Hart – J.R.Hart2@iup.edu

(IUP Athletics)

Students are eager to return back to campus to watch their Crimson Hawks in action.

Hawk Nation is hurting for IUP sports to return

AUSTIN SMITH

Staff Writer A.S.Smith7@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

Different sounds and noises have been coming from IUP’s campus.

The only thing is, it’s not your typical Friday night lights’ sound. It’s the sound of cold wind blowing in the air.

At this time of year, the whole university would be filled with tons of excitement and cheer at the sporting events; whether that would be the shot clock buzzing at the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex (PSAC), or fellow IUP students warming up with a fuzzy blanket watching the Crimson Hawks playing some playoff football on Frank Cignetti Field at Miller Stadium.

COVID-19 has put all athletics to sleep this semester, but what did that do to our Crimson Hawks on campus?

“The sport I miss the most is definitely basketball,” Dwyane Bryant (junior, kinesiology health and sports science) said. “I miss the good times when I would meet up at the game and to just see the entertainment. My main team, IUP, would be throwing dimes, crossing people over and finishing right now.”

He said the pandemic has had a huge impact on the university because it hyped the players up into feeling more confident in themselves and to have control of winning their games when fans were there to cheer them on. “I miss cheering for them loud and proud, but hopefully it will be a change in the future for us fans to see that again in person,” he said.

For Bryant, it seems basketball gave him something to look forward too with his friends, and that goes a long way when experiencing fun on a college campus.

Entertainment was huge for the students at IUP since that’s what being a college student is about.

“I definitely think basketball is the most missed sport on campus, ” Trevor Cratty (senior, communications media) said. “The atmosphere at an IUP basketball game is unmatched, and the quality of play is great too. IUP has a winning mentality, and that’s why I think it’s so easy to get behind this team.”

He said going to games with friends is a huge part of the student culture here, and not only did COVID-19 completely change the way students participate in the classroom, it also affected the college experience outside of it as well.

It was the success the basketball team has that made Cratty miss this sport at IUP the most.

He is not wrong, IUP has many talented athletic teams. The experience was another big topic mentioned along with entertainment like Bryant had said. College is not much of anything besides just going and getting a degree. Going with friends to the basketball games are lifetime memories that you will never forgot once your college career is over.

“I miss [basketball] because that is what I grew up watching,” Tyler Omune (senior, computer science) said. “Watching players like Lebron, Kobe and Allen Iverson made me develop fervent love for the game. I think the sport had a significant impact on the student life in the university because it brings people from different ethnicities and different walks of life together.”

He said that having that sense of unity is really important in the university, especially during a time where there’s so much division.

For me, it would be tough just to pick one sport that I miss the most, but if I had to pick one, it would be football. Sure, all sports are dearly missed. However, football has made a big impact on me and the IUP campus.

Football has always been my second favorite sport, and as a young kid and still to this day, I would always look forward to the weekends. Football brought my dad and I really close, and we formed a stronger relationship.

Crimson Hawks football has brought the entire Indiana county together to cheer their Hawks to the road to victory. The cannon going off at Miller Stadium after each touchdown gave a blast of excitement to the fans.

It gave the entire community something to look forward to as the colder weather came on. It was the early bird to all the other sports.

After football, basketball was the sport to watch once it wrapped up.

Sports for the students at IUP are a second way of life, especially basketball at this time as we’ve heard several students say. We all hope for a spring semester filled with life again because some of it has been briefly taken away.

Steelers on track to win seventh Super Bowl

JAKE TAYLOR Steelers underachieved during the Staff Writer “Killer B’s” era, and that is true. J.M.Taylor8@iup.edu However, the failure was neces@JakeTaylor8726 sary for both Roethlisberger and Here We Go Steelers, Here We Go! A chant heard not just around the 412 area, but Steeler Nation. For the first time in Pittsburgh’s franchise, they are undefeated through their first 8 games of the NFL season. Give credit where credit is due. This team should have been praised last year, but due to the biased NFL media, Pittsburgh was looked at as a lucky Tomlin. The constant playoff woes and locker room drama have molded the two future Hall of Famers. This QB/coach duo clearly has a newfound appreciation for the player and culture relationship. It takes more than talent to win the Super Bowl, and Pittsburgh understands that. The relationship in the locker room and off the field goes far beyond on-field production. 8-8. Although in

There is not one Pittsburgh, grizNFL team that would zled veterans load go 8-8 in a season the roster with the when the team is likes of Big Ben, bouncing back and Cam Hayward, Joe forth between a sec- Haden, Maurkice ond and third-string Pouncey, Stephon quarterback. Tuitt and David

Just look at the DeCastro. The ros2020 Dallas Cowboys. Mike Tomlin coached (packersfandom) ter also consists of loaded young talent a team that was one with Juju Smith Week 15 Sunday Night Football Schuster, James Conner, T.J Watt, win away from the postseason. Bud Dupree, Mike Hilton, Chase

The 2019 Pittsburgh Steel- Claypool, Diontae Johnson and ers suffered losses to the San Minkah Fitzpatrick. Francisco 49er’s (eventual NFC Not only do these players have Champions) by 4 points, Seattle a great relationship off the field, Seahawks (11-5) by 4 points, and but they can perform together as the Baltimore Ravens (14-2) by 3 well. Pittsburgh leads the league points in OT. You are either A) a in crucial statistical categories. moron B) on drugs or C) both if The defense has a sack in 65 you think Ben Roethlisberger does straight games, which is three not make a 5-point difference. A short of the NFL record. The deHall of Fame QB adds a significant fense is currently the fourth best improvement to an otherwise rushing defense, third passing playoff team. defense and fourth overall. They

The standard is the standard in also lead the league in sacks, Pittsburgh, and that standard is a yards allowed after the catch and Super Bowl. Pittsburgh is not like second in takeaways. Cleveland, Detroit or Philadelphia As for the offense, they rank that would consider a playoff ap- third in third-down conversions, pearance successful. The Steelers ninth in red-zone TD percentage have not had a losing season since and sixth in overall team offense. 2003; 17 years of pure dominance They are top 10 in both passing in arguably the best division in and rushing touchdowns. The football over that span. offense has only gained three sig-

The argument will be that Pitts- nificant pieces since last season, burgh hasn’t achieved its standard Ben Roethlisberger, Eric Ebron in 11 years. Many people think the and Chase Claypool.

This only emphasizes the skill of Pittsburgh’s front office. The Steeler’s ability to draft skill-position players is unparalleled. They traded their first-round pick for Fitzpatrick and drafted Claypool in the second round. Both are key pieces for the team’s success this year.

“Pittsburgh’s future is very bright short-term,” Brian Taylor, IUP Alumnus of ‘88, said about Pittsburgh’s future. “Their window is closing to bring home another championship. It is time to show New England where the real ‘City of Champions’ is.”

Despite being a passionate Browns fan on WIUP-FM’s “Sports Talk Live,” Kody Hefner (senior, business) loved the story about Art Rooney’s rejection of the term “America’s Team.”

“When I heard the story of the chief, Art Rooney, turning down the nickname ‘America’s Team,’ I knew the culture in Pittsburgh is close-knit,” he said. “It is a team that is a little more than a team. They set the culture throughout a city, although they will take a loss Week 17 against Baker Mayfield.”

Pittsburgh ranks among the league’s best. With Tom Brady out of the AFC, Mike Tomlin’s kryptonite is no longer an immediate threat. Pittsburgh has shown to have Lamar Jackson’s number.

As for the defending Super Bowl champions, Kansas City, Pittsburgh is 7-3 in the Big Ben era, including a playoff victory the last time Pittsburgh made it to the AFC Championship. Threats are minimal, and the writing’s on the wall. The Steel Curtain will continue to make a statement, the Steel City is BACK.

Articles about the Steelers will be coming more often from this column, as I personally was born and raised in Pittsburgh and even had to go home to write this. It will not be full of hot takes or bias. That is because the Steelers are going undefeated and winning the Super Bowl. Big Ben will win Super Bowl MVP and ride his motorcycle helmetless into the sunset.

So sit down, shut up, and drink an Iron City because the stairway to seven starts with 7.

20 November 11, 2020 Sports Fields or Lawrence: Who will go first in NFL draft?

STEVEN LANGDON

Editor-in-Chief S.Langdon@iup.edu @ThePenn

Justin Fields and Trevor Lawrence have lived different stories in college.

The two have been linked together since their high school days, and now they are in college and most likely the next level.

Their roots take them back to the Peach State of Georgia where both grew up. Throughout their time there, they attended the same camps and even had the same quarterback coach.

The top two recruiting class sites, ESPN 300 and 247 Sports, had them one-two with the same rating. ESPN had Fields at No. 1, and 247 Sports had Lawrence at No. 1.

So, why is this important to talk about? These two players are arguably the best that college has to offer and should be treated as such. There is not a single reason why Fields cannot be better and go No. 1 in the NFL Draft come April.

Back to why their college careers have been different. First, there is Lawrence who is a household name from Clemson and expected to go first in the draft.

Rumor around the league is he is a cannot miss prospect, and it’s understandably so. He has gone to the National Championship his first two years and has lost one game which was against LSU last season.

His stats are undeniable as he has had close to 9,000 yards passing and 97 total touchdowns. His 66.5 completion percentage and 14 interceptions through three seasons has also been impressive.

Lawrence no doubt is a cannot miss player that would make any team better, but Fields is better equipped for the modern game. The modern NFL is based upon deception more so than skill. What does this mean?

Modern playbooks have introduced run-pass options (RPO). The play allows the QB to determine based off of the positioning of the defense whether to hand the ball off or pass to a receiver. This system has been used by Fields since his high school days.

Fields has been just as impressive if not better in college as far as stats go. He has had a little north of 4,500 yards passing and 82 touchdowns. Fields’ 70.8 completion percentage and three interceptions are the stats to look at.

The best stat comes from this season so far. Fields is throwing 72 for 83 for an 86.7 completion percentage, 908 yards passing and 11 touchdowns with zero turnovers. He has more total touchdowns, which is 13, than incompletions. Fields does not look human since the start of the season.

One thing to keep in mind when comparing them is that Fields first committed to Georgia, where he played his first season, before transferring to Ohio State. Fields also has lost one game he stated in his career, and that was to Clemson in the National Semifinals last year.

Their pass attempts are skewed because of this where Lawrence leads 995 to 476. Let us forget how many games they have started. Lawrence has had 36 to Fields’ 17.

Here is the stat that is most telling, which is Heisman voting. They both only received votes last season with Fields earning 747 to 88 over Lawrence.

If Fields was starting his freshman year, would he be considered just as good as Lawrence? We will never know, but there is a possibility they are QB1A and QB1B.

The draft that is most comparable is the one from 2012. There was Andrew Luck, who was the consensus No. 1 pick, and there was Robert Griffin III, who was No. 2 pick but could have gone first.

The reason I pick them is based on their talent coming into the league. Luck is like Lawrence in that he is the field general. He has the football IQ that any team would want; someone that is years beyond some of the competition.

Griffin is a rusher and someone that could extend the play. If you take away the knee injury, he was a great player that first season. Fields is better, though. He is more accurate with his throws, and his running abilities do not define the player.

Once again, not saying that there is a comparison as far as talent, but rather how the draft was set-up. Fields and Lawrence could become better than Luck and almost as good as Griffin.

So, what should the teams do in the draft? If I were someone like the New York Jets, I would seriously consider trading out of No. 1. There are a couple reasons for that.

The first reason is that you could get a lot for Lawrence. There have been talks for the last two years “tank for Trevor.” A team, whether it is the Jets or someone else, could rebuild based off of a trade out of No. 1.

A team could trade down one or two picks and then pick up that team’s pick plus a first next year. Who does not want more draft stock, especially if it is a rebuild? There is also the possibility that a star player opens for a trade, and a team could still have a firstround pick.

Fields is just as good as Lawrence and has a realistic possibility of winning the Heisman. The talks need to cool down on Lawrence being the best college football player.

Hearts do go out to Lawrence as he recovers from COVID-19. Hopefully, he is able to get back on the field soon. In the meantime, sit back and watch what Fields has to offer.