LHU Football On the Road to IUP

LOCK HAVEN – The LHU football team is set to make its second straight road appearance of the 2015 season as the Bald Eagles head to IUP for a 1 p.m. kickoff on Saturday, September 19.

Quick Hits:

• Saturday’s game is the second straight road game for LHU and the second of five road games in 2015.
• Saturday’s game is also the second straight vs. a PSAC West opponent. LHU played at Seton Hill last week, hosted Clarion and heads to California in Week 11. The PSAC crossover games do not count toward conference records in 2015.
• QB Caleb Walton (R-Jr.) made his 18th career (18th consecutive) start under center for Lock Haven last week vs. Seton Hill.
• Senior Luke Erdman (center) made his 32st career (32st consecutive start) last week; he’s started every game since Week 4 of his freshman year in 2012.
• Walton now has 27 career TD passes, which is fourth all-time in LHU history.
• IUP is coming off a 34-33 loss to Kutztown last week. IUP was up by 13 points in the fourth quarter.

The Series with IUP:

• Saturday marks the 78^th all-time meeting between LHU & IUP
• IUP leads the all-time series 57-17-3
• First Meeting: 1925, IUP won 60-0
• Last Meeting: 2014 (last season), IUP won 21-16
• Streak: IUP has won 31 straight games vs. Lock Haven (LHU’s last win came in 1981)

Last time out:

Week 2 at Seton Hill (Saturday, September 12))

The Bald Eagles did all they could to rally in the fourth quarter, but in the end it wasn’t enough as LHU fell at Seton Hill, 27-10

Week 2 Leaders:

QB Caleb Walton: 20-42, 244 YDS. & 1 TD (27 career TD pass, No. 4 all-time).
WR Shawn Seif: 6 REC., 83 YDS.
WR David Cook: 6 REC., 74 YDS.
WR Dan Krupko: caught first career TD pass
DB Rahjeir Miles-Eubanks: 6 SOLO, 6 AST. (12 total)
DB Daniel Strawbridge: 6 SOLO, 6 AST. (12 total)

Walton moving up in the record books:

Redshirt-junior QB Caleb Walton’s success under center is no longer a secret after he led Lock Haven’s offense for the second straight season last year. He’s now made 18 career/18 consecutive starts at QB for LHU. Last week his threw for 244 yards and one touchdown

Last season he passed for 2,164 yards and 15 TDs. He became the first Bald Eagle quarterback since 1995 to throw for over 2,000 yards in a season. It’s just the seventh time in school history where a Lock Haven quarterback has surpassed the 2,000-yard passing mark in a single season.

Walton career passing yards: 3,770 – 6^th most in LHU history
Walton’s career passing TDs: 27 TDs – 4th most in LHU history 

LHU Career Passing Yards:

1. 10,640 – Bob McLaughlin 1992-95
2. 4,959 – Ed Galiczynski 1997-00
3. 4,570 – Mike Packer 1969-71
4. 4,001 – Dan Spittal 1977-79
5. 3,986 – Jimmy Broadway 1989-91
6. 3,770 – Caleb Walton 2013-present (216 yards away from No. 5)

LHU Career Passing TDs:

1. 60 – Bob McLaughlin 1992-95
2. 35 – Mike Packer 1969-71
3. 28 – Dan Spittal 1977-79
4. 27 – Caleb Walton 2013-present

New Era:

The loss to Clarion in the 2015 opener spoiled Dave Taynor’s Bald Eagle debut.

Taynor was hired as the 24th head football coach in school history in April (2015). Taynor comes to LHU after seven seasons at his alma mater – Urbana. Under his guidance, the Blue Knights enjoyed the five most successful seasons in school history from 2009-2013 and he’s the winningest coach in the school’s history. Known for his offensive mind and high-flying attack, Taynor’s Urbana teams broke over 50 offensive school records from 2008-2014.

Defense a strength:

Last year marked Randi Moore’s first season as the Bald Eagles’ defensive coordinator and he made an immediate impact as Lock Haven’s defense was key all year long. LHU forced at least one turnover in all, but one game last season. LHU ranked seventh in the PSAC in interceptions (11) and eighth in total pass defense. The Bald Eagles return four of their top-five tacklers from last season, including Daniel Strawbridge (CB) and Tony Ballon (LB).

Experienced O-Line:

What was a young offensive line in 2014 is now an experienced one as the Bald Eagles will be aided by all five starting offensive linemen returning for this season. Leading the way is senior-center Luke Erdman, who has 30 career starts under his belt entering the season – the fifth-most among all active PSAC players. In all Luke Erdman (11), Austin Heinbaugh (10), Shane Rafter (9), Nick Mayer(8) Chris Bonk (7) and Ryan Fink (5) combined for 50 starts a year ago on the offensive line.

Making The East home:

The 2015 season marks Lock Haven’s third in the PSAC East. LHU is 4-10 vs. PSAC East opponents in its first two seasons in Eastern Division play.

Moving forward:

Since Lock Haven won the 2012 season-finale vs. Cheyney – a win that snapped a 52-game losing streak – LHU has gone 5-17. LHU was 2-9 last season and 3-8 in 2013.

Up next:

After two straight road games, the Bald Eagles return home to host East Stroudsburg on Saturday, September 26 at noon in the PSAC East opener for both teams.