Box Score

CALIFORNIA, PA – In what may go down as probably the best game in the storied rivalry, 14th-ranked IUP lost to sixth-ranked California 26-24 in a back-and-forth game that saw Vulcans kicker Cody Nuzzo connect on a 30-yard field goal with 3.5 seconds remaining to wrap up the win and the Coal Bowl trophy.

The field goal came on the end of a six-play, 31-yard drive that began after Cal recovered an onside kick with 51 seconds remaining. The Vulcans recovery came after an 80-yard touchdown pass from Peter Lalich to Nadir Brown made it 24-23 IUP, however Nuzzo hooked the extra point to the left, preserving the Crimson Hawks one-point lead.

The loss was the first for the Crimson Hawks this season, as they drop to 3-1 overall, 1-1 in the Western Division of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC). The Vulcans remain undefeated at 4-0, 2-0.

This epic game produced two ties and four lead changes, with a combined 887 yards of total offense and seven turnovers between the two teams.

IUP running back Harvie Tuck (Akron, OH/St. Vincent-St. Mary) carried the team on his back with 43 rushes for 256 yards, both career-highs, along with two touchdowns. He had a 58-yard run at the end of the third quarter that helped establish a late-game momentum and scored the game-tying touchdown at the beginning of the fourth.

The 43 carries falls just one short of the single game IUP record of 44, set by Michael Mann in a 1993 game against Edinboro. Tuck's yardage mark is fourth all-time in a single game at IUP, 30 yards shy of the school record of 286, set by Chris Morgan in a 2006 game against East Stroudsburg.

Tuck now has two 200-yard games this season and is averaging 180.3 yards per contest with seven touchdowns and a 7.6 yard per carry average.

Entering at quarterback for IUP in the fourth quarter was Mike Box (Lawrenceville, GA/Collins Hill), who provided a spark and completed 5-of-7 passes for 90 yards and a touchdown.

Lalich finished 27-of-40 for 438 yards and three touchdowns, spreading the ball to three main receivers. Mike Williams caught nine passes for 143 yards and a score; Nadir Brown had six catches for 128 yards and a touchdown; and Trey Johnson had six passes for 120 yards.

IUP came out of the half down 17-10 as both teams went scoreless in the third quarter. The action picked up at the end of the third as Tuck bolted 58 yards down the left sideline on the second play of the drive, getting brought down at the Vulcans 12-yard line.

The Crimson Hawks wouldn't be able to capitalize, however, as the Vulcans blocked Brett Ullman (Baltimore, Md./Perry Hall)'s 20-yard field goal attempt to keep the seven-point lead.

The ensuing Cal possession wouldn't last long, as Terrell Holloway (Penn Hills/Penn Hills) ripped the ball out of running back Lamont Smith's grip on a third-and-one play and Alexander Berdahl (Ashburn, Va./Bishop O'Connell) recovered, giving IUP the ball at the Vulcans 35-yard line.

That is when Box would enter the game for the Crimson Hawks, completing his second pass of the game to Anthony Meriwether (Brook Park, OH/Midpark) for 20 yards and later hit Pat Brewer (Coatesville/Coatesville) in the numbers for an 11-yard pickup down to the Cal two yard line. Two plays later Tuck banged it in from three yards out and Ullman's extra point would tie the game at 17-17 with 10:14 to go.

The IUP defense maintained the momentum that was sparked by Box by forcing a three-and-out, as Errol Brewster (Harlem, NY/Springbrook (MD)) and Carl Thornton (Beaver Falls/Beaver Falls) sacked Lalich on a third down play.

With the offense still rolling, Tuck ran twice for 13 yards before Box hooked up with Brewer for 26 yards down to the Cal 12. Two plays later Box found Brewer again, this time in the end zone for an eight-yard touchdown. The extra point by Ullman gave IUP its first lead of the game at 24-17 with 6:58 left in the game.

It would continue to go the Crimson Hawks way on the next Vulcans drive, as Lalich found Williams for a 41-yard gain, but Marvase Byrd (McKeesport/McKeesport) jarred the ball loose, recovering the fumble at the IUP 27-yard line.

The Crimson Hawks then embarked on a time consuming drive with 6:11 left on the clock, running 10 plays and getting all the way down to the Cal 13-yard line to set up a field goal attempt with just over one minute remaining. However Ullman would just barely miss it to the left, turning the ball over to the Vulcans with 1:03 remaining. The 80-yard scoring toss from Lalich to Brown would follow, setting up the final heartbreaking minute of action.

The Vulcans scored the game's first touchdown, going 10 plays and 75 yards on the opening drive. IUP knotted the score at the beginning of the second quarter when Tuck went nearly untouched up the middle for a 14-yard touchdown.

Cal scored with six minutes to go in the half, with Lalich finding RJ Thomas for a 20-yard scoring play. Ullman answered less than three minutes later with a 41-yard field goal to make it a 14-10 game. Cal then drove down the field and as time expired in the half, Nuzzo chipped a field goal in from 20 yards out to give the Vulcans the seven-point halftime lead.

The IUP defense gave up just 28 net rushing yards, limited Smith, an All-PSAC West selection, to just 44 yards on 17 carries. The Crimson Hawks picked off a pass and recovered four Cal fumbles, posting eight tackles behind the line of scrimmage. Marvens Toussaint (Fort Lauderdale, FL/Port Charlotte) had nine solo tackles and broke up two passes while Berdahl added seven tackles. Johnny Franco (Altoona/Tyrone) had five stops and the interception for IUP.

Brewer finished with five catches for 80 yards and a score while Terrill Barnes (Gettysburg/Gettysburg) had two catches for 32 yards and Meriwether two catches for 25 yards. De'Antwan Williams (Woodbridge, VA/Woodbridge) spelled Tuck, running eight times for 27 yards.

The win for Cal was its sixth straight in the series, as IUP last won at the end of the 2006 season. The Vulcans have won all four Coal Bowl matchups, which was started by brothers Barry and Buck Lippencott in 2009.

The Crimson Hawks are back in action next Saturday with their second PSAC East crossover game of the season, this one at Millersville. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m.