INDIANA, Pa. – Redshirt sophomore Dillon Sarka (Lebanon, Ohio/Waynesville) drilled a 46-yard field goal as time expired to give ninth-ranked IUP a thrilling 26-23 win over visiting Ashland in the 2017 season opener on Thursday night at George P. Miller Stadium.
 
The hero of the game, Sarka made 4-of-4 field goal attempts, including that career-long, game-winner. He also connected from 22, 23, and 25 yards, and made both of his extra point attempts.
 
The exciting finish began when sophomore John McDonald-Horner (Monroeville, Pa./Gateway) blocked Ashland's 32-yard field goal attempt with 1:45 to go. The Crimson Hawks used nine plays to march 51 yards to the Eagles' 29-yard line, including runs of 17 and 10 yards by sophomore back Samir Bullock (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan). Sarka's field goal came after back-to-back timeouts, shrugging off the attempts to "ice" him.
 
Bullock carried much of the load offensively for IUP, rushing for a career-high 200 yards on 25 carries, including runs of 52 and 29 yards. He also caught four passes for an additional 17 yards.
 
Redshirt junior quarterback Lenny Williams, Jr. (McKees Rocks, Pa./Sto-Rox) finished 22-of-38 through the air for 230 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Senior receiver Allen Wright (McKeesport, Pa. /McKeesport Area) had game-highs of nine receptions for 102 yards.
 
It was a high-scoring first half, with Ashland taking a 23-20 lead into the break. With IUP trailing 16-3 in the second, Williams tossed both of his touchdowns – first a 35-yard catch-and-run to sophomore Dom McNeil (Philadelphia, Pa./Martin Luther King), followed by an eight-yarder to sophomore JoJo Gause (Rochester, N.Y./Bishop Kearney).
 
The Eagles regained the lead with a scoring pass, and Sarka made it a three-point game with a 22-yard field goal at the end of the half.
 
Senior safety Takhi Turner (Harrisburg, Pa./Susquehanna Twp.) finished with a team-high 12 tackles and broke up a pass. Senior transfer Max Redfield (Mission Viejo, Calif./Mission Viejo) added 10 stops in his IUP debut, while seniors Matt Mowad (Easton, Pa. /Easton) and Justin Weldon (Easton, Pa. /Easton Area), and junior Deandre Easterling (Washington, D.C./Gonzaga) each had sacks.
 
Up next
With the Thursday night opener, the Crimson Hawks have two extra days of rest before hosting East Stroudsburg on Saturday, September 9. The Warriors defeated Fairmont State 20-16 tonight.  
 
Notes
The win was the first for new IUP head coach Paul Tortorella … Tortorella was making his head coaching debut after 22 years as IUP's defensive coordinator … Sarka's four field goals are tied for the second most in IUP single game history; Brett Ullman kicked five field goals in a win over Slippery Rock in 2012 … This was Sarka's first game as IUP's main placekicker … Junior punter Nico Ruiz (Stroudsburg, Pa./Stroudsburg) also had a big kicking game, averaging 47.2 yards on five punts, including one downed at the Ashland three-yard line … Weldon also blocked an Ashland extra point in the first quarter … IUP finished with 446 total yards, including 216 rushing and 230 passing … Ashland quarterback Travis Tarnowski was 22-of-36 for 203 yards and three touchdowns, and rushed for 29 yards on six carries.
 
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