Final Stats

Gannon scored 35 unanswered points to wipe out an early deficit, and the Golden Knights went on a post a 45-17 victory over IUP, handing the Crimson Hawks their third straight PSAC West defeat and once again deny head coach Lou Tepper his 100th career victory.

With an overall record of 4-4, IUP must win two of its final three games to avoid a second consecutive losing season after going 26 years at or above the .500 mark. The Crimson Hawks finish their road schedule next week at California before hosting Lock Haven and West Chester to finish the year.

Gannon, winners of three of its last four and two in a row over IUP, improved to 5-3 and 3-2 in the PSC West.

IUP was outgained 365-219 and committed five turnovers, including four interceptions by Bo Napoleon (Carson, Calif./Carson). Harvie Tuck (Akron, OH/St. Vincent-St. Mary) rushed for 97 yards on 19 carries and moved up three spots to 21st in school history with 1,240 yards. Napoleon completed 9 of 19 passes for 107 yards.

Zach Boedicker hit on 11 of 18 passes for 186 yards and also ran for a team-high 89 yards and scored a touchdown. Tyler Batts added 79 yards and two touchdowns.

The Crimson Hawks led 10-0 after the first quarter. Daryl Jones (Pittsburgh/Woodland Hills) recovered a Batts fumble at the Gannon 29, and Napoleon hit Mychal Skinner (Vandergrift, Pa./Kiski Area) on the first play after the turnover for a touchdown. The score was Skinner's 15th through the air in his career to move him into ninth place in school history.

On IUP's next possession, a 32-yard touchdown run on a reverse by Roy-al Edwards was wiped out by a holding penalty, but the Crimson Hawks were still able to get on the board when Craig Burgess (Medina, Ohio/Highland) connected on a field goal from 42 yards out to make it a 10-point lead with 30 seconds left in the opening quarter.

The field goal was the 45th for Burgess, tying him for third place in PSAC history with Shippensburg's Howie Guarini.

The teams changed ends for the second quarter with Gannon gaining a significant wind advantage. The Golden Knights quickly took advantage when Boedicker hit Geoff Hicks for 66 yards, and Boedicker went in untouched from 12 yards out to make it 10-7.

After IUP went three and out, Gannon drove 53 yards for another touchdown, with Batts atoning for his earlier fumble with three runs for 34 yards, including an 8-yard score that put the Golden Knights in front 14-10. The Crimson Hawks failed to capitalize on a Tobias Robinson (Lebanon, Pa./Cedar Crest) kickoff return to midfield, and Gannon was right back on the offensive.

Boedicker completed a 29-yard pass to Matt Davis and then ran and passed Gannon to the IUP 6, from where he connected with Levar Goff for a touchdown that made it 21-10 with just 1:31 left in the half.

It took only six minutes into the second half for the Golden Knights to increase their lead to 28-10. Kevin Minor grabbed an interception at the IUP 48 and waltzed into the end zone, and a three and out sequence followed by a short 17-yard punt into the wind gave Gannon the ball at the Crimson Hawk 43.

Boedicker threw for 37 yards to Evan Twombly, and two plays later Batts scored from 4 yards out to make it 35-10 at the 9:02 mark of the third quarter.

IUP scored its final touchdown on its next possession when Robinson returned the kickoff to the Gannon 49. A face mask penalty got the Crimson Hawks to the 16, Tuck ran for 13 to the 3 and Darryl Herod (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) bulled in from the 1 to pull IUP within 35-17 with 4:48 remaining in the third quarter.

IUP got the ball back after a defensive stand, but Teddy Blakeman (Penn Hills/Penn Hills) fumbled at the IUP 18, leading to a 20-yard field goal by Jeremy Ditzler that made it 38-17 with 12:17 left in the game. The Golden Knights rounded out the scoring on a 46-yard punt return by Goff with 1:27 on the clock.

Mike Gee (Englewood, N.J./Dwight Morrow) had two sacks for the second straight week and led the Crimson Hawks with nine total tackles. Jones, Cory Lanterman (Streetsboro, Ohio/Streetsboro) and Mark Jackson (Canton, OH/McKinley) each had eight stops. Matthew Neal-Mink led all tacklers with 11 for Gannon.

IUP finishes a two-game road swing with a game at California next Saturday in the second annual Coal Bowl. Kickoff at Adamson Stadium is set for 1 p.m.