Final Stats

IUP limited an explosive West Chester offense to only 174 total yards and used fourth quarter touchdown runs by Darryl Herod (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) and Teddy Blakeman (Penn Hills/Penn Hills) to break open up a close game as the Crimson Hawks concluded their season with a 27-10 victory over the Golden Rams at Miller Stadium.

IUP ended the year with two victories to finish 6-5 and avoid a second consecutive season below .500. West Chester finished with a record of 4-7. The Crimson Hawks won two of their three PSAC crossover games this season and are 14-3 vs. the PSAC East in five seasons under head coach Lou Tepper.

The Golden Rams entered the game averaging 29.4 points and 392 yards of total offense per game but were shut down by the Crimson Hawk defense, which allowed only a 24-yard field goal by Shawn Leo in the second quarter and a one-yard run by D'Andre Webb that made it 13-10 midway through the third quarter.

Harvie Tuck (Akron, OH/St. Vincent-St. Mary) and Blakeman both cracked the 100-yard mark, with Tuck gaining 132 yards on 21 carries and Blakeman carrying 18 times for 118 yards. IUP rushed for a total of 307 yards in a ground-dominated attack.

Tuck finished the year with 1,134 yards and increased his career total to 1,674, moving up to 15th place in school history. The game marked the first time two IUP runners went over the 100-mark since Justin Warren and Tobias Robinson (Lebanon, Pa./Cedar Crest) did so vs. Millersville in 2008.

Webb rushed for 50 yards and Jackson Fagan gained 47 for West Chester. Quarterbacks Mike Mattei and Sean McCartney combined to complete only 6 of 21 passes for 84 yards and interceptions by Johnny Franco (Altoona/Tyrone) and Chris Brown (Altoona/Bishop Guilfoyle). The Crimson Hawks also recorded four sacks, including two by Errol Brewster (Harlem, NY/Springbrook (MD)) and one each by Franco and Mike Gee (Englewood, N.J./Dwight Morrow).

Craig Burgess (Medina, Ohio/Highland) kicked two 32-yard field goals in the first quarter, the first following a Franco interception on West Chester's first play from scrimmage and the second at the end of a 47-yard drive that included rushes of 18 yards by Roy-al Edwards and 14 by Tuck.

Burgess, one of nine IUP seniors playing their final college game, finished his career with 47 field goals, a school record and third on the all-time PSAC list. His career total of 276 points is the most in IUP history by a kicker and just 11 shy of the conference record held by East Stroudsburg's Mark Brubaker.

Leo cut the Crimson Hawk lead in half with a 24-yard field goal in the opening minutes of the second quarter, but IUP responded with a 60-yard drive that featured a 37-yard gallop by Tuck that took the ball to the Golden Ram 3. Wide receiver Pat Brewer (Coatesville/Coatesville), used several times at quarterback in a wildcat formation used for the first time this season, went in from the 1 with 7:37 left before halftime.

Tuck rushed for 121 yards in the first half, IUP held the ball for 20:34 and the Golden Rams managed only three first downs and 87 yards in the opening 30 minutes.

The Golden Rams marched 71 yards in 14 plays on the first drive of the third quarter, taking 7:37 off the clock and pulling within 13-10 on Webb's short touchdown run. The Crimson Hawks then ran off 14 plays themselves before Tuck was stopped for no gain at the West Chester 10 on a fourth-and-one play.

The Golden Rams were forced to punt, and a 32-yard return by Javon Rowan (Erie/Cathedral Prep) and a face mask penalty set IUP up at the West Chester 30. Edwards and Blakeman combined for 27 yards on two runs before Darryl Herod (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) went in from three yards out to push the IUP cushion to 20-10 with 9:47 left in the game.

Later in the quarter, West Chester was forced to go for a fourth-and-14 play at its own 23, and McCartney's pass to Rondell White fell incomplete. Two plays later, Blakeman iced the game with a 2-yard touchdown run with just 2:09 remaining.

Mychal Skinner (Vandergrift, Pa./Kiski Area) finished with two catches for 20 yards for IUP and wrapped up his career with 127 receptions and 2,106 receiving yards to finish eighth and fifth, respectively, in school history.

In addition to Burgess and Skinner, the other seven Crimson Hawks making their final appearance Saturday included fullback/long snapper Larry Federoff (Aliquippa, Pa./Hopewell), rush linebacker Mike Gee (Englewood, N.J./Dwight Morrow), defensive lineman Nate George (Derry, Pa./Derry), punter Jared Kaufmann (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep), offensive guard Jimmy O'Rourke, cornerback Tobias Robinson (Lebanon, Pa./Cedar Crest) and linebacker Jeff Vaughn (Canton, Ohio/McKinley).