SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – IUP rolled up a season-high 550 total yards of total offense, but four turnovers loomed large in the Crimson Hawks' 40-39 loss to 15th-ranked Slippery Rock at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium on Saturday night.
 
The loss drops IUP to 5-2 overall on the year and 4-1 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division. There's now a three-way tie at the top of the division with the Crimson Hawks, Clarion (7-1, 4-1) and Slippery Rock (7-1, 4-1) each with a league loss with two conference games left to play.
 
IUP redshirt freshman quarterback had another record-setting performance with 504 yards of total offense. The yardage mark broke the school record of 452 by quarterback Rich Ingold in a 1985 game against Lehigh. Williams set a season-high with 364 passing yards, completing 22-of-33 passes with two touchdowns. He also ran 15 times for 140 yards, including a 45-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.
 
It was Williams' third straight game of more than 100 rushing yards, totaling 479 during that span.
 
Williams' rushing touchdown came on a zone read play, racing untouched up the middle for the long scoring run to make it a 40-39 game with 10:56 to play. The Crimson Hawks couldn't convert the extra point, however, as Slippery Rock hung onto the lead.
 
The missed extra point was one of three on the night for IUP, which also had a missed field goal, a misplayed kickoff return in the first quarter, and a fumble on a punt in the fourth.
 
The misplayed kickoff came after Slippery Rock opened the game with a 71-play scoring drive to take a 7-0 lead. The Crimson Hawks would take over at their own six-yard line and on the drive's second play, sophomore running back Chris Temple was tackled in the end zone for a Slippery Rock safety and a 9-0 lead.
 
IUP quickly regained its composure, scoring 20 unanswered points to take a 20-9 lead into the second quarter. Williams found redshirt freshman receiver Swahneek Brown in the left corner of the end zone for a 25-yard passing score and later connected with sophomore receiver Walt Pegues on a 50-yard touchdown pass up the middle of Slippery Rock's defense. Temple also ran for a one-yard touchdown, one of three scores for him on the night.
 
Pegues set new career-highs with 14 catches for 233 yards on the night. The touchdown was his second of the season.
 
Temple added another touchdown in the second quarter, but Slippery Rock scored three to take a 30-26 lead into halftime.
 
IUP opened up the third quarter with an eight-play, 75-yard scoring drive that ended in another Temple one-yard touchdown run that gave the Crimson Hawks a 33-30 lead. Slippery Rock came right back, tying things up with a 33-yard field goal with 7:29 to play in the third.
 
Slippery Rock then took a 40-33 lead at the 11:44 mark of the fourth quarter as the rain began to pour. The inclement weather continued through the rest of the game, with multiple instances of sideways rain playing a factor for both teams the rest of the way.
 
The Williams' run swung the momentum back over to the Crimson Hawks, with the defense forcing a Slippery Rock punt just minutes later. IUP drove to the Slippery Rock 42 yard line, but a fourth down run by Williams came up three yards short after a possible face mask penalty went uncalled.
 
Again the IUP defense stepped up, forcing another punt, but a fumble on the return gave SRU the ball at the Crimson Hawks' 14-yard line. Backed against a wall, IUP stonewalled Slippery Rock on three straight runs and forced an incompletion on fourth down to take over at its own 17 yard line with 2:40 left to play.
 
Williams connected with senior Sean McVay and twice with Pegues to advance to the IUP 45-yard line with just under two minutes left. But the Slippery Rock defense broke up passes on the next three plays, including the clincher on fourth and four, to help seal the victory.
 
Slippery Rock totaled 511 yards, including 269 yards on the ground. SRU held the advantage in time of possession, 34:13 to 25:47.
 
The Crimson Hawks converted 3-of-10 third down plays and went 0-of-2 on fourth downs in the game.
 
Defensively for the Crimson Hawks, sophomore Jemal Averette tallied a career-high 12 tackles to lead all players. Normally a defensive tackle who moved outside to end due to injuries, Averette also had a tackle-for-loss.
 
Redshirt junior free safety Steve Franco had 10 tackles and two behind the line-of-scrimmage. Altogether, the IUP defense had 11 tackles-for-loss totaling 47 lost yards for Slippery Rock.
 
Redshirt junior linebacker Kevin Clarke had IUP's lone sack of the game and true freshman cornerback Mikale Makle intercepted a pass for the third consecutive game.
 
The Crimson Hawks will look to regroup next week with another huge game on the road at Clarion. The PSAC West clash is set for 12 p.m.
 
For up-to-date game information, visit www.IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP football on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUPfootball.