INDIANA, Pa. – Quarterback
Lenny Williams (McKees Rocks, Pa./Sto-Rox) had a 64-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter and cornerback
Jay Watkins (Chester, Pa. /Hyde School) picked off a pass on the ensuing possession to seal a 26-14 IUP victory over visiting Gannon on Senior Day at George P. Miller Stadium on Saturday.
Williams finished with 140 rushing yards and that touchdown while Watkins and the IUP defense limited Gannon to 225 yards of total offense as the Crimson Hawks improved to 7-2 overall and 6-1 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division. Gannon falls to 6-4 and 3-4.
It was Williams' fifth straight 100-yard rushing day, bringing his season total to 987 yards and six touchdowns. He also finished 9-of-18 with 124 yards and a touchdown through the air for 264 total yards on the afternoon.
The Crimson Hawks had 386 total yards on the afternoon, including 262 on the ground. Running back
Chris Temple (Malvern, Pa. /Great Valley) ran for a game-high 142 yards and a touchdown, his fourth 100-yard rushing effort of the season. Temple is now up to 969 yards and 16 touchdowns, three shy of tying the single season school record of 19, held by Michael Mann from 1993.
Temple's touchdown run came on IUP's opening drive, capping off a 10-play, 62-yard possession. A three-and-out by Gannon led to the Crimson Hawks' second touchdown, a 54-yard pass play from Williams to receiver
Walt Pegues (Philadelphia, Pa. /Central) to put IUP on top 14-0 midway through the first quarter. Kicker
Ryan Stewart (Indiana, Pa./Indiana) connected on a 30-yard field goal as time expired in the quarter, giving the Crimson Hawks a 17-0 lead.
Stewart made a 35-yard with just over nine minutes left in the second quarter to give IUP a 20-0 lead.
Gannon scored touchdowns in the second and third quarters, cutting the IUP lead to 20-14 entering the final quarter. That's when the excitement started, with an IUP punt at the beginning of the stanza ending with a fumble by the Golden Knights' Jesstin Hamm, giving the Crimson Hawks the ball at the Gannon 10-yard line.
On the third play, Temple got the ball jarred way by Gannon at the one-yard line as the Golden Knight recovered and advanced the ball out to the 10. The IUP defense forced a three-and-out, and on the ensuing punt,
Diamond Jones (Huber Heights, Ohio/Wayne) got a piece of the kick, giving the Crimson Hawks the ball at the 24-yard line.
Temple had rushes of 15, seven and one yards, getting IUP down to the Gannon two yard line, but a shotgun snap on third down went over Williams' head with Temple recovering at the 19. The Crimson Hawks would attempt a 36-yard field goal, with Stewart missing wide left into the wind.
IUP forced another Gannon punt on its ensuing drive, which gave the Crimson Hawks the ball at their 28-yard line. After two plays and on a third-and-two, Williams ran untouched on a zone read play for 64 yards, giving IUP a 26-14 lead. IUP went for two, but the pass fell incomplete.
The Golden Knights got the ball back with 4:29 left on the clock, and advanced to midfield, before Watkins stepped in front of a Zack Phillips pass at the Gannon 48-yard line to give possession back to the Crimson Hawks.
Watkins finished with three tackles, picked off that pass and broke up another, helping and IUP defensive effort that limited Gannon to just 9-of-21 passing for 85 yards. Watkins' pick was one of two on the afternoon for IUP, also getting one from safety
Takhi Turner (Harrisburg, Pa./Susquehanna Twp.) in the first half.
The interception came with 2:09 left in the fourth quarter, as Temple ran out the clock and clinched victory for the Crimson Hawks.
The IUP defense sacked Phillips four times, getting solo stops from safety
Eric Williams (Yardley, Pa./Pennsbury), tackle
Jemal Averette (Upper Marlboro, Md./Our Lady of Good Counsel) and linebacker
Dorian Lane (Pittsburgh, Pa. /Woodland Hills). Linemen
Justin Weldon (Easton, Pa. /Easton Area) and
Deandre Easterling (Washington, D.C./Gonzaga) combined for another sack of Phillips.
Williams finished with a team-high nine tackles, including the sack and a tackle-for-loss. Fellow safety
Steve Franco (Tyrone, Pa. /Tyrone ) had eight tackles.
The Crimson Hawks also limited running back Brock Jones, last year's PSAC West Offensive Athlete of the Year, to just 63 yards of total offense, including 43 rushing yards on 12 carries. Phillips finished with a team-high 58 rushing yards on 19 carries.
The win clinches a share of the PSAC Western Division title for IUP, the program's 16th all-time. The Crimson Hawks lose out on a tiebreaker to Slippery Rock, which will play West Chester in the "State Game" next weekend. West Chester was supposed to be IUP's opponent for the upcoming week, but instead the Crimson Hawks will play Cheyney, Slippery Rock's original opponent.
Game time and location for next Saturday has yet to be determined. Check www.iupathletics.com for information.
For up-to-date game information, visit www.IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP football on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUPfootball.
