ERIE, Pa. – The 11th-ranked IUP football team fell short in a 43-36 setback to Gannon in Erie on Saturday at McConnell Family Stadium.
IUP (7-1, 5-1) suffered its first loss in nearly a calendar year, snapping a nine-game winning streak and stretch of 12 consecutive road wins. The Crimson Hawks had some costly miscues throughout the day, while Gannon (7-2, 5-1) seemingly pulled out all the stops in creating a three-way tie atop the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western division.
Despite the loss, IUP still has all its goals within reach with a chance to clinch a share of the PSAC West next week and play in the conference championship game. Slippery Rock (8-1), Gannon and IUP are now tied for first in the PSAC West with 5-1 marks.
Gannon held a big edge in time of possession and racked up 464 yards of total offense on the day. In a back-and-forth contest throughout, the Golden Knights went ahead for good with just over five minutes remaining on a one-yard run from QB Kory Curtis.
Mak Sexton threw for 300 yards and four touchdowns with an interception, firing a pair of touchdown passes each to
Duane Brown and
Hilton Ridley.
Drew DiNunzio-Biss recorded 13 tackles for the IUP defense and
Connor Kelly added eight more.
Curtis was superb for the Knights, tossing for 342 yards with four touchdowns through the air to four different targets. Branse Stanley picked up 140 receiving yards on six catches with a pair of scores, including a 75-yard reception in the second quarter.
Gannon drove 82 yards on seven plays in the game's opening possession, capped by a Melvin Blanks catch from 14 yards out for a 7-0 Gannon lead. IUP responded with a 34-yard field goal from
Nick Andrasi, moving in front 10-7 on the next drive with a 22-yard pitch and catch from Sexton to Brown.
Gannon worked the ball down the field in 12 plays and took the lead on a 10-yard scamper from Curtis for a 14-10 advantage.
Adam Houser scored from one yard out for a 16-14 IUP lead in the second after a blocked extra point.
The ensuing Gannon drive began with consecutive five-yard infractions on the Golden Knights before Curtis found Stanley for a 75-yard scoring strike to wrap up the scoring in the opening half and push the Golden Knights ahead 21-16.
The teams combined for five touchdowns on the opening five drives of the second half. Brown gathered his second receiving score of the day with a 10-yard grab from Sexton. The Golden Knights kept their ensuing drive alive after a roughing the punter call, taking advantage of the new life with a 55-yard passing connection from Curtis to KeJohn Batiste for a 28-22 lead with 8:55 left in the third.
Ridley gathered in a slant route from 10 yards out, concluding a four-play drive and pushing IUP back in front at 29-28. The drive began with a 50-yard completion to Brown that brought the ball inside the Gannon 20.
Gannon responded again, this time with an eight-play series that concluded with Curtis finding Donnell Mason. Ridley hauled in his second touchdown reception of the day from three yards out before Andrasi knotted the score at 36 with the extra point.
Each side threaded punts on the next two possessions as Gannon took over with 10:58 remaining. The Golden Knights converted three third downs, the final one proving to be the go-ahead score on a Curtis carry from one yard out for a 43-36 edge.
The Crimson Hawks could not seem to get out of their own way in the fourth, committing a pair of turnovers on an interception and fumble in crucial spots.
Notes
Saturday marked IUP's first loss since a 21-17 defeat to Edinboro on October 30, 2021… IUP can win the PSAC West with a victory against Clarion next week and a Slippery Rock win against Edinboro… The road loss was the first for IUP since October 12, 2019 at Slippery Rock… Brown brought his receiving touchdown total to 13 with two more scores, tying Tony Tauve and his own previous mark for third all-time in a single season set back in 2019… Brown has 60 receptions on the season, tied for sixth on the single-season receptions list with Jai Hill and Carmelo Ocasio and just three shy of matching Terrill Barnes (63) for fifth… DiNunzio-Biss recorded double digit tackles for the third game this season… Ridley has made five or more catches in five outings this season for IUP… The Crimson Hawks struggled to get the ground game going with just 58 total rushing yards… IUP was without starting tailback
Dayjure Stewart, who was serving a one-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team… IUP had won each of the previous six meetings against Gannon… The Crimson Hawks hold a 10-4 lead in the all-time series with Gannon.
Up Next
IUP hosts Clarion for Senior Day on Saturday, November 5 for a 2:00 p.m. kickoff at Miller Stadium.
Follow
For coverage of the IUP football program, follow the Crimson Hawks on Twitter and Instagram @IUPfootball and online at IUPAthletics.com.
