IUP Scores Final 18
Points of Game to Rally Past West Chester in Opening Round of NCAA Playoffs
Statistics and Play-by-Play
IUP won its first NCAA Division II
postseason game since 2002, rallying for 18 unanswered points in the
final 10:37 to beat West Chester 45-35 in the opening round of the
Northeast Region playoffs Saturday at Farrell Stadium.
The Crimson Hawks (9-2) advance to play
Shepherd next Saturday at noon in Shepherdstown, W.Va The Rams (9-1)
had a first round bye. West Chester ends its season at 9-3.
IUP last won a playoff game in the
opening round in 2002 with a 27-23 victory over Saginaw Valley State before
losing to eventual national champion Grand Valley State in the Northeast
Region final.
Poohbear McNeal carried 19 times
for 80 yards and two touchdowns, including a one-yard run with 2:35
remaining in the game to cap a 72-yard drive and give IUP the lead for
the first time at 42-35.
West Chester quarterback Bill Zwaan
fumbled on the first play of the ensuing drive when he was sacked by Rob
Plowman, and Matt Scott recovered at the Golden Rams’ 18-yard line. IUP
capitalized on the West Chester miscue when Matt McNelis kicked a 33-yard
field goal with 2:00 remaining to seal the victory for the Crimson Hawks.
Andrew Krewatch completed 16 of 31
passes for 241 yards and two touchdowns while also adding a rushing
touchdown for a second straight week. Krewatch hit Ken Witter on a
23-yard touchdown pass in the opening minute of the second quarter and
then scored himself from 11 yards out with 8:49 left before halftime as
IUP wiped out an early 14-0 West Chester lead.
Both teams scored two touchdowns in a
back-and-forth third quarter. The Golden Rams scored on a 45-yard pass from
Zwaan to Steve Miller and a 31-yard run by Osagie Osunde, his second score
of the game. IUP countered with a 79-yard kickoff return by Anthony
Rodriguez, and a two-yard run by McNeal.
However, McNelis was wide right on the
extra point following the McNeal touchdown, leaving the Crimson Hawks behind
28-27 entering the final quarter.
Prior to that attempt, McNelis had
not missed a kick in 23 extra point and eight field goal tries this
season.
West Chester rebuilt its lead to 35-27
with 12:16 remaining in the game when Zwaan hit Mike Washington on a 24-yard
touchdown pass. Zwaan completed 14 of 27 passes for 230 yards but was
intercepted three times and sacked four times by an IUP defense that forced
six turnovers in the game.
Following the Zwaan-to-Washington
scoring strike, IUP drove 67 yards, with 45 of them coming on two
completions from Krewatch to Witter. IUP pulled to within one on a
four-yard touchdown pass from a scrambling Krewatch to Mychal Skinner with
10:37 left in the game.
IUP forced a three-and-out and took
over at its own 28 with 8:03 remaining. A 29-yard run by McNeal and a pass
interference call against West Chester helped the Crimson Hawks reach the
Golden Ram one-yard line. On first and goal from the one, Garrett Lestochi
fumbled, but Witter recovered for IUP. McNeal scored on the next play, and
IUP added the 2-point conversion on a pass to Witter to give the Crimson Hawks a
42-35 lead.
Witter finished with 10 receptions
for 135 yards, marking his second straight game with 10 catches, the
first time an IUP receiver had accomplished that feat since Carmelo Ocasio did so against Millersville and Saginaw Valley State in 2001.
After the Zwaan fumble and ensuing McNelis field goal gave IUP a 45-35 lead, Terrence Jackson made the third
IUP interception of the game with 1:35 left to finish off the Golden Rams.
Jackson had a game-high 15 tackles and was joined in the interception
column by Corey Sample and James Carson. Plowman had two sacks while
Matt Scott and Corey Davis also had sacks.
Osunde led West Chester with 117
rushing yards, Washington caught five passes for 87 yards, and PSAC
East Defensive Player of the Year Lateef Ferguson had 10 tackles.
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