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Sept. 27, 2008 A two-point conversion pass failed with 5:27 remaining and California took the ensuing kickoff and ran out the rest of the clock with an 11-play drive as the Vulcans handed IUP its first loss of the season, a 21-19 defeat at Adamson Stadium. The Crimson Hawks, ranked 12th in the American Football Coaches Association poll entering the game, dropped to 3-1 overall and 1-1 in the PSAC West. California, ranked two spots behind IUP in the AFCA poll, improved to 4-1 and 2-0 in the division and took solid command of the PSAC West race with victories over Edinboro and IUP. The loss was the first for IUP at California since 1981 and marked the first time IUP has lost back-to-back games to the Vulcans since California won four in a row from 1958-61. Trailing 21-13 with 5:58 remaining, IUP took over at the California 45 and covered the distance in just two plays. Shane Brooks ran 19 yards to the 26, and Andrew Krewatch hit tight end Nate Morrow alone in the end zone to bring the Crimson Hawks within two. But Krewatch was flushed out of the pocked on the two-point try and threw incomplete to leave it at a two-point game. The Vulcans then converted a pair of third and long plays to keep their final drive alive, and Kevin McCabe connected with Josh Gumbert on a nine-yard hookup on fourth and five at the IUP 20 to wrap up the game. After putting up huge offensive numbers over the first three games of the season, IUP was held to 286 yards of total offense, with Krewatch completing only 12 of 27 passes for 146 yards. The Crimson Hawks were ranked No. 1 in the nation prior to Saturday with an average of 49.7 points per game and stood ninth nationally in total offense at over 500 yards per outing. With the California defense focusing on leading rusher Tobias Robinson, Brooks had his first breakout game for IUP since transferring from Pitt. Brooks, who sat out the past two games with an ankle injury, carried 12 times for 123 yards to lead the Crimson Hawk ground game. Robinson, who was third in the nation in rushing with an average of 151.3 yards per game, was held to just six yards on 10 carries. IUP trailed 21-6 early in the third quarter when Brooks broke off a 66-yard run before being caught at the California 10, setting up a four-yard touchdown pass from Krewatch to Leo Wood, making it 21-13 with 9:45 left in the period. The Crimson Hawks stayed within one score when Derek Fiorenza missed a 36-yard field goal with 11:54 remaining and, after an exchange of punts, were able to pull within two on the Krewatch-to-Morrow pass before the Vulcans held on for the win. California scored first on an 18-yard pass from McCabe to Marcel Pestano with 2:24 left in the first quarter, capping a 13-play, 74-yard drive. IUP's Craig Burgess missed a 43-yard field goal but later connected from 42 and 41 yards out to bring the Crimson Hawks within 7-6 with 4:57 to go in the half. McCabe threw the second of his three touchdown passes just three minutes later, an eight-yarder to Cory Garver to make it 14-6 at halftime. A three-yard connection from McCabe to Shawn Johnson on California's first possession of the third quarter gave the Vulcans a seemingly comfortable 21-6 lead. McCabe finished with 20 completions in 35 attempts for 239 yards, and Daine Williams rushed 23 times for 108 yards to pace the Vulcans on the ground. The IUP defense was led by free safety Andre Henderson, who had a career-high 18 tackles, two shy of the school record of 20 done twice, most recently by Jet Tindell versus Clarion in 2001. Anthony Guerra had the lone sack for the Crimson Hawks, and IUP was only able to force one California turnover and that came on a muffed punt. IUP returns to Miller Stadium Saturday for its annual homecoming game against Slippery Rock. Kickoff is at 2:35. |
