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Nov. 1, 2008 The IUP defense tied a school record by forcing nine turnovers, including three interceptions by Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, sacked Gannon quarterbacks six times and held the host Golden Knights to zero rushing yards in a 35-10 PSAC West victory Saturday. The Crimson Hawks, ranked 18th in the American Football Coaches Association national poll, won their third in a row to improve to 7-2 overall and 5-2 in the PSAC West. Gannon fell to 4-6 and 2-5 in the division in the first-ever football game between the two schools. Andrew Krewatch completed 27 of 49 passes for 313 yards and two touchdowns to Mychal Skinner to lead the IUP offense. Tobias Robinson carried 26 times for 81 yards and a touchdown and moved to within 12 yards of becoming the ninth running back in school history to reach 1,000 in a season. The nine turnovers by Gannon tied a mark for an IUP opponent first set versus Virginia Union in the opening round of the 1991 NCAA playoffs. Owusu-Ansah became the first IUP player to pick off three passes in a game since Reece Brown had that total in that same postseason contest. Owusu-Ansah now has a team- and PSAC-leading six interceptions on the season. James Carson got in on the act with two interceptions and Donta Green added another. Anthony Guerra recovered two of the three lost fumbles by the Golden Knights. Rob Plowman had 2.5 sacks to lead the assault on Gannon quarterbacks Bob Bartley and Zach Boedicker. Jermaine Smith and Nate George added solo sacks for IUP. Bartley and Boedicker combined to complete just 10 of 29 passes for 164 yards and one touchdown. Craig Burgess also tied a school record with four field goals, the fourth time that total has been reached in school history. He had field goals of 20 and 25 yards in the final 47 seconds of the first half and added a 27-yarder with 3:30 expired in the third quarter to expand a 12-3 lead into a 21-3 IUP advantage. IUP wasted three early drives into Gannon territory before breaking through with 2:50 left in the first quarter on a 37-yard touchdown pass from Krewatch to Mychal Skinner, who also hauled in a six-yard scoring pass late in the fourth quarter to provide the Crimson Hawks with their final margin. Skinner, back at full speed after missing one game and most of three others with a toe injury, tied his career high with eight catches and set a new career best with 124 receiving yards. The two-touchdown game was the second of his career, also reaching that mark versus Bloomsburg last year. IUP also scored on a safety when a snap went over Boedicker's head and the Gannon quarterback recovered the loose ball in the end zone in the second quarter and a one-yard run by Robinson with 11:45 remaining in the fourth quarter. Krewatch nearly reached a pair of career milestones in the game. The junior signal caller increased his career completion total to 535, only one shy of Brian Eyerman's school record, and came within five yards of becoming the third IUP quarterback to reach the 7,000-yard plateau. Krewatch's two touchdowns gives him 61, four behind Tony Aliucci for second place in the school record book. Ken Witter and Garrett Lestochi both had seven receptions and combined for 145 receiving yards. Witter moved ahead of Lewis Hicks for third place on the IUP career receptions chart with 143 and into eighth place with 1,883 yards. IUP finishes its regular season at home versus Kutztown next Saturday at 1 p.m. and needs a win to retain any hopes for a return trip to the NCAA playoffs. The Crimson Hawks, unranked in Super Regional One all season, need to crack the top six to qualify for postseason play. |
