IUP Knocks Off Rival No. 8 Slippery Rock
No. 8 Slippery Rock had dominated through its first four games, but that was not the case against rival Indiana (Pa.). The Crimson Hawks claimed a 20-12 victory for its first home win in the series since 2016.
Despite the rainy conditions throughout Western Pennsylvania on Saturday, the two programs threw for all five touchdowns. IUP quarterback Max Sexton has impressed in his first year with the program and continued to do so against The Rock. Sexton tossed three touchdown passes, along with 240 yards of passing. Two of those scores through the air connected with wide receiver Duane Brown (Apollo-Ridge), who himself had 140 receiving yards.
On the flip side, the Crismon Hawks played stout defense against a highly potent Slippery Rock offense. Quarterback Noah threw two interceptions and had a season-low completion percentage.
IUP remains the only undefeated team overall in the PSAC West Division as the Crimson Hawks now hold the advantage in the standings.
Gannon Continues Impressive Start to 2022
For the first time since 2014, Gannon has started a season 4-1 after taking down Seton Hill 21-10.
It was a tight defensive battle through the first half of the game with both quarterbacks throwing an interception, but it was two big touchdowns in the second half for the Golden Knights that propelled them over the Griffins.
In the third quarter, Gannon quarterback Kory Curtis found KeJohn Batiste for a 26-yard go-ahead touchdown. The Golden Knights sealed the game away when Melvin Blanks (North Hills) found the end zone on a six-yard run late in the fourth quarter.
Cal U Topples Clarion with All-Around Performance
After a two-game skid put a damper on its early season rankings, California (Pa.) has responded in a big way with consecutive dominating wins, including a 59-14 drubbing over Clarion.
Clarion opened the game with a 20-yard touchdown, which turned out to be its only offensive score of the game. From there on out, Cal U played stout defense which included a 57-yard interception from linebacker Matt Tobey.
The Vulcans found a fine balance between pass and run as quarterback Noah Mitchell tossed three touchdowns on 267 passing yards, while the running back unit moved the ball for 119 yards and three scores.
Pekmezian Nails Late Field Goal to Lift Edinboro
For the third time this season, Edinboro managed to pull off a three-point victory, this one coming at the wire in regulation as the Fighting Scots hit a game-winning field goal for a 16-13 victory.
On a day that did not see any offensive touchdowns by the Fighting Scots, the defense and special teams pulled together to secure a win. Redshirt freshman kicker Richie Pekmezian was called on to deliver three field goals against Mercyhurst, but none bigger than the 21-yard game-winning boot with five seconds to go.
RMU Drops to Lowly 0-4
With an opportunity to grab its first win of the season, Robert Morris dropped yet another rough game, this time to Delaware State, 14-9.
It was a sloppy affair for both squads, but a 41-yard touchdown run and a fumble recovery returned to the end zone was enough for the Hornets to dismount the Colonials.
The one positive for the Colonials out of it all is that they surpassed 100 yards on the ground for the first time this season. However, the quarterback room continues to lag behind. Jake Simmons completed three of 11 passes, while freshman Zach Tanner saw his first playing time, but it resulted in two interceptions and four sacks.
Carnegie Mellon Survives in Soggy Defensive Battle
As the rain fell in the Pittsburgh area, Carnegie Mellon held on in a 10-0 defensive battle over Westminster to improve to 5-0.
In a game that saw Westminster hold a large advantage in offensive yardage over Carnegie Mellon, it was the Tartans that were opportunistic and found the end zone. It came on a 64-yard interception by safety Nolan Pitsenberger in the first quarter.
W&J Dismantles Allegheny, Scores 56 Unanswered
In its four wins to start the season, Washington and Jefferson has poured it on against its opponents and that was the same with a 66-14 victory over Allegheny.
The Presidents ran up the score in the first half, scoring 56 unanswered going into the locker room. Two of those scores came from lengthy interception returns. On offense, W&J found its success on the ground with six touchdowns, while quarterback Jacob Pugh (Thomas Jefferson) used his legs for three of the scores.
Grove City Holds on in Homecoming Affair
In a closely contested battle, Grove City held on 14-13 to grab its fourth win of the season.
Both teams took care of all their scoring in the first half with Grove City running back Clayton Parrish dashing for a 36-yard touchdown late in the second quarter to give the Wolverines a one-point advantage. That was all that was needed as both defenses went back and forth, but Grove City prevailed in the end.
Thiel Breaks 41-Game Losing Streak
It was a long time coming as Thiel put an end to its 41-game losing streak with a 27-26 victory over Bethany.
The Tomcats received three splash plays that put them up by two scores in the third quarter, but the Bison clawed back to take to lead. With 6:18 in the fourth quarter, it was running back Jorden Collier that ran 11 yards for the go-ahead touchdown.
love that small colleges are getting some love!! I know some guy who is really smart made this recommendation a few years back lol!!!