Slippery Rock’s NCAA Division II postseason hopes may have been hanging in the balance.
Shawn Lutz, now in his 10th season as head coach and 30th campaign overall as part of the Butler County state university’s football program, said he had no need to consider what may be in store for his team several months from now.
With hated rival Indiana University of Pennsylvania visiting Mihalik-Thompson Stadium Saturday afternoon, Lutz said the Rock’s focus was singular.
“They’re a freaking great team,” Lutz said. “We’re a great team. It’s homecoming here. We just wanted to live this moment and really focus and concentrate on beating IUP.”
For the third straight season, No. 25 Slippery Rock did just that — and maybe created a catalyst toward saving its season for good measure.
Freshman quarterback DaOne Owens accounted for three second-half touchdowns and led his team back from a 10-point halftime deficit as the Rock knocked off the Crimson Hawks, 30-27, in a critical midseason Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference West Division contest.
Slippery Rock entered the weekend trailing IUP by 1½ games in the PSAC West Division standings and in danger of dropping out of the Top 25 in the wake of consecutive losses to California University of Pennsylvania and Gannon to open conference play.
With the victory, the Rock (5-2, 2-2) pulled within a half game of first-place IUP (4-2, 2-1) in the conference divisional standings while keeping its hopes for the NCAA postseason intact.
“We both just slugged it out, laid it on the line and slugged it out,” said Lutz after Slippery Rock defeated IUP for the third consecutive year and eighth time in 10 seasons. “I am so proud of our team because of how much they faced, the adversity, this year.”
Owens completed 11 of 19 passes for 183 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 22 yards and third-quarter touchdowns of 1 and 24 yards.
After his second touchdown of the game put the Rock ahead for the first time with 3:21 left in the third quarter, Owens then gave his team the lead for good by tossing a 24-yard touchdown pass to Xander McClure with 12:48 left in the game.
The Slippery Rock offense also got 99 yards and a 75-yard touchdown on its first play from scrimmage from running back JayJay Jordan.
“My mindset was just, let’s win this game,” Owens said. “Coach talked about, he said, ‘This is your chance to lead these guys.’ That was what I struggled at, being a leader, so I tried to step up being the best leader I can.”
For much of the game, though, it was Crimson Hawks quarterback Matthew Rueve and his offense controlling the action.
After the teams played to a 10-10 tie midway through the second quarter, Rueve engineered a nine-play, 83-yard drive he punctuated with a 17-yard touchdown run. When the IUP defense then forced a Slippery Rock punt, Rueve engineered another drive, which ended when kicker Nick Andrasi converted a 43-yard field goal to make the Crimson Hawks’ lead 20-10 with eight seconds left in the first half.
“We did a great job responding to some adversity in the first half,” IUP coach Paul Tortorella said. “We didn’t in the second half.”
Rueve, who entered the game leading the nation in passing efficiency, completed 15 of 33 passes for 233 yards and a critical third-quarter interception by Slippery Rock defensive back and Penn-Trafford product Carmen Metcalfe.
Running back Leon Parson also chipped in 54 yards and a third-quarter touchdown run for IUP, which also received 37 yards and a first-quarter touchdown on the ground from Tavion Banks.
“We had some really good calls called up there,” Rueve said. “I’ve got to keep just working the progression.”
Critical mistakes made by its defense, though, would ultimately haunt IUP.
The Crimson Hawks, needing to regain possession of the football with a three-point deficit, committed three personal foul penalties on the Rock’s final drive, which spanned 15 plays and lasted the final 8:21 of the fourth quarter.
IUP committed two costly facemask penalties and saw its chances of a late comeback dissipate on a drive-extending roughing the kicker penalty on a Slippery Rock punt inside the game’s final two minutes.
“We didn’t play very good in the second half, obviously,” Tortorella said. “We had a lot of breakdowns on both sides of the ball, a lot of penalties. We just didn’t play very good. The other team had something to do with that, obviously, but we did some things very uncharacteristic.”
Despite taking a disappointing loss, Rueve said his team remains confident with the ability to control its own destiny in regard to earning a trip to the PSAC championship game and a potential NCAA playoff bid.
“We still have everything we want in the West right in front of us,” Rueve said. “Coach Tort talked about it after the game, we still have got everything in front of us. I’m fired up about this next one. Let’s go get back on track. Let’s go do our job.”
California upends Clarion on last-second touchdown pass
California University of Pennsylvania quarterback Phaeton Hill launched a 56-yard touchdown pass to sophomore wide receiver Deontae Williams, a Woodland Hills product, with two seconds remaining in the game Saturday afternoon to hand the Vulcans a miraculous 31-28 win over Clarion at Adamson Stadium in California.
Hill threw for 364 yards, two touchdowns and an interception to lead California (5-2, 2-2) past the Golden Eagles (5-2, 1-2) in the PSAC West contest. Williams reeled in nine catches for 152 yards in addition to the game-winning score, while wide receiver D’Avay Johnson caught four passes for 51 yards and a touchdown.
Quarterback Anthony Guercio threw for 407 yards and four touchdowns to pace the Clarion offense. His top target was redshirt senior Holt Egan, who caught four passes for 125 yards and a touchdown, while redshirt sophomore Davon Jones, a Westinghouse graduate, made seven catches for 92 yards and two touchdowns and junior running back Khalon Simmons chipped in four catches for 64 yards and a score.
Ky’Ron Craggette grounds out win for Seton Hill
Running back Ky’Ron Craggette, a Connellsville native, carried the football 21 times for 209 yards and two touchdowns to lead Seton Hill to a 28-14 decision over Gannon Saturday afternoon in a PSAC West contest at Offutt Field in Greensburg.
Griffins (4-4, 2-2) quarterback Boden St. Marie also completed two passes for 15 yards and a touchdown to Craggette, who frustrated the Golden Knights (1-6, 1-2) defense all afternoon.
St. Marie also rushed for 15 yards and a touchdown.
Junior linebacker Thomas Johnson recorded nine tackles and two sacks for Seton Hill, while senior linebacker D’Kairi Boone added eight tackles and 2½ sacks.
Carnegie Mellon bounces back with rout of Gettysburg
No. 16 Carnegie Mellon racked up 532 yards of total offense and a 31-point halftime lead en route to knocking off visiting Gettysburg, 44-20, Saturday afternoon in a Centennial Conference contest at Gesling Stadium in Oakland.
Quarterback Joey McGinnis IV completed 22 of 31 passes for 379 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Tartans (4-2, 2-1) to a bounce-back victory against the Bullets (0-6, 0-3) after dropping a heartbreaking 28-27 decision to No. 3 Johns Hopkins on the road a week earlier.
Wide receiver Brendan McCullough, a Peters Township product, caught a game-high eight passes for 83 yards and three touchdowns for Carnegie Mellon, while Reece Kolke added six catches for 170 yards and a score.
W&J offense explodes to remain undefeated in PAC play
Washington & Jefferson running back Andrew Sharp, a Baldwin product, rushed for 103 yards and three touchdowns, while Kobe DeRosa added 80 yards and two scores of his own on the ground to lead the Presidents to a convincing 56-10 victory over Saint Vincent Saturday afternoon in a Presidents’ Athletic Conference game at Chuck Noll Field in Latrobe.
The W&J (4-2, 4-0) offense racked up 510 yards of total offense against the Bearcats (2-5, 1-4).
Quarterback Kellan Stahl threw for 254 yards, two touchdowns and an interception for the Presidents. He completed six passes for 124 yards and a touchdown to wide receiver Jacob Macosko, a Peters Township product, while John Peduzzi caught seven passes for 76 yards and a score.
Grove City knocks off Allegheny for third straight win
Running back Ian Demeri, a Penn-Trafford product, rushed for two first-quarter touchdowns Saturday afternoon and Grove City never looked back en route to knocking off Allegheny, 42-6, in a PAC contest at Fuhrer Field in Meadville.
Junior running back Chase Rankin carried the football 17 times for 96 yards and a score to pace the Wolverines (4-2, 3-1) rushing attack, while Demeri contributed 59 yards on 14 carries against the Gators (2-5, 2-3).
Quarterback Sutton Ellis threw for 108 yards and a 4-yard touchdown to Peters Township product Anthony Brunette.
Junior wide receiver Seth McGroerty caught five passes for a game-high 113 yards for the Wolverines.
Geneva passing attack too much for Waynesburg
Geneva quarterback Caleb Romano threw for 373 yards and four touchdowns, while sophomore Will Patterson added another 2-yard touchdown pass to lead the Golden Tornado to a 62-6 rout of Waynesburg in a PAC game Saturday afternoon at John F. Wiley Stadium in Waynesburg.
Senior wide receiver Keaton Baker caught nine passes for 132 yards and a touchdown for Geneva (4-3, 4-1), while Seth Tyson caught seven passes for 82 yards and a score, Luke Crumbacher chipped in two catches for 72 yards and a touchdown.
Damien Lacks caught a 25-yard touchdown pass for the Golden Tornado, while Michael Egetoe added a 2-yard touchdown reception.
Sophomore running back Kaden Ebron rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown for the Yellow Jackets (2-5, 2-3), while Elijah Jackson caught two passes for 42 yards and a score.
Quentin Goode leads Westminster to blowout of winless Thiel
Freshman Quentin Goode, an Aliquippa product, completed 23 of 29 passes for 324 yards and four touchdowns to lead Westminster to a 48-6 dismantling of winless Thiel Saturday afternoon in a PAC game at Harold Burry Stadium in New Wilmington.
Goode, the only quarterback to lead the Quips to three straight WPIAL championships, completed five passes for 167 yards and three touchdowns to Brite Cannon. Brock Covell also caught two passes for 11 yards and a score for the Titans (4-2, 3-1) against the Tomcats (0-6, 0-4).
Clayton Cannon Jr. rushed for 58 yards and a score for Westminster, while De’Mere White added 28 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Freshman Gianni DiSora, an Upper St. Clair product, also returned a punt 83 yards for a touchdown for the Titans.
Duquesne rushing attack overwhelms Mercyhurst
Duquesne rushed for 360 yards and held Mercyhurst to just 118 yards of total offense en route to claiming a dominating 37-0 victory Saturday night in a Northeast Conference game at Saxon Stadium in Erie.
Running back Ness Davis carried the football 16 times for 158 yards and a touchdown, while Dazhaun Hopkins added 44 yards and a score on the ground to pace the Dukes (5-3, 3-0), who knocked off the Lakers (3-5, 2-1) to win their fourth straight game and remain undefeated in NEC play.
Duquesne quarterback Tyler Riddell threw for just 79 yards, finding wide receiver Joey Isabella for three catches 55 yards and a touchdown.
Robert Morris falls to LIU on the road
Quarterback Zach Tanner threw a 66-yard fourth-quarter touchdown pass to Ethan Shine, but it was as close as Robert Morris would get before falling to Long Island University, 17-7, Saturday afternoon in an NEC contest at Bethpage Federal Credit Union Stadium in Brookville, New York.
Tanner returned from injury and completed 14 of 26 passes for 177 yards, a touchdown and interception. He completed eight passes for 119 yards to Shine.
It was a 14-point second quarter for the Sharks (2-5, 1-2), which ultimately spelled doom for the Colonials (1-6, 0-2).
Long Island quarterback Luca Stanzi also returned from an injury and completed a 5-yard touchdown pass to Jaiden Dozier after O’Shawn Ross rushed for a 6-yard touchdown earlier in the second quarter.
Pitt rolls over Syracuse for third straight ACC win
Pitt’s special teams dominated Saturday night, accounting for three field goals by freshman kicker Trey Butkowski and a 66-yard punt return for a touchdown by junior Kenny Johnson, as the Panthers defeated Syracuse, 30-13, in an Atlantic Coast Conference game at JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, New York.
Panthers (5-2, 3-1) quarterback Mason Heintschel threw for 143 yards and an interception, but also rushed for 23 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries, while Juelz Goff added 10 yards and a score on the ground against the Orange (3-4, 1-3).
Butkowski converted on field goal attempts of 31, 42 and 32 yards to help Pitt earn its third straight ACC victory.
John is a copy editor and page designer at the Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at jsanta@unionprogress.com.