For the second straight week, Indiana University of Pennsylvania took a lead into the second half of a postseason game Saturday afternoon.
And for the second time in seven days, the Crimson Hawks were left wondering what might have been by the time the fourth quarter ended.
IUP rushed for three first-half touchdowns to stake itself out to a 10-point advantage to begin the third quarter of its NCAA Division II Super Region One first-round playoff game against Assumption Saturday afternoon, but the Crimson Hawks failed to score over the game’s final two quarters before succumbing to the visiting Greyhounds, 23-20, at George P. Miller Stadium in Indiana.
Only a week earlier, the Crimson Hawks led by three points at halftime of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference championship game before falling to the nation’s third-ranked team, Kutztown, 28-23, at the Golden Bears’ Andre Reed Stadium.
“You’ve got to play 60 minutes, and you’ve got to be able to finish games,” said IUP coach Paul Tortorella. “Especially this week, we didn’t come out and play really very well in the second half. The opponent, Assumption, had something to do with that, obviously, but if you’re winning by 10 at halftime, you’re in pretty good control of the game.
“We obviously didn’t do a very good job in all three phases in the second half.”
The loss for Super Region One’s fourth-seeded Crimson Hawks’ (7-4) Saturday marked the conclusion of their 21st NCAA playoff appearance all time — and first since 2022 — while fifth-seeded Assumption (9-2) advances to face No. 1 Kutztown in a second-round game next Saturday.
“We fell short, obviously, winning the [PSAC] West [Division] was our first goal,” Tortorella said. “Then we lost the PSAC championship out at Kutztown in a tough game and got in the playoffs and thought we might have another chance to play them, but we didn’t take care of what we had to take care of.”
Boasting one of the nation’s top passing attacks, IUP quarterback Matthew Rueve completed 22 of 36 passes for 231 yards but failed to find the end zone against the Greyhounds. His top target was wide receiver Devin Whitlock, a Belle Vernon graduate, who caught 13 passes for 152 yards.
The Crimson Hawks were held to just 71 yards on the ground, led by Leon Parsons, who rushed for 45 yards on 13 carries, while Tavion Banks contributed 26 yards and Parker Gregg added 13.
The trio accounted for all of IUP’s first-half points. Banks scored a 2-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, while Parker crossed the goal line from 1 yard out before Parsons handed the Crimson Hawks a 20-7 lead with 2:48 left before halftime with a 6-yard touchdown run.
“We were running the ball a little bit,” Tortorella said. “We got a turnover, with an interception, that got a short field. We partially blocked a punt and got a short field there also. We were running our offense and we were in a pretty good rhythm in the first half. Then in the second half, we just didn’t have any rhythm.”
Trailing 20-7 in the closing stages of the first half, Assumption began to take control of the game. The Greyhounds drove the football 67 yards in 10 plays as kicker Massimo Sgambati made a 29-yard field goal as time expired in the first half to trim the IUP lead to 20-10.
Quarterback Dom Santiago took it from there, scoring third-quarter touchdown runs of 2 and 1 yards to hand the Greyhounds a lead they would not relinquish.
Santiago threw for 271 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception, while also rushing for 39 yards.
Assumption running back Kameron Robbins rushed for 83 yards on 18 carries while also catching a 20-yard touchdown pass from Santiago in the first quarter.
“Really on both drives in the fourth quarter, we had pretty good drives going and then kind of got bogged down around midfield,” Tortorella said.
CALIFORNIA UPSETS NO. 17 VIRGINIA UNION IN FIRST ROUND ON THE ROAD
Running back Kendrick Agenor capped a nine-play, 65-yard drive that took 5:58 off the fourth-quarter clock with a 1-yard touchdown run Saturday afternoon to propel No. 6 California University of Pennsylvania to a 27-24 first-round Super Region One upset of host No. 17 Virginia Union at Hovey Field in Richmond, Virginia.
With the victory over the region’s third-seeded Panthers (9-3), coach Gary Dunn’s Vulcans (9-3) advance to play Frostburg State in a Super Region One second-round contest next Saturday. California defeated Frosburg State, 31-26, in a non-conference regular-season game Nov. 1.
Against Virginia Union, though, quarterback Roman Purcell led the way for the Vulcans.
Purcell threw for 183 yards but also rushed for 36 yards and two touchdowns.
Agenor also carried the football 26 times for 122 yards.
As strong as the California offense was, though, its secondary was equal to the task.
The Vulcans held Virginia Union quarterbacks Myles Derricott and RJ Rosales to just 85 yards through the air. Derricott completed one pass for 44 yards, while Rosales threw for 41 yards with a touchdown and two critical interceptions both by Vulcans junior defensive back Amory Thompson.
Panthers running back Curtis Allen, the nation’s leading rusher, carried the football 21 times for 128 yards and a touchdown.
PAC CHAMPION W&J’s EIGHT-GAME WINNING STREAK ENDS WITH FIRST-ROUND LOSS
Washington & Jefferson quarterback Kellan Stahl threw for 298 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, while wide receiver John Peduzzi caught 10 passes for 148 yards and two scores, but coach Mike Sirianni’s high-flying passing attack wasn’t enough to get the Presidents past Susquehanna, which emerged with a 38-32 victory in Saturday afternoon’s first-round NCAA Division III playoff game at Doug Arthur Stadium in Selinsgrove.
Despite rattling off eight straight regular-season victories to earn its first undefeated Presidents’ Athletic Conference championship since 2017, W&J (8-3) fell in the first round of the NCAA postseason for the second consecutive year with the loss to the River Hawks (9-2). The Presidents have won 28 PAC titles.
While W&J was able to move the ball through the air, Susquehanna held the Presidents to just 57 yards on the ground.
W&J running back Andrew Sharp, a Baldwin product, rushed for 58 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries, while Laurel graduate Kobe Derosa added 25 yards and a score of his own on six carries.
River Hawks quarterback Josh Ehrlich threw for 197 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing for 56 yards on 13 carries. He completed a 53-yard touchdown pass to Daniel Growney and also tossed a 5-yard scoring strike to Michael Robbins.
Running back RahShan La Mons rushed for 121 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries for Susquehanna. He also caught three passes for 28 yards and another score.
The River Hawks advance to face No. 6 Christopher Newport in the second round at 12 p.m. next Saturday.
GROVE CITY’S FOURTH-QUARTER RALLY FALLS SHORT IN FIRST-ROUND LOSS
Grove City rallied for 15 fourth-quarter points, but the Wolverines’ third consecutive NCAA playoff appearance ended Saturday afternoon with a 23-15 loss to Hanover in a first-round game at Alumni Stadium in Hanover, Indiana.
After falling behind 17-0 through three quarters, Grove City (8-3) got its fourth-quarter rally started with a 12-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Ethan Wiley to wide receiver Daniel Sullivan. Running back Chase Rankin later scored on an 8-yard touchdown run before a 2-point conversion pulled the Wolverines within a single score of the Panthers (9-2) and shortened their deficit to just 23-15 with 1:47 left in the contest.
Wiley completed 9 of 19 passes for 216 yards and a touchdown, while wide receiver Seth McGroerty finished with five catches for 120 yards and Sam Penna chipped in two receptions for 79 yards.
Rankin finished with 67 yards on 13 carries.
Hanover quarterback Eian Roudebush threw for 178 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for 75 yards and two scores on 14 carries.
The Panthers advance to face No. 1 and defending national champion North Central, Illinois, in the second round at noon next Saturday.
DUQUESNE HANGS ON TO TOP RIVAL ROBERT MORRIS BUT FAILS TO WIN NEC TITLE
Duquesne kicker Matt Clark made fourth-quarter field goals of 34 and 42 yards as the Dukes held on to beat rival Robert Morris Saturday afternoon, 20-17, in both teams’ Northeast Conference regular-season finale at Joe Walton Stadium in Moon.
Despite defeating the Colonials (3-9, 2-5), the Dukes (7-5, 5-2) fell short of winning an NEC championship and its automatic-qualifying bid to the NCAA Division I FCS playoffs.
Central Connecticut State (8-4, 6-1), which lost to Duquesne at Arthur J. Rooney Field in Oakland last weekend, clinched its second straight NEC title and automatic NCAA playoff berth with a 35-28 victory over Mercyhurst earlier Saturday afternoon.
Quarterback Tyler Riddell led the Dukes offense, completing 13 of 28 passes for 214 yards and two touchdowns. He completed five passes for 108 yards and a touchdown to wide receiver Joey Isabella, while Garrett Harold also caught a 4-yard scoring strike.
Running back Davis Ness led the Duquesne ground game with 179 yards on 25 carries.
Robert Morris was led offensively by quarterback Cooper Panteck, who threw for 178 yards and a touchdown. His lone scoring strike was a 19-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Chaz Middleton.
Running back Ethan Shine also rushed for 76 yards on 20 carries for the Colonials.
John is a copy editor and page designer at the Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at jsanta@unionprogress.com.