Character, discipline key for SRU
SLIPPERY ROCK — No points offensively, 105 total yards and a victory.
Slippery Rock University football coach George Mihalik cared only about the latter after his team's 7-3 win over 23rd-ranked Indiana (Pa.) University Saturday night at N. Kerr Thompson Stadium.
"All the credit in the world goes out to their defense," Mihalik said of IUP. "We couldn't move the football. Tonight, we didn't have to."
The Rock (4-1, 1-1) failed to cross midfield in the first half and possessed the ball only twice in IUP territory all night, never getting inside the Crimson Hawks' 30-yard line.
C.J. Bahr had a 49-yard field goal attempt blocked early in the third quarter. A controversial personal foul penalty enabled SRU to cross midfield in the game's final minute and kill the clock by taking a knee.
SRU's lone score of the night was a 60-yard interception return by A.J. Saunders with 4:36 left in the opening quarter.
"That was a slant route and Andrew (IUP quarterback Krewatch) threw the ball too high," IUP coach Lou Tepper said. "Since an early-season injury, he's been struggling with his arm strength and accuracy."
Krewatch was intercepted three times Saturday and has thrown eight picks on the year.
"I was sitting back in coverage, being where I was supposed to be," Saunders said. "That play turned out to be good for us."
IUP (3-2, 0-2) — 0-2 in the PSAC West for the first time since 1982 — scored its points on a 30-yard Craig Burgess field goal to conclude the first possession of the second half.
The Crimson Hawks had a chance to tie the game on the final possession of the first half. But on first down from the SRU 15-yard line, Jayson Nixon intercepted Krewatch in the end zone.
"I was reading the pattern and he overthrew his man," Nixon said. "We were taking advantage of their mistakes all night.
"Our defense always has the mindset that if the other team doesn't score, it can't win. After they got that field goal, we really buckled down because we knew we could lose if they got a touchdown."
IUP had four turnovers to Slippery Rock's none. The Crimson Hawks took 14 penalties for 116 yards, The Rock three for 48.
"We won this game on character and discipline," Mihalik said.
Late in the game, IUP had a second-and-6 from the SRU 23, but a holding penalty thwarted the drive. On its previous possession, a third-and-6 from The Rock 48 turned into a third-and-21 because of consecutive procedure penalties and a delay of game."It was windy and rainy out there, but we still had a good, loud crowd behind us," Mihalik said.The penalty that sealed the win occurred with SRU lining up to go for a fourth-and-1 from its own 43 with 1:25 remaining. The Rock called timeout just before quarterback Rocco Colavecchia tried a quarterback sneak.While IUP players were bringing Colavecchia down, a flag was thrown and the Crimson Hawks were called for the personal foul. They had no more timeouts left to stop the clock."The official told me the whistle had blown and our guys were still tackling the quarterback," Tepper said. "Our defenders didn't hear the whistle, It was raining, windy, people yelling ... That was a tough call."IUP inside linebacker James Carson said it was the wrong call."Slippery Rock players were still pushing forward, we were tyrying to push them back," Carson said. "It was a play. Nobody heard a whistle. In that situation, the type of game that was being played, what was on the line... That just wasn't right."Mihalik said he was planning to punt the ball all along. The timeout was called when IUP didn't jump offsides."Fortunately, we didn't have to punt," Mihalik said. "I would have been awfully nervous during that final minute."<B>Notes: </B>SRU's offense failed to score a point for the first time since the 1996 season opener at Youngstown State. ... Krewatch's string of 32 consecutive games with a TD pass was snapped and IUP lost successive games for the first time under Tepper. ... IUP and PSAC rushing leader Tobias Robinson injured a hamstring and did not play in the second half. His replacement, Harvie Tuck, had 19 carries for 96 yards to lead all rushers. ... Brandon Watters had an interception and fumble recovery for The Rock. ... SRU hosts Mercyhurst at 2 p.m. Saturday for homecoming.<B>SRU 7, Indiana 3Indiana 0 0 3 0 — 0Slippery Rock 7 0 0 0 — 7IUP SRU</B>19 First Downs 840-161 Rushes-Yards 32-44148 Passing Yards 6114-33-3 Passes (Comp.-Att.-Int.) 6-18-0309 Total Yards 1051-1 Fumbles-Lost 0-014-116 Penalties-Yards 3-48<B>First Quarter</B>SRU — A.J. Saunders 60 interception return (C.J. Bahr kick), 4:36<B>Third Quarter</B>IUP — Craig Burgess 30 field goal, 12:35<B>Individual StatisticsPassing:</B> IUP, Andrew Krewatch 14-30-148-3, Pat Smith 0-3-0-0. SRU, Rocco Colavecchia 6-18-61-0.<B>Rushing:</B> IUP, Harvie Tuck 19-96, Tobias Robinson 11-31, Jovan Martinez 7-27, Pat Smith 3-7. SRU, SayQuan Scott-Mitchell 11-43, Damarcus Cleckley 12-25, Team 3-(-5), Rocco Colavecchia 6-(-19).<B>Receiving:</B> IUP, Mychal Skinner 4-46, Nate Morrow 3-19, Jovan Martinez 2-39, Roy-al Edwards 2-26, Darryl Herod 1-9, Josh Miller 1-6, Diamond Avery 1-3. SRU, Jermale Cromerdie 2-29, Devin Goda 2-12, Kevin Sanders 1-15, Kenny Cottman 1-5.
