INDIANA — Once Slippery Rock got the lead, it couldn’t hold it.

Once Indiana got the ball, it rarely gave it up.

The Crimson Hawks rushed for 388 yards in pounding the ball at The Rock all day in a 33-16 college football victory Saturday at Miller Stadium.

Harvie Tuck had 36 carries for 233 yards — his third 200-yard effort of the season — and a touchdown, while De’Antwan Williams added 16 carries for 158 yards and two scores for IUP (5-1, 2-1).

“I can’t say I was surprised by how well we ran the ball, but I was very pleased,” IUP coach Curt Cignetti said.

The Crimson Hawks possessed the ball for 41 minutes and 14 seconds to SRU’s 18:46.

“That was all about our offensive line,” Williams said. “All we had to do was see the holes and hit ’em. Harvie and I feed off each other.

“This was fun today.”

Yet The Rock took a 9-6 lead on a Brett Crenshaw 3-yard touchdown run with 11:20 left in the first half.

“We were playing well there for a while,” Rock coach George Mihalik said.

Then they fell apart.

Completing just one pass along the way, IUP drove 80 yards on 11 plays to regain the lead for good. Williams scored on a 12-yard run with 6:04 left in the half.

Rock quarterback Jared Buck overthrew open receiver Bobby Joyce and Marvase Byrd intercepted, returning the ball to The Rock 34. Again completing just one pass, IUP put together a seven-play scoring drive culminated by Tuck’s 1-yard plunge for a 20-9 lead with 2:19 left before halftime.

“At that point, we have to be able to at least run out the remaining time in the half,” Mihalik said. “And we couldn’t do it.”

Buck injured his hip on SRU’s previous series and was taken for X-rays. Nigel Barksdale took over behind center and was sacked on third down. James McCombie’s punt into a stiff wind traveled only 14 yards.

Williams scored on a 31-yard run three plays later and the Crimson Hawks had a 27-9 lead at halftime.

“Growing pains,” Mihalik muttered. “We have to grow up fast and start winning some games.”

Barksdale led The Rock on a 12-play, 75-yard scoring drive to begin the second half, but IUP answered with a field goal drive of its own. When Barksdale was intercepted by Johnny Franco — who returned the ball 21 yards to the SRU 39 with 13:55 left in the game — the Crimson Hawks were set up for the clincher.

Brett Ullman’s fourth field goal of the game — a 19-yarder — sealed the win with 8:10 remaining.

“We’re a zone-blocking team and we executed well today,” Cignetti said. “This was a good win for us.”

And a frustrating loss for The Rock (2-4, 1-2), its third straight.

“They just beat us to the punch. You have to cover the gaps with that type of running game and we didn’t do that enough,” SRU nose tackle Tony Papley said. “We didn’t execute well enough today.”

Papley, a Slippery Rock High graduate, led the defense with 10 tackles Saturday. But The Rock had no quarterback sacks and generated only one turnover — a Quindell Dean interception with 5:04 left in the game.

“It’s hard being on the field that much,” Papley said of IUP’s ball possession. “But we never got tired ... just frustrated.”

Notes: SRU has dropped five straight road games dating back to last year. The Rock travels to Clarion Saturday. ... Mihalik is 6-20 in his coaching career against IUP. ...Tuck now has 3,676 career rushing yards, passing Aamir Dew for third on IUP’s all-time list. ... Kurt Brackman missed a PAT in the second quarter, his second miss in two weeks. ... The teams combined to complete just 17 of 46 passes Saturday.

Indiana (Pa.) 33, SRU 16

Slippery Rock 3 6 7 0 — 16

Indiana (Pa.) 6 21 3 3 — 33

SRU IUP

13 First Downs 29

27-120 Rushes-Yards 58-388

118 Passing Yards 98

9-23-3 Comp.-Att.-Int 8-23-1

238 Total Yards 486

2-0 Fumbles-Lost 0-0

6-51 Penalty Yards 11-111

First Quarter

IUP — Brett Ullman 31 field goal, 9:46

IUP — Ullman 22 field goal, 2:49

SRU — Kurt Brackman 28 field goal, :05

Second Quarter

SRU — Brett Crenshaw 3 run (kick failed), 11:20

IUP — De’Antwan Williams 12 run (Ullman kick), 6:04

IUP — Harvie Tuck 1 run (YUllman kick), 2:19

IUP — Williams 31 run (Ullman kick), :25

Third Quarter

SRU — Jaimire Dutrieuille 2 run (Brackman kick), 9:32

IUP — Ullman 40 field goal, 4:50

Fourth Quarter

IUP — Ullman 19 field goal, 8:10

Individual Statistics

Rushing: SRU, Jared Buck 4-57, Akeem Satterfield 7-38, Nigel Barksdale 9-17, Jaimire Dutrieuille 3-4, Brett Crenshaw 2-2, Jimmy Zubik 2-2. IUP, Harvie Tuck 36-233, De’Antwan Williams 16-158, Mike Box 1-12, Pat Brewer 1-7, TEAM 3-(-7), Pat Smith 1-(-15).

Passing: SRU, Nigel Barksdale 6-16-98-2, Jared Buck 3-7-20-1. IUP, Mike Box 8-23-98-1.

Receiving: SRU, LaQuinn Stephens-Howling 3-33, John Schademan 2-53, Jaimire Dutrieuille 2-13, Ken Amos 2-19. IUP, Pat Brewer 3-49, Dom Maggio 2-23, Jon Sharp 1-14, Terrill Barnes 1-9, De’Antwan Williams 1-3.