West Chester got off to a slow start. Their first possession was a three-and-out and while the second one went 86 yards, it ended when Adrien Mosley (4 catches, 29 yards) lost a fumble on the one-yard line. The Golden Ram defense looked equally sluggish giving up touchdown drives of 73 and 99 yards. Early in the second quarter, Indiana led 14-0 and it felt like the game could get out of hand.
But the WCU defense stiffened. After amassing 172 yards on their first two drives, the Crimson Hawks managed a total of just 31 yards on their next six possessions including four three-and-outs. And then with nine minutes left in regulation, with Indiana backed up in their own end of the field, defensive tackle Jack Fry batted a Crimson Hawk pass up in the air, caught it, and fell into the end zone to put West Chester on the board. Indiana's next possession stalled at the WCU 26, but with the score 14-7, the Crimson Hawks were looking to extend their lead by two scores with a 47-yard field goal attempt. Nick Rogers would have none of it as he blocked the kick and Bryan Anderson returned it 66 yards for the touchdown. Rylan Zuk's PAT tied the game at 14 with just three minutes remaining. Each team had one more shot, but the game went to overtime.
The teams traded touchdowns on their first possession of overtime, and Indiana scored in the second OT, but West Chester couldn't get closer than the 9-yard line to end the game.
Linebacker Luke Trunell had a big game with 12 total tackles including a 10-yard sack. Fellow linebacker Jayden Trace worked through some growing pains to register six tackles including a 7-yard sack. Defensive end Debrick Johnson had two pass breakups and a quarterback hurry to go along with three tackles.
In a game where the offense only scored one touchdown, and that didn't come until overtime, it's odd to say that they were much improved over last week, but they were. Quarterback Colin O'Sullivan (27 of 55, 229 yards, 1 TD, 2 int) looked a lot like last season - making fast decisions and getting rid of the ball quickly. But also like last year, he was often under duress (9 QB hurries) which resulted in two sacks and one of the interceptions. However, unlike last season, O'Sullivan had two 12-yard carries that converted third-and-longs into Golden Ram first downs. Mic Johnson (16 carries, 70 yards) carried the load at running back with Isaiah Wright not dressed. Dylan McKenzie (7 catches, 76 yards) and Ryan Johnston (3 catches, 35 yards, 1 TD) both had nice games receiving. One thing that was noticeably different was the passing game to the running backs - Johnson (4 catches, 25 yards) and Future Robertson (5 catches, 35 yards). This is an area worth watching going forward to determine if this was merely a function of the game plan against Indiana or how O'Sullivan surveys the field to generate offensive production.
For the game, West Chester had 26 first downs to Indiana's 19, despite the Crimson Hawks having a five-minute advantage in time of possession. The glaring deficit for the offense was converting only one of their four trips into the redzone, with two of those trips, including the successful one, coming from the short field in overtime. Joey Svoboda rotated with Drew O'Connor at left guard throughout the game.
West Chester Athletic Site - No. 14 IUP Escapes West Chester With 27-21 Double OT Victory
Indiana Athletic Site - No. 14 IUP Survives Late West Chester Rally, Wins 27-21 in Overtime
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