IUP Gets By Tenacious Kent State
IUP Gets By Tenacious Kent State
Top-ranked DII team IUP defeated GRR #22 Kent State on a chilly Saturday at Kent State University's football stadium, Dix Stadium.
The scoreline, 29-5, probably flatters IUP a bit as Kent State had some very good scoring opportunities that just lacked the one more phase, the one more pass. IUP came out of the game feeling happy about the win but not overly happy with the performance.
The game opened up with Kent State running their pattern nicely with flyhalf Luke Kastelic running the attacking nicely. But IUP's defense was aggressive and did well to force some turnovers. Eventially IUP capitalized on a snappy break from center Lukas Masikas, and when Kent State was penalized, captain and scrumhalf RJ Beach tapped quickly and was over.
Kent State responded well and looked to attack wide. However, IUP's edge defense was there and they were able to force a holding-on penalty and clear. The Golden Flashes put IUp under some pressure with some good kicking for space and a late-tackle penalty. They got to the tryline but were held up. IUP took the ensuing goalline dropout quickly and sent left wing Ryan Hornickel racing to catch Beach's dropout on the fly. Had the Ken State backs not reacted quickly he might have been through for a length-of-the-field try.
Instead, Kent State got a very good kick from Kastelic and finally lock Ethan Retherford nabbed the lineout throw and just charged through to score. Retherford was outstanding for the Golden Flahes all day. His lineout work was excellent, and he disrupted several IUP throws, but he was also a force carrying and played strong defense.
So now it was 7-5, but IUP responded quickly. Lock Layne Walls was really very good and he unleashes a startling run through the middle in which he beat several tacklers with elusive running. Just before the tryline he was caught but was able to offload to his support for the try. IUP now led 12-5 and it was a brilliant try. However, it was a curse as well as a blessing as some of the IUP players started to think they could make some highlight-reel offloads ... many of them didn't come off too well.
IUP backed up that try with the forwards getting a turnover and bashing it over the line to make it 19-5.
Kent State continued to get deep into IUP territory. Several times they were right there on the tryline, but a holding-on penalty, a miss-timed pass, or a mistake killed those chances.
IUP also had their share of mistakes—those wild offloads, little knock-ons, and a little bit of impatience. But close to the line they made Kent State pay. A stolen lineout from Walls set u a run by him and quick recycle to get No. 8 Dalton Peluso over the line.
A counter-attack from Hornickel set up the Crimson Hawks and the forwards consolidated; Kent State committed a penalty and Beach tapped quickly and was over for his second.
And that was it, 29-5.
For IUP, they saw a really strong showing from the back row of Pelusa, Cam Taylor, and Dylan McAnulty. Beach was the little general, while Walls is emerging as a pretty exciting second row. IUP's pressure defense forced a good Kent State team into errors, and their pattern is starting to come together. But it isn't all put together for IUP, not yet.
Head Coach Seth Erwin said he was happy with his team's ability to adjust with how the rucks were being called, and adjusting to how Kent State was playing. He certainly saw somethings IUP can hang their hat on as they chase a national title.