College football: Kutztown makes history with third straight PSAC championship

One of the most difficult accomplishments in all of sports is the three-peat.

Even legendary coach Pat Riley, who coined the phrase while coaching the Los Angeles Lakers, would be impressed with the Kutztown University Golden Bears program.

On Saturday at Andre Reed Stadium, Kutztown defeated IUP 28-23 to capture the PSAC Championship, marking the Golden Bears’ third consecutive title and their fourth in the past five seasons.

There has not been a three-peat PSAC champion since 1972-1974, when Slippery Rock hoisted the trophy in back-to-back-to-back seasons.

“It means a lot,” Kutztown coach Jim Clements said of accomplishing three straight championships. “We have great fans, great support, great players, and great alumni. They deserve a great football program, and I feel like we’ve given them that.”

It was far from an easy victory, the Golden Bears had grown accustomed to for most of the season, but when push came to shove, they showed everyone why they are a consensus top-five Division II football program.

“It’s pretty awesome,” quarterback Judd Novak said. “This hasn’t happened in like 50 years. We have a really special group of guys, and our coaches are amazing. This is a special moment.”

The two teams matched up well on paper, ranking first and second in scoring offense. The Crimson Hawks averaged 36.9 points per game while allowing 20.0, placing them second in the conference in scoring defense behind No. 4 Kutztown. The Golden Bears averaged 43.1 points per game while allowing just 9.2.

And while statistics don’t always tell the whole story in football, when crunch time arrived, it became clear which team held the edge.

Leading 28–23 with 8:12 remaining in the game, the Golden Bears (11–0) took possession after allowing a touchdown.

Kutztown’s offense knew it needed to drain the clock to leave the Crimson Hawks (7–3) with as little time as possible.

The Golden Bears were efficient, picking up two first downs as the minutes continued to tick away in the one-score affair.

Eventually, IUP’s defense stepped up, forcing a 3rd-and-8 with 5:15 remaining.

It was a pivotal moment for both teams: either Kutztown would continue to bleed the clock, or IUP (Indiana University of Pennsylvania) would regain possession with plenty of time to mount a late comeback.

Judd Novak took the snap, rolled to his right, and delivered a phenomenal pass, placing it perfectly where only his receiver, Rich Paczewski, could haul it in.

The chains moved.

“We knew we needed to waste the clock as much as we could,” Novak said of the play. “First downs were crucial. We got one, but not the other. But Richie made a huge play, huge catch, and he’s another one of those players that you can always count on.”

The Golden Bears were able to run off another two minutes before opting to punt with 2:50 remaining in the game.

Then it was the defense’s turn to make a stop.

With the game on the line, IUP faced a 4th-and-1 with just under two minutes remaining.

That’s when senior Brayden Polhman came off the left edge like a rocket and met Tavion Banks in the backfield for a three-yard loss.

No need to bring out the chains to measure.

“It’s all about the play call, trusting the play call,” Polman said. “We had a stem call, so we’re moving the front just to confuse the offensive lineman. I kind of got through free, and it’s just executing the tackle.”

Earlier in the week, Pohlman said he had been in a similar situation but missed the tackle.

When it mattered most, however, the senior made the play.

“Kids played great from start to finish,” Clements said. “A lot of adversity, but never doubted it with our kids. These guys go play all the way to the end. They believe in each other. They believe in all three phases of the game, and it was a hell of a game. That’s what the PSAC championship is all about.”

The stadium erupted as Golden Bears fans realized they were witnessing their team claim yet another championship.

Since Clements arrived at Kutztown, the Golden Bears have won six PSAC Championships and continue to rank among the top programs in all of Division II.

“This is a blue-collar program. We’re all about culture,” Novak said when asked about what type of program Kutztown is. “We don’t have the greatest facilities. We don’t have all the scholarship money, but we were gritty. We’re all grit, and we ride behind our coaches. Coach Clements is a phenomenal head coach, and he really rallies. We have a lot of great players on this team.”

Novak, a redshirt junior, completed 14 of 23 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns, remaining interception-free for the season. Noah Kracyla led the receiving corps with 98 yards on six catches, while Steven Burkhardt rushed for 107 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, Brandon Hile led the team with seven tackles, including one for loss. Pohlman added two sacks and the game-sealing tackle.

The Golden Bears’ defense held IUP to just 12 yards rushing, a truly dominant performance.

However, the game began with an unusual sight on the Crimson Hawks’ opening drive.

They scored, the first points the Golden Bears’ defense had allowed in the first quarter all season.

Quarterback Matthew Rueve carved up the secondary, completing 5 of 5 passes for 59 yards, including a 26-yard touchdown to a wide-open Jeremiah Coleman in the end zone after stepping up in the pocket.

It was the first time all season the Golden Bears trailed, but Clements’ squad remained unfazed, responding immediately.

“Honestly, we were kind of excited,” Novak said of having to respond early. “We were like, ‘All right, let’s put the pressure on us a little bit.’ I thought we did a really good job.”

Burkhardt rushed twice for a total of 13 yards, moving his team into IUP territory.

Shortly after, Novak connected with Trevor Amorim in the back of the end zone to tie the game.

“We practice like that. We put ourselves in tough situations in practice, in two-minute drills, and in a four-minute offense,” Clements said of trailing early on. “We run all that stuff during camp and scrimmages, so we’re going to call it and play it to that. They’ve seen it before, not on a Saturday, but in practice. These guys compete like dogs in practice, and we put them in those types of situations.”

The Crimson Hawks regained the lead when Rueve, who finished 29 of 37 for 295 yards and three touchdowns, connected with Devin Whitlock on an 8-yard score.

Once again, however, Kutztown answered promptly.

Burkhardt scored on a 9-yard run, powered along by his offensive line, to tie the game with 1:23 remaining in the half.

Meanwhile, the IUP offense continued to roll, moving into field goal range for their kicker.

Nick Andrasi knocked down a 50-yard field goal to give IUP the lead heading into halftime.

Clements and his staff’s halftime adjustments appeared to pay off, as Kutztown returned to its usual form in the second half.

“The big emphasis we were talking about is our energy, and man, when we have fun and play our football, that’s when we’re playing our best,” Pohlman said. “So, we just came out and did our thing one drive at a time. Control what you control. Every person do your job, and do your one-eleventh because that’s what we preach.”

On their opening drive of the second half, Kutztown scored when Novak found Burkhardt in the flat under pressure for a 12-yard touchdown, taking a lead they would hold for the rest of the game.

The remainder of the third quarter turned into a defensive battle.

Early in the fourth, fullback Luke Maxwell powered in a 1-yard dive to extend the lead to 28–17.

The Crimson Hawks responded with a 19-yard touchdown pass from Rueve to Coleman.

However, a two-point conversion attempt to cut the deficit to three points failed on a trick play, a replica of the Philadelphia Eagles’ “Philly-Philly.”

Kutztown will now wait to learn its seeding in the NCAA Division II playoffs.

Last season, the Golden Bears’ campaign ended with a 25–24 overtime loss to Slippery Rock.