CHARLESTON, W.Va. – They might be down, but they're never out.
 
Kutztown shook off a slow start and a few self-inflicted mistakes, storming back with 15 unanswered points in the final five minutes to stun No. 24 Charleston (W.Va.), 32-31, in a NCAA Division II second round game at UC Stadium at Laidley Field Saturday afternoon.
 
The victory is the Golden Bears' program-record 11th in a row, ties a program record for wins in a season and propels Kutztown into the national quarterfinals against Slippery Rock in a rematch of the PSAC Championship game next Saturday.
 
Charleston (10-2) looked to be sitting pretty after Tim McCutchen's 24-yard field goal made it 31-17 with 4:52 to go. Aside from the points, a slew of penalties allowed the Golden Eagles to drain 8:16 of precious fourth quarter clock on 17 plays totaling 72 yards. Kutztown was hit with a roughing the kicker penalty on a punt and a roughing the passer penalty on third and goal from the KU 12 that extended the drive, while Charleston had a touchdown taken off the board following a holding call.
 
Needing a quick score, the Bears (11-2) turned to their special teams for another lift.
 
Following a kick out of bounds, KU head coach Jim Clements elected to have Charleston's Levi Paxton kick again. The move turned out to be a game-changer, as Steven Burkhardt (Gloucester City, N.J./Gloucester City) broke free for a 74-yard return down the KU sideline before being taken down a yard shy of the end zone.
 
On the very next play, Darryl Davis-McNeil (Roslyn, Pa./Abington) battled his way in, trimming UC's lead to 31-23. In doing so, Davis-McNeil became the fourth player in school history to reach 30 rushing TDs in a career. Kutztown executed the "Philly Special" on the two-point try with Kaden Hastie (Tabernacle, N.J./Seneca) finding quarterback Judd Novak (Manheim, Pa./Manheim Central) to move even closer at 31-25 with 4:38 remaining.
 
Kutztown's defense, which locked Charleston down in the second half, got the ball back for its offense less than a minute later when Oyame Adoga (Clementon, N.J./Highland Regional) intercepted Javonte Howard's third-down heave at the KU 29-yard line.
 
The Golden Bears moved quickly with Novak keeping for 14 yards and Davis-McNeil ripping off a 25-yard run down to the Charleston 31. A couple plays later, the Bears faced 3rd-and-6 from the 27, but Novak's screen pass to Davis-McNeil went for 13 yards and a first down.
 
Novak, as he's shown the ability to often do this season, burned another defense with his legs. The redshirt freshman from Manheim, Pa., went 14 yards up the middle untouched on first down to tie the game at 31. Dawson Evitts (Auburn, Pa./Schuylkill Haven) added the critical extra point to put Kutztown in front for the first time all day with just 1:21 to go.
 
Charleston worked down to the KU 33-yard line with four seconds left after a fourth-down conversion to Tae Marrero and a 7-yard pass to Damon Mouzon. They called on McCutchen to try a 51-yard field goal, but it was short as the Golden Bear sideline erupted onto the field in celebration.
 
"I thought our guys were resilient and competed for four quarters," said Clements. "It didn't go our way at times early on, but we fought back. The offense kept us in the game and the defense tightened down in the second half."
 
Kutztown, which collected its third straight win over a nationally ranked opponent for the first time in program history, also posted its third consecutive 200+ yard rushing performance with 208 yards on 36 attempts.
 
Davis-McNeil led the way with 16 totes for 102 yards, moving past Don Shaver (2,621) and fellow Abington alum Craig Reynolds (2,650) for third on KU's all-time rushing list. Novak ran 13 times for 68 yards and Jaedyn Stewart (Newfield, N.J./Delsea Regional) seven times for 38 yards.
 
"The opportunity to keep playing means a lot," said Davis-McNeil. "I don't want this to end. My team needed me and we needed each other. We believe in each other. Everyone stepped up to do their job and it came together at the right time."
 
Novak also threw for 106 yards, two TDs and an interception. He hooked up with Hastie for a 23-yard score early in the second quarter to tie the game at seven and found tight end Nick Lovenguth (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown East) out in the flat for a 7-yard TD with 3:35 left in the first half to bring KU back within 21-14.
 
"The perseverance this team has and what we just did is crazy. I still can't believe it," said Novak. "After the Cal game (back in week two), we just wanted to get back to playing Kutztown football. We trust in our coaches, we're riding with our guys and playing our style of football."
 
Charleston, opposing Kutztown for the first time ever, built a 21-7 lead with 4:36 to go in the second quarter on a trio of touchdown passes by Howard to running back Alex Brink and receivers Marquan Herron and Yves Bosmans.
 
Following Evitts' 26-yard field goal to bring the Golden Bears within 21-17 at half, Kutztown received the second half kick. As they approached midfield, a Novak pass intended for Tyreek Husser (Woodstown, N.J./Woodstown) was intercepted by Ashton Gilkey and returned 53 yards for a TD to push UC's advantage to 28-17.
 
The Golden Bear defense was on the field for 39 plays in the first half, with all five UC drives going seven plays or longer. In the second half, KU forced three three-and-outs and held Golden Eagle backs Chavon Wright and Brink to just 50 yards on 20 attempts. The duo combined for 125 yards on 23 attempts in the first half.
 
Though Wright finished with 35 carries for 124 yards, he was held out of the end zone a week after finding paydirt six times in a 52-44 first round win over New Haven. Charleston rushed for 175 yards overall on 43 attempts, both season-highs by a KU opponent. Kutztown came in allowing just 89.0 yards per game on the ground.
 
Howard completed 26-of-36 passes for 213 yards and three TDs. Marrero caught nine balls for 90 yards and Bosmans six for 59 and a TD.
 
Mekhi Gibson (Ewing, N.J./Ewing) led KU with 36 yards receiving, while Kurtis Ravenel Jr. (Carlisle, Pa./Carlisle) caught a team-high four passes for 27. Another of the Maroon and Gold's receivers, Sincere Thomas (Bristol, Pa./Harry S. Truman), impacted the game on special teams with an 82-yard kick return late in the second quarter that set up Lovenguth's TD catch to get the Bears back within a score after falling behind by 14.
 
Kam Wolfe (Reading, Pa./Governor Mifflin) paced the defense with nine tackles (eight solo). Tyler Whary (Hereford, Pa./Upper Perkiomen) added eight, Justin Harris (Deptford, N.J./Salem) seven and Brandon Hile (Winfield, Pa./Selinsgrove) six. Devon Jones (Claymont, Del./Mount Pleasant) and Antaun Lloyd (Ambler, Pa./Wissahickon) broke up two passes each and Brayden Pohlman (Egg Harbor Township, N.J./Mainland Regional) added another.
 
Willie Floyd made a game-high 14 tackles (12 solo) to lead Charleston.
 
The Golden Eagles outgained the Bears 388-314 and benefitted from one of the nation's least penalized teams being flagged six times for 56 yards, nearly double its season totals to date. Charleston was 10-of-19 on third downs and held a 33:58 to 26:02 edge in time of possession.

"I'm so proud of our group. It was an unbelievable game," said Clements. "Charleston has a heck of a team. They played hard, they're well coached and I'm just excited to have the chance to keep playing."
 
Kutztown will travel to 15th-ranked Slippery Rock next Saturday, Dec. 2, for a noon kickoff in the Super Region One title game. The Rock knocked off the region's top seed, previously unbeaten Tiffin, 45-35, in second round action Saturday. The Rock were the lone remaining SR1 team to submit a bid to host in round three and were thus awarded hosting rights by the NCAA.
 
This will be Kutztown's second appearance in the national quarterfinals in program history. The Golden Bears fell to Shepherd, 30-28, in the 2021 quarterfinals.
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