Cal Vulcans Outlast Slippery Rock For 22-13 Win
By BILL ALBRIGHT
SLIPPERY ROCK -- It was for a share of the top spot in the PSAC-West, and when it was all over, the California (PA) Vulcans sat alone with a perfect 5-0 conference mark as a result of a 22-13 win over Slippery Rock at N. Kerr Thompson Stadium.
The Vulcans struck first when they engineered a 62-yard drive on eight plays for a score, Cal tailback Brandon Lombardy taking it in from two yards out for the score.
However, after that, it was a case of too many mistakes and the inability to finish drives that cost The Rock a possible win over the Vulcans.
"We didn't panic when things didn't go our way," said Cal coach John Luckhardt. "We fought back and had guys make plays on both sides of the ball. To be honest about it, that is what you need in order to win big games."
Although the victory was a sweet one for the Vulcans, they also suffered a huge loss.
Just prior to halftime when the pile unfolded after a running play, Cal's outstanding tailback Brandon Lombardy lay on the artificial surface at N. Kerr Thompson Stadium, obviously in a lot of pain.
Ten to 15 minutes later when Lombardy was loaded on a John Deere Gator and taken off the field with an air cast on his leg, it was apparent that his season, and his input in leading Cal to a possible NCAA championship, was more than likely finished.
"He's done. He's done for the year," said Luckhardt. "We'll get him to the doctor, get him taken care of as soon as we can and get him back for next year."
Here is a closer look at how the pluses and minuses for The Rock figured in the outcome of the game:
First Big SRU Mistake: After a three-and-out, SRU took over on their own 20. On the first play of the possession, quarterback Nate Crookshank was intercepted by Cal linebacker Darren Burns who returned the "pick" to the 6-yard line. On the third play following the turnover, Lombardy carried the mail for the final yard and Cal's second touchdown. A failed extra point left the score at Cal 12, SRU 0.
"I am very proud of our team because when they took the first two drives down and scored, we could have folded the tents," said SRU coach Dr. George Mihalik. "We fought back, but we just came up a little short."
Second Big SRU mistake: On the first possession following Cal's second score, The Rock picked up a first down before facing a fourth-and-8 at their own 42. The punt was blocked by Vulcan Juan Butler blocked the SRU punt. The defense stiffened at that point and fortunately for The Rock, a Cal field goal attempt was no good.
Cory Manfull, the workhorse: Taking over on their own 31, the Rock maneuvered down the field 69 yards for its first score, Manfull carrying all six times for the 69 yards, including his final run of eight yards for the score. C.J. Bahr's PAT cut the Cal lead to 12-7 with 12:30 left in the first half.
Third Big SRU Mistake: After an exchange of possessions, the Rock was forced to punt. With his back to the wall, the SRU punter "shanked" his kick to give the Vulcans excellent field position at the SRU 24. Six plays later, Vulcan place-kicker Tyler Lorenz connected from 21 yards out for a field goal that extended the Cal lead to 15-7 with 5:36 on the clock.
Fourth Big SRU Mistake: Crookshank threw into coverage again and was picked off by Cal's Brian Mohr at the California 18. Fortunately for SRU, its defensive unit stepped up and kept Cal out of the end zone 12 plays following the turnover when Corey Lacek pounced on a Cal fumble caused by Robert Doiley at the Rock 31.
First Bit of Unfinished Business by SRU: Taking over on its own 10, The Rock marched downfield, picking up four first downs along the way until it was faced with a fourth-and-11 at the Cal 33. However, unable to capitalize on the drive, a Crookshank aerial fell short of the mark on the fourth-down play and Cal took over.
Taking Care of Business: On the fourth play following the stalled drive, A.J. Saunders stepped in front of a Joe Ruggerio aerial at the 16. Fourteen plays later, Crookshank connected with Paul Favers for a 31-yard scoring strike to cut the Cal lead to 15-13.
Second Bit Of Unfinished Business by SRU: After cutting the Vulcan lead to just two points, the Rock defense couldn't get off the field on Cal's next possession when a third-and-1 play resulted in a gain of 12 yards by a scrambling Ruggerio. Ruggerio then came back to connect with his favorite target, Nate Forse, for a 39-yard touchdown connection on yet another third down play from the SRU 39 to set the final at Cal 22, Slippery Rock 13.
"We have other weapons (in addition to Lombardy) and the big drive at the end of the game was huge for us," added Luckhardt. "The defense had been on the field for the entire second half and we needed the offense to get something done and they did it. We got a couple big plays along the way, one on the third-and-short and then the big throw to Nate (Forse) that broke for a score."
Mihalik also felt that his club was wearing the Vulcans down with their two big drives.
"I thought we were wearing them down," he said. "In terms of stats, they are number one in the nation. They are tough. But I thought we moved the ball well on them, we were controlling the ball and in the second half, we did what we needed to do to win the football game."
Coming Up Big For The Vulcans: Mohr registered a game and career-high 13 tackles, including seven solo hits, and his first interception of the season. He became the second player this season to reach 200 career tackles (now 204).
Mohr's partner in the middle, senior linebacker Josh Zunic added nine stops and raised his career total to 228 and moved past 2005 grad Lloyd Price into fifth place on Cal's career list.
Junior defensive back Juan Butler also had a strong game in the Cal secondary, recording eight stops, including six solo hits. He also broke up two passes and blocked a kick.
Ruggiero completed 15-of-24 passes for 199 yards and the game-clinching TD to Forse, who had three receptions for 71 yards.
Making Noise For The Rock: The Rock, led by Corey Manfull's 175-yard, one touchdown effort, amassed 207 yards on the ground against a defense that came into the game as the nation's top-ranked defense against the run in Division II, allowing just 52.6 yards per game.
Tid-Bits: The win assured California (9-0, 5-0), ranked sixth in the latest AFCA national poll, of at least a share of its third straight PSAC-West title. The Vulcans also matched a school record for best start and consecutive wins..... The loss dropped Slippery Rock, ranked 24th in the AFCA poll, to 7-2, 2-2.....For Cal, it is the third straight year with five PSAC wins and the fifth time since 1960 Cal has won five league games in a season.
Cal Downs Bloomsburg 31-13
By BILL ALBRIGHT
September 9, 2007
CALIFORNIA (PA) -- When the Bloomsburg Husky football team squared off against the California Vulcans, it just might have been a preview of championship ramifications in the PSAC for the 2007 season.
One year ago, the Huskies won the Eastern Conference title, while the Vulcans captured the top spot in the West.
Saturday night at Adamson Stadium, the Vulcans had the upper hand as they defeated Bloomsburg, 31-13, in the battle of PSAC early season unbeatens.
"We took a couple of injuries that really mattered in a hot, humid day like this was," said Bloom coach Danny Hale. "We got a stupid start with the buses breaking down and maybe that was the sign of things to come once we got here. The whole trip was a little out of rhythm."
Hale knew coming in that Cal had a formidable defense and the Vulcans wasted no time at all showing it.
"Their defense was all it was stacked up to be," Hale said. "Even though we won the game, we struggled last year against their defense. Actually, it was our special teams play that we relied on and we played good enough on defense to come away with the victory. This year's (Cal) team is a little different than last year's and they didn't make the mistakes they did the last time."
The Vulcans scored on their first possession of the game and they made it look easy.
Starting on their own 18-yard line, Cal maneuvered the 82 yards on 10 plays, Brandon Lombardy carrying the mail from 18 yards out for the score with 9:24 left in the opening period.
After holding the Huskies to their second there-and-out in as many possessions, the Vulcans took over on the Bloomsburg 25.
After three plays only netted the Vulcans four yards, Tyler Lorenz drilled a knuckleball through the uprights from 42 yards out for a 10-0 Cal lead less than nine minutes into the game.
Not to let things get away from them, the Huskies, despite operating from deep in their own territory, took only four plays to march 86 yards for their first score, Jamar Brittingham going in untouched from eight yards out for the score. A big play on the drive was an 81-yard aerial connection from quarterback Dan Lattore to Brahin Bilal.
Jon Koenig's PAT cut the Cal lead to 10-7 with four minutes left in the opening period.
"We actually saw it on tape," said Bilal. "We knew they were going to play a lot of pressure man, and we said coming in that when we saw press man, we were going to go up top and it just happened."
Following the scoring barrage to open the game, the two teams settled in with the defenses controlling the tempo of the action.
The only scoring threat during the final 19 minutes of the first half came when the Huekise were flagged for a running into the kicker penalty. However, a 24-yard field goal attempt by Lorenz was wide and the the Vulcan remained at 10-7 at halftime.
"I am extremely happy with the way our guys battled back," said Hale. "I wouldn't have been totally surprised to see it roll right there. With what they are capable of doing moving the ball and having it bounce their way, our defense was on the field too long and that took a lot out of us."
Just as they did to open the game, the Vulcans scored on their first possession as they started in Bloomsburg territory at the 49. Seven plays later, Cal quarterback Joe Ruggiero hit tight end Cory Garver for a 10-yard scoring strike and with Lorenz's PAT, the Vulcan lead had grown back to 10 at 17-7 four minutes into the second half.
After the Vulcans turned a recovery of a Husky fumble into a touchdown, the Huskies used a little trickery to answer the scoring effort.
Jamar Brittingham found Bilal wide open behind the Cal secondary for a 38-yard scoring pass. The PAT was no good, but the Huskies stayed within striking distance at 24-13 Cal with six minutes left in the third period.
"The coaches have been on me all week to sell the fake, sell the fake," said Bilal. "I saw him come up, I sold the fake and all I was hoping that he (Brittingham) would get the ball to me."
Down the stretch, the Vulcans ran off six minutes of clock before sealing the deal with a 30-yard scoring aerial from quarterback Ruggiero.
The Cal victory over Bloomsburg is the first since the 1984 state championship game held in Hershey.
In addition to two of the elite programs in the PSAC doing battle, the contest was also a matchup between two of the nation's most talented running backs in Bloomsburg's Brittingham and Cal's Lombardy.
When that battle was over, the Vulcans not only won the war, Lombardy won the battle as he finished with 133 yards on 30 totes good for a pair of scores, while Brittinghamwould up with 62 yards on 13 tries.
Now 1-1, the Huskies return home to Redman Stadium to host the Edinboro Fighting Scots. Kickoff the that contest is set for 12 noon.
Cal’s Nate Forse Named PSAC West Offensive Player Of The Week
October 29, 2006
CALIFORNIA, PA - California Sr. WR Nate Forse (Uniontown, Pa./Laurel Highlands) was named the PSAC West Offensive Player of the Week after scoring two first-half touchdowns in the Vulcans' 35-20 victory at Shippensburg on Saturday.
Forse had four total receptions for a season-best 140 yards, including TD catches of 65 and 53 yards in the first half to erase Shippensburg leads.
He eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for in just 19 career games (now with 1,117) after transferring to Cal from West Virginia. His two TDs were his first two of the season and matched his total for the 2005 campaign.
Forse also recovered an on-side kick late in the fourth quarter after
Shippensburg's final score of the game to help seal the victory.
He is the third Vulcan player to win the PSAC Offensive award this season. Jr. RB Brandon Lombardy won the award after the season-opening win against Fairmont State, and Jr. QB Joe Ruggiero won the award in consecutive weeks after wins over Edinboro and Slippery Rock.
The 7-2 Vulcans are 4-0 in the PSAC West and tied for first place with Indiana, Pa. It's the first time Cal has been 4-0 in the West since 1968. Cal will put a five-game win streak on the line Saturday at Clarion (1 p.m.).
Courtesy of Sports Information Director Tom Byrnes.
Forse, Lombardy Lead Cal To 35-20 Win At Shippensburg
October 28, 2006
SHIPPENSBURG, PA - California overcame a pair of first-half turnovers that led to Shippensburg touchdowns to methodically pull away from the host Raiders for a 35-20 PSAC West football victory Saturday at Seth Grove Stadium.
Senior WR Nate Forse (Uniontown, Pa./Laurel Highlands) caught two long touchdown passes, Jr. LB Gary Butler (Pittsburgh, Pa./Langley) returned an interception for a TD and Soph. RB Brandon Lombardy (Moureland Hills, Ohio/Chagrin Falls) rushed for two TDs for the Vulcans.
The Vulcans, ranked sixth in the NCAA Division II Northeast Region and 25th in the D2Football.com national rankings, improved to 7-2 overall, 4-0 in the PSAC West. The Vulcans, who won their fifth-straight game and eighth-straight league game over the last two years, are tied with Indiana, Pa., for first place in the PSAC West.
Shippensburg (4-5, 2-2 PSAC West) suffered its second-straight loss and third-straight setback at home.
There was a sense of de ja vu early in the third quarter. Butler intercepted a pass and returned it 28 yards for a touchdown early in the third quarter, increasing Cal’s halftime lead to 21-13.
Last year at Shippensburg, an interception returned for a touchdown by DB Jared Dumm on the first possession of the second half increased Cal’s seven-point halftime lead on the way to a 41-13 triumph over the Raiders.
Butler’s interception put the Vulcans in the driver’s seat after a first half when the visitors had to rally twice to take a one-point halftime lead.
Shippensburg jumped out front early after recovering a Cal fumbled snap on the second play of the game. The Raiders converted it with an 18-yard scoring strike from QB Gabe Maiocco to Pat Ferguson for a 7-0 lead less than two minutes into the game.
It didn’t take long for Cal to get even. On Cal’s second play of the next possession, Jr. QB Joe Ruggiero (Detroit, Mich./Franklin) found Force on a post pattern. The play went 65 yards, Force’s longest catch of the season, to tie the game.
Early in the second quarter, James Rockymore intercepted a Ruggiero pass and sprinted 67 yards down the sideline in front of the Cal bench to paydirt.
Butler blocked the PAT kick, but the Raiders still owned a 13-7 lead.
Ruggiero and Force again hooked up to erase SU’s lead. On the first play, Ruggiero found Force with a sideline completion. Force was able to shake off the lone potential tackler in the area, and went 53 yards for his second score of the day.
Force finished with a season-high 140 yards on four receptions and scored his first two TDs of the season. He also eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for receiving yards in his two-year career at Cal (now 1,117).
So the Vulcans took a 14-13 lead to the break. Last year, Cal held a 14-10 lead over the Raiders at halftime, then used the Dumm TD, plus a blocked kick by Juan Butler recovered in the end zone for a TD, broke the game open in the second half.
This year, Gary Butler returned his first interception of the season 28 yards for a 21-13 lead, and Cal drove the length of the field on its next two possessions, each capped by a Lombardy TD run, to build a 35-13 advantage.
Lombardy, who had career-highs of 40 carries and 178 yards, bulled into the end zone from three yards out to finish an 84-yard drive. Midway through the fourth quarter, his dive to paydirt from two yards out capped a 74-yard drive. He now has 1,236 yards and 13 TDs this season.
Shippensburg gamely hung in against the 25th-ranked Raiders, driving 77 yards for an Aaron Dykes 10-yard TD run to stay within two scores of the visitors.
But Cal’s defense stiffened on Shippensburg’s last two possessions to secure the 15-point victory.
The Vulcans outgained the hosts, 427-244, and had a five-minute advantage in time of possession (32:46-27:14). The Cal defense, which was ranked fifth in the country in rushing entering the game, held the Raiders to 80 yards on the ground.
Jr. LB Josh Zunic (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) led the Vulcans with 10 total tackles, including three solo hits, while Jr. LB Brian Mohr (Beaver Falls, Pa./Riverside) added seven stops and a pass break up. Jr. DL Kirby Griffin (Rochester, Pa./Rochester) had two of his three tackles in the SU backfield, including a one-yard sack.
The Vulcans return to action Nov. 4 with a trip to face PSAC West rival Clarion (1 p.m.).
Courtesy of Sports Information Director Tom Byrnes.
Ruggiero Gains Second-Straight PSAC West Offensive Player Of The Week Award
October 15, 2006
California, PA - California junior quarterback Joe Ruggiero (Detroit, Mich./Franklin) was named the PSAC Offensive Player of the Week for the second-straight week after leading the Vulcans to a 24-14 Homecoming victory over Slippery Rock. Ruggiero connected on 22-of-35 passes for 223 yards, including an eight-yard scoring strike to senior WR Brandon Jackson. He also added a one-yard rushing touchdown in the final three minutes of the game that clinched the victory.
It was the 10th time Ruggiero has completed 20 or more passes in a game and the 11th time he's thrown for 200 yards in a game during his 20-game career at Cal. He also eclipsed the 4,000-yard passing mark (now at 4,198). He helped the Vulcans, ranked 11th in the NCAA Division II Northeast Region, improve to 5-2 overall. Cal, tied for first in the PSAC West with Indiana, Pa., each with 3-0 records, is off to its best start in league play since 1981.
The Vulcans will put a three-game win streak this season, and a 10-game run at Hepner-Bailey Field at Adamson Stadium over the past two seasons, on the line Saturday against Millersville (5 p.m.). It will be Youth Football Day and Take A Kid To The Game Day at Cal.
Courtesy of Sports Information Director Tom Byrnes.
Ruggiero Throws Cal Past Slippery Rock, 24-14
October 14, 2006
CALIFORNIA, PA - Jr. QB Joe Ruggiero (Detroit, Mich./Franklin) threw for one touchdown and ran for an insurance TD in the final three minutes of the game to lead California, Pa., to a 24-14 Homecoming victory over visiting
Slippery Rock.
Cal (5-2, 3-0 PSAC West), ranked #11 in the NCAA Div. II Northeast Region, extended its win streaks to three games and nine-straight home games over the past two years. It's the Vulcans best start in league play since 1981. Slippery Rock (4-3, 1-2 PSAC West) suffered its second-straight loss and third-straight setback at Cal's Adamson Stadium.
Ruggiero completed 22-of-35 passes for 223 yards, including an eight-yard scoring strike to Sr. WR Brandon Jackson (Monessen, Pa./Monessen) in the first quarter. Ruggiero went over 4,000 yards for career passing (4,198) and registered his 11th 200-yard performance in 20 career games.
Ruggiero also engineered a 17-play, 80-yard drive that took more than eight minutes off the clock in the fourth quarter and scampered into the end zone on a broken play on fourth-and-goal at the one to seal the victory.
The Vulcan defense, which held SRU to 29 rushing yards and 212 yards of total offense and had four second-half interceptions, including two by freshman Terrance Johnson (Braddock, Pa./Woodland Hills) and two by junior Josh Kemp (Westland, Pa./Ft. Cherry), Perry Kemp's nephew.
Slippery Rock QB Nate Crookshank had a 14-for-25 passing day for 183 yards, including a 31-yard TD strike to WR Luke Wetzel. Crookshank was sacked five times by Cal’s defense, including twice by Jr. DE Kirby Griffin (Rochester, Pa./Rochester).
Cal senior Marc Huddleston (Canton, Ohio/Canton McKinley) opened the game with a 100-yard kickoff return, breaking the school record for longest return set by former NFL standout Perry Kemp (98 yards vs. IUP in 1983). It was Huddleston's second career kickoff returned for six points.
Late in the first quarter, Cal drove 65 yards and took a 14-0 lead on Jackson's fourth TD reception of the season. Ruggiero's ninth TD pass of the season was also the 36th of his career.
Slippery Rock answered with a 72-yard scoring drive, capped by Wetzel's TD reception of 31 yards.
Midway through the second quarter, Fr. Tyler Lorenz (Savannah, Tenn./Savannah) drilled a 25-yard field goal, increasing Cal's lead to 17-7 at halftime.
In the second half, it was the Cal defense that held off the Rock's challenge. Four interceptions by Johnson and Kemp, all in Cal territory, denied the visitors from ever tying the game.
SRU cut Cal's lead to 17-14 with 5:50 left in the third quarter with a 10-play, 63-yard drive that was capped by a fourth-and-one conversion by RB Damarcus Cleckley.
With the help of a roughing the punter penalty, Cal was able to put the game away in the fourth quarter with a 17-play, 80-yard drive that took more than eight minutes off the clock.
The Vulcans tried to pound the ball in after a 4th-and-7 pass to WR Perry Ivery (Westland, Pa./Fort Cherry) netted 21 yards to the SRU eight-yard line.
Soph. RB Brandon Lombardy (Moureland Hills, Ohio/Chagrin Falls), the workhorse of the day with a career-high 32 carries for 140 yards, tried three times, but could only get within inches of the goal line.
Lombardy's number was called again on fourth down, but he ran past Ruggiero off left guard quicker than the QB could spin to get him the ball. Ruggiero quickly spotted a whole off left tackle, and he squirted through for the 24-14 Cal lead with just 2:32 left in the game.
NOTES: For the second-straight week, Cal had more than a 10-minute advantage in time of possession (35:33-24:27) ... Jr. DB Jermaine Moye (Rochester, Pa./Rochester) and LB Josh Zunic (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) led the Vulcans with seven tackles ... Zunic had two tackles for losses, including an eight-yard sack ... Griffin's sacks, netting 14 yards, raised his team-leading total to 5.5 for 33 yards ... The Vulcans host Millersville on Oct. 21 (5 p.m.) on Youth Football Day and Take A Kid To The Game Day at Hepner-Bailey Field at Adamson Stadium.
Courtesy of Sports Information Director Tom Byrnes.
Homecoming Weekend Features Cal Vs. Rock Clash
October 11, 2006
CALIFORNIA, PA – Homecoming Weekend is always an exciting time on a college campus. Alumni return to renew old friendships. Many special ceremonies dot the week¹s calendar, such as bonfires, Hall of Fame inductions, parades, the crowning of the King & Queen.
Homecoming Weekend generally culminates with the home football team taking on the challenge of a fierce rival. Slippery Rock¹s visit to Hepner-Bailey Field at Adamson Stadium Saturday brings special meaning for the California Vulcans, who are 4-2 overall and tied for first in the PSAC West with a 2-0 mark.
Cal is coming off an impressive 10-0 victory at Edinboro, which was the first shutout victory for the Vulcans since the opening game of the John Luckhardt Era (45-0 vs. Geneva in Week 1 of the 2002 season). The Vulcan defense held the Fighting Scots to just 37 yards rushing, and the Cal offense held a 13-minute advantage in time of possession.
It was Cal¹s first PSAC West shutout win since a 30-0 decision over Clarion in 1997. The win also snapped a nine-game losing streak at Edinboro¹s Sox Harrison Stadium that dated back to the 1987 campaign. The Vulcans are the defending PSAC West champs, but it¹s been since 1986 since a California football team was 2-0 in the PSAC West (1981 was the last time Cal opened PSAC West play with a 3-0 record).
Cal has never won consecutive PSAC West titles. To do that, and keep their NCAA playoff aspirations alive, Saturday¹s Homecoming game vs. Slippery Rock (4-2, 1-1 PSAC West) is huge. Added incentive is the memory of last year¹s lone PSAC West setback, a 28-21 decision at Slippery Rock, which probably cost the Vulcans their first-ever NCAA postseason bid.
So while all the hoopla of Homecoming Weekend surrounds the University, the Vulcan football squad will be busy focusing on the objective – Slippery Rock.
SRU was riding the wave of a four-game win streak since a season-opening loss at Division I-AA Youngstown State when Shippensburg visited DiSpirito Field at Thompson Stadium Saturday night. The Raiders spoiled The Rock¹s bid to keep pace with Cal and IUP (both 2-0) in the PSAC West standings by upending the hosts, 28-21. Ironically, that¹s the same score as SRU¹s victory over Cal last year the week before the Vulcans beat Edinboro at Adamson Stadium on Homecoming Weekend.
Both teams feature a superb passing game.
Slippery Rock junior Nate Crookshank is third in the PSAC in passing, completing 66.7% of his passes and averaging 208.5 yards per game. His primary targets are Colin Golden (32 rec., 283 yards, 2 TDs) and Luke Wetzel (24 rec., 468 yds., 6 TDs).
The Vulcans counter with junior Joe Ruggiero (Detroit, Mich./Franklin), who leads the PSAC in completion percentage (68.3%) while averaging 199.2 yards per game.
Ruggiero enters Saturday¹s game needing 25 passing yards to reach 4,000 for his career. Ruggiero¹s primary targets are seniors Marc Huddleston (Canton, Ohio/Canton-McKinley), who has 32 receptions for 320 yards 5 TDs, along with Nate Force (Uniontown, Pa./Laurel Highlands), who has 27 receptions for 370 yards.
Cal also provides a rushing attack, led by sophomore Brandon Lombardy (Mourland Hills, Ohio/Chagrin Falls), who ranks second in the PSAC with 125.7 yards per game and 10 TDs). Slippery Rock¹s rushing game ranks fourth in the PSAC (166.0 ypg.), but will have to contend with Cal¹s top-ranked rushing defense (63.7 ypg.).
The Vulcans have won eight straight games at home, and The Rock is winless in its last two trips to Hepner-Bailey Field at Adamson Stadium (since 2001).
All those stats, streaks and fanfare will be meaningless with the 3 p.m. opening kickoff.
NOTES: Live broadcasts of the game will be available via web stream on the Cal athletics website (www.calvulcans.com) and on WCAL radio (91.9 FM), which is also available on the Cal athletics website. It will also be available on CUTV on a delayed basis.
Courtesy of Sports Information Director Tom Byrnes.
Joe Ruggiero Named PSAC West Offensive Player Of The Week
October 9, 2006
California junior quarterback Joe Ruggiero (Detroit, Mich./Franklin) was named the PSAC West Offensive Player of the Week after throwing for 197 yards and one TD in Saturday's 10-0 win at Edinboro.
Ruggiero completed 22-of-32 passes against the Fighting Scots, the ninth time in 19 career games he has completed more than 20 passes in a game. He also carried the ball twice for 17 yards, giving him 214 yards total offense.
He threw a one-yard TD pass to blocking back Mike Dodson (Waldorf, Md./Thomas Stone) late in the first quarter for the only TD of the game.
For the season, Ruggiero has completed 95-of-139 passes (PSAC best 68.3%) for 996 yards and eight touchdowns. He will enter next week's PSAC West clash vs. Slippery Rock (Cal's Homecoming game, 3 p.m.) needing 25 yards to reach 4,000 in career passing yards.
Courtesy of Sports Information Director Tom Byrnes.
Mike Dodson, Cal Defense Post 10-0 Shutout At Edinboro
EDINBORO, PA - “Everybody’s chasing us.”
That was head coach John Luckhardt as he walked away from his post-game press conference after his Vulcan football team erased more demons with a 10-0 PSAC West win at Edinboro Saturday.
Soph. LB Mike Dodson (Waldorf, Md./Thomas Stone), who was lined up as a blocking back, scored the only touchdown of the game on a one-yard pass from Jr. QB Joe Ruggiero (Detroit, Mich./Franklin) in the final seconds of the first quarter, and Fr. PK Tyler Lorenz (Savannah, Tenn./Savannah) converted a 35-yard field goal late in the second quarter to account for all the scoring.
The defending PSAC West champs are now 4-2 overall, 2-0 in the West. The other teams that are 2-0 in the West both have to beat the Vulcans on their home turf this season. Slippery Rock will take its shot next week (Oct. 14) on Cal’s Homecoming Weekend (3 p.m.). Indiana, Pa., will visit Hepner-Bailey Field at Adamson Stadium on Nov. 11.
The Vulcan defense celebrated its first shutout since Luckhardt’s first game at Cal, a 45-0 decision over Geneva in Week One of the 2001 season. Edinboro suffered its first shutout loss since a 7-0 decision vs. Clarion in 2000. And Cal snapped a nine-game losing streak at Sox Harrison Stadium, dating back to the 1987 season.
Cal’s defense held Edinboro to 270 yards total offense, including just 37 on the ground, and the offense controlled the ball for more than 36 minutes to keep the Fighting Scots’ offense off the field.
Edinboro penetrated Cal territory on four times the entire game and only reached the red zone once. The best scoring chance for the hosts was stopped when Jr. LB Brian Mohr (Beaver Falls, Pa./Riverside) stole the ball from the Edinboro running back at the Cal 13 yard line.
The Vulcan defensive line of juniors Andre Williams (Pittsburgh, Pa./Central Catholic), Kirby Griffin (Rochester, Pa./Rochester) and sophomore Willie Walker (Aliquippa, Pa./Aliquippa) combined to bat down four passes and two sacks.
The offense was strong, but only finished two possessions. Cal was stopped on a fourth-and-one at the Edinboro two yard line on the first possession of the game. The Vulcans also lost a fumble into the end zone from the two-yard line in the final minute of the second quarter. All four Cal possessions in the second half reached Edinboro territory, including once inside the 20, but failed to put points on the board.
The workhorse of the offense was Soph. RB Brandon Lombardy (Mourland Hills, Ohio/Chagrin Falls), who gained 126 yards on 30 carries against the best rushing defense in the PSAC. Edinboro entered the game allowing just 62.4 yards on the ground through five games and was ranked No. 1 in the PSAC.
Ruggiero kept the Edinboro defense off balance by completing 22-of-32 passes for 197 yards, utilizing nine different receivers. It was the ninth time in 19 career games that Ruggiero has completed 20 or more passes, and he finished the game just 25 yards shy of 4,000 passing yards for his career.
Senior wideouts Nate Forse (Uniontown, Pa./Laurel Highlands) and Marc Huddleston (Canton, Ohio/Canton McKinley) each had five receptions while Lombardy had four.
The Vulcans opened the game by driving to Edinboro’s two-yard line, but turning the ball over on downs when the hosts stopped Lombardy on fourth and one.
Later in the period, Fr. DB Terrence Johnson (Braddock, Pa./Woodland Hills) blocked an Edinboro punt, and Dodson recovered it at the Fighting Scots’ six-yard line.
Two Lombardy rushes pushed the ball to the one, but Ruggiero faced the handoff to Lombardy up the middle on third down, rolled right and had Dodson wide open in the corner of the end zone for six points. Dodson scored on a similar playagainst Cheyney in 2005.
In the second quarter, Cal drove 69 yards on 11 plays to Edinboro’s 18, but settled for a 35-yard FG by Lorenz, his sixth three-pointer of the season.
Cal’s two-minute offense was driving for a score just before halftime when Lombardy broke loose over the left side from the 24-yard line. As he was fighting to reach the goal line, the ball popped loose and was recovered by Edinboro in the end zone for a touchback.
Edinboro’s best threat in the second half was its opening drive. The Fighting Scots moved to the Cal 21, but a 38-yard field goal was wide left. The hosts only saw Cal territory one more time the rest of the game, and that drive ended when the Vulcan defense held on a fourth-and-two rush at the 35-yard line.
The Vulcans will host Slippery Rock Saturday (10/14) at 3 p.m. in the annual Homecoming Weekend game at Hepner-Bailey Field at Adamson Stadium.
Courtesy of Sports Information Director Tom Byrnes.
First Quarter Explosion Lifts Cal Football Past Lock Haven, 51-7
September 30, 2006
CALIFORNIA, PA - Soph. Brandon Lombardy (Mourland Hills, Ohio/Chagrin Falls) rushed for two touchdowns in the first five minutes of the game, and junior corner back Josh Kemp (Westland, Pa./Fort Cherry) returned an interception and a fumble for scores in Saturday’s 51-7 PSAC West football victory over Lock Haven at Hepner-Bailey Field at Adamson Stadium.
It was Cal's eighth-straight win at Hepner-Bailey Field at Adamson Stadium and third-straight vs. the Bald Eagles.
Lombardy rushed for TDs from 8 and 89 yards on Cal’s first two possessions, helping the Vulcans (3-2, 1-0 PSAC West) break loose for a 37-0 first-quarter lead. Lombardy finished with a game-high 119 yards on 10 carries and moved into a tie for 15th place on the Vulcan's career touchdown list with Pete Gialames, who scored 17 from 1965-58.
Defensive lineman Willie Walker (Aliquippa, Pa./Aliquippa) returned an interception 15 yards for six points and the Vulcans blocked a punt out of the end zone for a safety to highlight Cal’s first-quarter explosion.
Kemp added a 50-yard interception return to the end zone in the third quarter and a 24-yard fumble return in the fourth quarter for the Vulcans, the defending PSAC West champion. The Cal defense forced four Bald Eagle turnovers.
Lock Haven (1-4, 0-1 PSAC West) was led by freshman QB Ilio DiPaolo, who finished with 174 passing yards (21-for-37). The Bald Eagles were held to four net yards rushing and 178 yards total offense on 72 plays. Cal finished with 337 yards on 49 snaps.
The victory lifted head coach John Luckhardt into a tie for fifth place on Cal's all-time coaching wins list. Luckhardt's 27-20 record in four-plus seasons at Cal equals the final total for P.S. Alison, who posted a 27-14-2 overall mark from 1920-25.
The victory also improved junior QB Matt Humbert's (Uniontown, Pa./Laurel Highland) record as a starter for the Vulcans. Humbert, who played in place of junior Joe Ruggiero, improved to 4-2 as a starter by completing 10-of-16 passes for 111 yards, including a 10-yard scoring strike to Sr. WR Brandon Jackson (Monessen, Pa./Monessen) in the final seconds of the first quarter.
Cal took the opening possession and drove 60 yards in five plays, capped by an eight-yard scoring run by Lombardy. Three minutes later, Lombardy went off left tackle for an 89-yard scoring sprint, the longest of his career, to give Cal a 14-0 lead with 10:06 left in the first quarter.
On Cal's next possession, after LH was stuffed on a fourth-and-one at midfield, Fr. RB Steffan Brinson (Verona, Pa./Woodland Hills) burst 39 yards for his first career score and a 21-0 Cal advantage.
The defense then got into the act when LB Darren Burns (McKeesport, Pa./McKeesport) blocked a pass attempt, and the ball landed in the hands of Walker, who barreled 15 yards for the first of three defensive scores.
Cal's special teams got into the act two minutes later when LB Gary Butler (Pittsburgh, Pa./Langley) blocked a punt through the end zone for a safety.
Cal quickly moved down field after the free kick, and Humbert's 10-yard TD pass to Jackson gave the Vulcans a 37-0 lead with 18 seconds left in the first quarter.
LHU broke the shutout with a 63-yard drive in the second quarter, aided by several Cal penalties. DiPaolo's seven-yard TD pass to Andrew Breiner with 4:41 left in the half proved to be all the Bald Eagles could muster.
In the third quarter, Kemp picked off his third pass of the season directly in the middle of the Vulcan logo at midfield and broke down the right sideline for the score.
In the fourth quarter, Kemp gathered in LHU's fourth turnover of the day and rambled 24 yards down the left sideline to paydirt.
Kemp finished with four tackles, including three solo hits and one for a loss. Junior LB Brian Mohr (Beaver Falls, Pa./Riverside) led the Vulcans with four solo hits and seven stops, including a nine-yard sack and a two-yard tackle for loss.
The Vulcans travel to Edinboro on Oct. 7 to battle the Fighting Scots, who dropped a 23-20 overtime decision to Indiana, Pa. Saturday. It'll be Homecoming Weekend at Edinboro for the 2 p.m. kickoff between the two teams that finished with 5-1 PSAC West records in 2005.
Courtesy of Sports Information Director Tom Byrnes.
Cal Hosts Lock Haven On Family Day
September 28, 2006
CALIFORNIA, PA - Two things are certain at the beginning of a new football season. First, every team has an opportunity to win a league championship. Second, every team wants to knock off the defending champion. Regardless of what happens this year or in the future, the members of the 2005 California Vulcans will always have their championship trophy.
Saturday's game pitting California vs. Lock Haven at Hepner-Bailey Field at Adamson Stadium begins a new quest for PSAC West football supremacy.
The Vulcans (2-2) and Bald Eagles (1-3) are two of seven teams aiming for the same prize. The Vulcans tasted the champaign of victory last year. The Bald Eagles are among six other teams in the division looking to knock the defending champs off their thrown.
Lock Haven is a young team under second-year coach John Klacik. The Bald Eagles, in a re-building mode, gained some confidence last week with a 24-21 victory at Mansfield, snapping an eight-game losing streak that extended back to Week 6 of the 2005 campaign. It also stopped a seven-game slide in road games, dating back to a 17-16 decision at Cheyney to open the 2005 season.
California will look to rebound from its second consecutive setback against traditionally-strong PSAC Eastern teams. The Vulcans, who were nationally ranked before losing at Bloomsburg (9/9) and East Stroudsburg (9/23) by a total of 12 points, are also looking to win consecutive PSAC West titles for the first time in team history.
Both teams want a shot at the title. The six-game PSAC West schedule starts Saturday.
Lock Haven freshman Ilio DiPaolo was the Sept. 24 PSAC West Offensive Player of the Week. He anchored a second-half comeback against Mansfield that included 19-of-37 pass completions for 226 yards, the highest output for a
Bald Eagle QB in two seasons. He threw a 69-yard pass late in the fourth quarter that set up LH's game-winning score.
Defensively, the Bald Eagles feature balance. Five different players have led or shared the team lead in tackles through the first four games of the season, including strong safety Cory Gildea (11 vs. Southern Illinois), safety David Show (seven vs. East Stroudsburg), linebacker Derek Harsh (tied with Show, each with 10 vs. Millersville) and defensive end Demetrius Wilson and linebacker Luke Ellison (tied with Harsch, 8 vs. Mansfield).
Show is the show for LH, ranking ninth in the PSAC in hits (31, 7.8 per game). Harsch (29, 7.2) and linebacker Jonathan Nalewak (20, 6.7) are also among the PSAC tackles leaders.
Cal answers with an explosive offense and a defense that is strong, but has been challenged.
The offense can run up big numbers, either on the ground or through the air.
The veteran offensive line has allowed Soph. RB Brandon Lombardy to average 127.2 yards per game, which ranks second in the PSAC, and score eight times in the first four games of the season. Freshman Steffan Brinson and sophomore ReMaro Rush have also exploded onto the scene when given the opportunity.
The passing game has also been strong behind the right arm of 2005 PSAC West first-team all-star QB Joe Ruggiero and the receiving tandem of seniors Marc Huddleston and Nate Forse.
Ruggiero is among the PSAC leaders is passing yards per game (199.8), total offense (198.2) and pass efficiency (146.9 rating). The offensive line has
generally given Ruggiero time to throw, and he's responded by tossing seven scoring strikes while giving up just three interceptions. Ruggiero was injured in Saturday¹s loss at East Stroudsburg, but his status is probable for the PSAC West opener against the Bald Eagles. Classmate Matt Humbert has shown on numerous occasions in the last three years that he is more than capable if called upon.
Huddleston (23-for-234, 5 TDs) and Force (21-for-287, 0 TDs) have been the primary targets this season, but senior captain Brandon Jackson (13-for-187, 2 TDs) also leads an impressive group of receivers.
Defensively, juniors Josh Zunic and Brian Mohr lead what may be the most talented group of linebackers in the PSAC. Zunic leads the Vulcans with 28 total tackles (14 solo), including a sack, and has recovered a fumble. Mohr has 25 stops (five solo) and has an interception.
At kickoff Saturday, credentials and history mean nothing. The Vulcans and Bald Eagles will battle for the right to be 1-0 and sharing the lead atop PSAC West standings.
Courtesy of Sports Information Director Tom Byrnes.
25th-Ranked Cal Football Loses 41-34 At East Stroudsburg
September 23, 2006
EAST STROUDSBURG, PA -- Junior quarterback Joe Ruggiero (Detroit, Mich./Franklin) threw three touchdown passes and pushed Cal to a pair of 17-point leads in the first half, but East Stroudsburg QB Jimmy Terwilliger led a second-half rally to gain a 41-34 non-league football victory over the 25th-ranked Vulcans Saturday.
Ruggiero completed 17-of-24 passes for 240 yards and three scores, including a pair of scoring tosses to Sr. WR Marc Huddleston (Canton, Ohio/Canton-McKinley), before leaving the game with an unknown injury in the second half.
Terwilliger, the 2005 Harlon Hill Award winner as the Division II Player of the Year, responded by completing 23-of-43 passes for 389 yards and four TDs. It was the 24th time in his career Terwilliger threw for more than 300 yards.
His primary target was senior WR Evan Prall, who tied an ESU record for most receptions in a game (14-for-186 yards, 1 TD). Terwilliger also threw two scoring strikes to WR Doug Ogden and contributed a team-high 50 net rushing yards.
Both teams evened their record at 2-2 and combined for 706 yards of total offense.
Cal's defense picked off the first three interceptions Terwilliger has thrown in 2006 but surrendered 398 yads of total offense as ESU controlled the time of possession (33:08). Cal had the ball for just under 27 minutes in the game, including 12 minutes in the first quarter.
The Vulcans scored on their first five possessions of the first half, taking leads of 24-7 and 31-14. Ruggiero threw TD passes to Huddleston (5 & 60 yards) and Sr. WR Brandon Jackson (Monessen, Pa./Monessen) of eight yards.
Cal added a six-yard TD run by Soph. RB Brandon Lombardy (Moureland Hills, Ohio/Chagrin Falls) and the first of two field goals Fr. PK Tyler Lorenz (Savannah, Tenn./Savannah).
Lorenz' 24-yard first-half three-pointer followed a 92-yard touchdown run by Lombardy that was negated in ESU territory by an illegal block penalty. He added a 28-yard FG in the third quarter that tied the game with 4:41 left.
Terwilliger ignited ESU's rally early in the second quarter, driving the hosts 74 yards for ESU's first score. A 37-yard pass to Wes Lindsey highlighted the drive.
ESU tried to keep pace, but interceptions by linebackers Brian Mohr (Beaver Falls, Pa./Riverside), Darren Burns (McKeesport, Pa./McKeesport) and safety Jermaine Moye (Rochester, Pa./Rochester) slowed the Warriors. They were the first interceptions thrown this season by Terwilliger.
The Warriors scored two TDs in the final 4:03 of the first half to stay within 10 points at halftime (31-21). In the second half, ESU had only four possessions, but drove for touchdowns on the first three and used the final possession to run off the final 7:58 on the clock to secure the victory.
Cal's offense struggled in the second half as Ruggiero tried to play through an injury. He was lifted from the lineup in the fourth quarter in favor of Jr. Matt Humbert (Uniontown, Pa./Laurel Highlands), who completed 4-of-6 passes for 77 yards.
On his second possession, Humbert drove the Vulcans to ESU's 15-yard line before a pair of proceedure penalties forced Cal to settle for a field goal attempt, which sailed wide right.
ESU never relinquished possession of the ball, gaining five first downs and 58 yards while running out the clock.
Linebackers Josh Zunic (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny), who had a team-high four solo hits, Mike Dodson (Waldorf, Md./Thomas Stone) and Mohr each registered eight tackles for Cal. Mohr and Burns and Moye all had two pass break ups.
Jr. DL Kirby Griffin (Rochester, Pa./Rochester) had two of Cal's four tackles in the ESU backfield, including an 11-yard sack.
The Vulcans return to Hepner-Bailey Field Saturday (9/30) for a Family Day showdown against PSAC West rival Lock Haven (6 p.m.).
Courtesy of Sports Information Director Tom Byrnes.
#25 Cal Football Heads To East Stroudsburg Saturday
September 21, 2006
CALIFORNIA, PA – East Stroudsburg senior QB Jimmy Terwilliger was the 2005 Harlon Hill Award winner as the best player in NCAA Division II. He led the Warriors to an 11-3 overall record and a berth in the NCAA Tournament semifinals.
Terwilliger, the son of Warriors Offensive Coordinator Mike Terwilliger, and wide receiver Evan Prall are both 2006 preseason first-team All-Americans and possibly the most dangerous duo in the country. In last week's 35-20 loss at Indiana, Pa., Terwilliger eclipsed the 12,000-yard mark for career passing yards, breaking the NCAA Division II career record.
That aerial attack is what's in store for the 25th-ranked California football program, and specifically the defensive unit, as the Vulcans (2-1) take another shot at the national stage when they face the Warriors (1-2) Eiler-Martin Stadium on the ESU campus Saturday.
The game will be broadcast on WCAL radio (FM 91.9) and also available on the internet (www.calvulcans.com). The game will also be televised in Eastern Pa. on the Blue Ridge Cable TV network (Palmerton, Pa.).
Cal is the defending PSAC West champion and was ready to upset 13th-ranked Bloomsburg on Sept. 9 before two turnovers led to 14 points as the Huskies rallied from a 10-3 fourth-quarter deficit for a 24-19 victory.
That loss dropped Cal from 17th in the national rankings to the others receiving votes category. After beating Cheyney 43-8 last week (9/16), the Vulcans moved back into the national poll at the 25th position.
The Vulcans need to show national voters they can win on the road against teams with a strong football tradition, such as Bloomsburg, East Stroudsburg and Edinboro (10/7). Jimmy Terwilliger and the explosive ESU offense will provide the test this week.
Cal's defense is the second-toughest squad in the PSAC to score against, allowing just 13.7 points through three games. The Vulcans also average surrendering just 75 rushing yards per game (3rd in PSAC) and 268.3 yards total offense (4th in PSAC).
In three games, Cal has surrendered only one sustained TD drive that was primarily a ground attack – that being an 80-yard scoring drive featuring All-American RB Jamar Brittingham early in the fourth quarter at Bloomsburg.
With the rush defense so stingy, opponents have turned to the air to challenge the Vulcans and are averaging 193.3 yards per game (10th in PSAC).
The Warriors rank in the middle of the pack in rushing offense (8th out of 14, 111.7 ypg.), total offense (6th, 340.0 ypg.) and scoring offense (7th, 24.0 ppg.). But the ESU passing offense is third in the PSAC, averaging 228.3 yards per game.
That will put pressure on the Cal defense to constantly pressureTerwilliger, who is also an excellent scrambler, and blanket the ESU receiving corps, especially Prall.
The Cal linebacking corps, led by juniors Josh Zunic (Wexford, Pa./West Allegheny), Brian Mohr (Beaver Falls, Pa./Riverside) as well as sophomores Darren Burns (McKeesport, Pa./McKeesport) and Mike Dodson (Waldorf, Md./Thomas Stone) has been strong and will take turns blitzing the passer and dropping back into coverage. They are the top four tacklers on the team through Cal¹s first three games.
The Cal defense also features junior end Kirby Griffin (Rochester, Pa./Rochester), who has a team-high 2.5 tackles for losses, including one of Cal's four sacks, as well as strong safety Josh Kemp (Westland, Pa./Fort Cherry), who has two of Cal's three interceptions and has forced two fumbles.
One of the primary weapons Cal coach John Luckhardt hopes to utilize to keep the ESU offense in check is ball control by the Vulcan offense. Cal's offense, which has outscored its opponents 88-41, also has more than an eight-minute advantage in average time of possession this season (34:11-25:49).
Cal will showcase its gunslinger in junior QB Joe Ruggiero (Detroit, Mich./Franklin), who is among the PSAC leaders in passing yards per game (186.3), total offense (185.0) and passing efficiency (135.1 rating). The 2005 PSAC West first-team all-star, Ruggiero went over 3,500 career passing yards in his 17th game at Cal and has a 30-9 career TD-to-interception ratio.
Seniors Marc Huddleston (Canton, Ohio/Canton McKinley) and Nate Forse (Uniontown, Pa./Laurel Highlands) have been Ruggiero¹s primary targets this season.
Huddleston, one of Cal's primary kick returners, leads the team with 15 catches (119 yards) and three receiving TDs while Forse has 14 receptions for a team-leading 170 yards. Senior Brandon Jackson (Monessen, Pa./Monessen) also has nine catches for 121 yards and a TD.
The Vulcans offense ranks among the top four in all four PSAC categories – rushing (2nd, 211.0 ypg.), passing (4th, 202.3 ypg.), total offense (2nd, 413.3 ypg.) and scoring (4th, 29.3 ppg.).
The Cal rushing game has been the reason for the increased time of possession and will test the ESU defense, which ranks 12th in the PSAC in rushing yards allowed (213.3) and ninth in total defense (328.0 ypg.).
Sophomore Brandon Lombardy (Moureland Hills, Ohio/Chagrin Falls) is the primary ball carrier, but gets plenty of support from freshman Steffan Brinson (Verona, Pa./Woodland Hills) and the veteran Cal offensive line, led by pre-season All-American Tim McCutcheon (Sewickley, Pa./Quaker Valley) along with former PSAC all-stars Akil Patterson (Frederick, Md./Frederick) and Carl Jay (Pittsburgh, Pa./Peabody).
Lombardy is second in the PSAC and 12th in the country in rushing yards per game (125.0). He has already matched his seven touchdowns scored in 2005, thanks to a career-high three TDs in the first half of Saturday's 43-8 win over Cheyney, and exceeded his total of 256 net rushing yards in last year.
Cal’s kicking game is also stronger this year with the emergence of freshman Tyler Lorenz (Savannah, Tenn./Savannah), who was 3-for-4 in field goal attempts vs. Cheyney. Lorenz is 4-for-7 for the season, which is more than twice the number of field goals Cal attempted in the 2005 season (2-for-3).
NOTES: Following Saturday's game at ESU, the Vulcans return to Hepner-BaileyField at Adamson Stadium for a Family Day showdown against PSAC West rivalLock Haven (Sept. 30, 6 p.m. kickoff.
Courtesy of Sports Information Director Tom Byrnes.
Lombardy, Lorenz Lift Cal Past Cheyney, 43-8
September 16, 2006
CALIFORNIA, PA - Sophomore Brandon Lombardy rushed for a career-high three touchdowns, all in the first half, and freshman Tyler Lorenz added three field goals to lead California, Pa., to a 43-8 non-league football victory over Cheyney (0-3) at Hepner-Bailey Field at Adamson Stadium Saturday.
It was Cal’s 12th-straight win in the series against the Wolves and seventh-straight home victory. Cheyney’s losing streak was extended to 11 games.
Lombardy, who did not play in the second half, finished with a game-high 95 rushing yards on 10 carries. He scored twice in the first quarter, both from the four-yard line, and added a 22-yard scoring burst midway through the second quarter. His seven TDs this season equal his season total for the 2005 campaign.
Junior QB Joe Ruggiero also threw two first-half TD passes as the Vulcans (2-1) took a 40-0 lead in the first half. Ruggiero was 16-for-22 for 156 yards in just 30 minutes and moved over the 3,500-yard mark for career passing yards (3,538 yards in 16 games).
Cheyney’s offense, which managed 215 yards total offense, was led by QB Derrick Murry, who completed 12-of-25 passes for 183 yards, including a 12-yard TD strike to Ray Feamster in the final minute of the third quarter.
Cal’s fifth-year coach John Luckhardt (26-19) also moved into a tie for sixth place with former Cal head coach and longtime Penn State assistant coach Earle Bruce (26-6 from 1946-49) on the Vulcan career wins.
Cal finished with 483 yards total offense, including 279 with the rushing game. The Vulcans had 23 first downs to just eight for Cheyney. Cal’s defense forced two Cheyney turnovers.
Cal scored on its first eight possessions of the game and gained possession inside the Cheyney 15-yard line three times in the first half. Cheyney’s first possession ended with the first of two fumbles at its own 13-yard line. Two plays later, Lombardy bulled into the end zone from four yards out.
Lorenz made it 10-0 midway through the period with a 30-yard field goal, the first of three for the freshman from Savannah, Tenn. During the 10-game schedule of 2005, Cal only attempted three field goals (making two). This year, Lorenz is 4-for-7 from three-point range.
Lombardy increased Cal’s lead to 17-0 with a four-yard scoring run late in the first quarter, capping a 47-yard drive after a short Cheyney punt.
Early in the second quarter, Ruggiero threw his first TD pass of the game, a seven-yard strike to Sr. WR Marc Huddleston, who has a scoring reception in each of Cal’s three games this year.
Ruggiero, who topped the 3,500-yard mark for career passing yards (now with 3,538 yards and 30 TDs in 16 games), added a second TD aerial late in the first half to Jr. WR Brandon Jackson from 11-yards out. It’s the eighth time in Ruggiero’s career he’s thrown at least two TD passes in a game.
Lorenz added his second and third field goals, from 22 and 34 yards, to complete Cal’s scoring.
Late in the third quarter, Cheyney QB Derrick Murry drove the Wolves 80 yards on nine plays, breaking the shutout with a 12-yard pass to Ray Feamster. Murry finished with 183 yards on 12-for-25 passing.
Defensively, Jr. LB Josh Zunic led the Vulcans with six tackles and his first fumble recovery of the season. Zunic reached the century mark in career tackles, now with 102.
Other standouts for the Cal defense included Juan Butler with four hits, Willie Walker with three stops, including two in the Cheyney backfield, and Rich Dublak, who had three tackles, including a seven-yard sack, and a fumble recovery.
The Vulcans return to action Saturday (9/23, 1:05 p.m.) with a non-league clash at East Stroudsburg, which went to the NCAA Tournament semifinals in 2005 and boast the passing combination of QB Jimmy Terwilliger, the 2005 Harlon Hill Trophy winner, and WR Evan Prall.
Supplied by Sports Information Director Tom Byrnes.
Cal Hosts Cheyney On Band Day
September 14, 2006
CALIFORNIA, PA – Entering the 2006 football season, most PSAC football fans pointed to Cals schedule and saw key games dotting the first half of the slate:
The season-opener at home vs. Fairmont State would be televised live nationally.
Then, the first three road games would feature trips to nationally-ranked PSAC East teams (Bloomsburg and East Stroudsburg) along with a trip to PSAC West rival Edinboro, which also posted a 5-1 league record in 2005.
Fans might also look at Cals Sept. 30 home game vs. Lock Haven as a key because its the first as the Vulcans defend their PSAC championship for the first time in two decades.
Few, if any, gave more than a glance at Cal¹s Sept. 16 home game against Cheyney (5 p.m.). The Wolves rarely win more than a couple of games per year and were beaten by five touchdowns at Adamson Stadium last year.
However, coaches know those are some of the toughest games to prepare for, and are often the ones that make the headlines the day after the game because of a big upset.
On paper, the Vulcans will be picked to win the game. On Hepner-Bailey Field, Cheyney will want to knock off the defending champs.
It will be Band Day at Adamson Stadium, with eight bands from Pittsburgh city high schools performing for what is hoped to be a large crowd on a Saturday evening in mid-September.
Cal will also need to erase the taste of last week¹s disappointing 24-19 setback at 13th-ranked Bloomsburg. The 17th-ranked Vulcans entered the fourth quarter with a 10-point lead, but two turnovers on special teams led to 14 BU points and a 21-point Huskies surge in an eight-minute span. That loss dropped Cal out of the AFCA Top 25 rankings.
The Vulcan defense played well throughout the game. Linebackers Josh Zunic (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny), Brian Mohr (Beaver Falls, Pa./Riverside), Darren Burns (McKeesport, Pa./McKeesport) and Mike Dodson (Waldorf, Md./Thomas Stone) led an effort that surrendered only one scoring drive by the highly-touted Bloomsburg rushing game.
Cal’s defense held Bloomsburg to 134 rushing yards, 150 passing yards (284 yards total offense) and 12 touchdowns. The Huskies were inside the Cal red zone five times and scored three times, but two of those were after Vulcan turnovers.
After an inconsistent first half, in which Cal penetrated BU¹s 40 yard line several times but couldn¹t finish with points, the Vulcan offense showed its strength with two scoring drives in the third quarter, both capped by Soph. RB Brandon Lombardy (Moureland Hills, Ohio/Chagrin Falls) touchdown runs.
Lombardy reached the century mark (105 yards on 14 carries) and scored two TDs for the second-straight week. Backfield mate Steffan Brinson (Verona, Pa./Woodland Hills) was also effective, finishing with 80 yards on 15 carries (both season highs).
Lombardy and Brinson were particularly strong up when running through the left side of the line. Seniors Carl Jay (Pittsburgh, Pa./Peabody), Akil Patterson (Frederick, Md./Frederick), manning the left side of the line, along with center Tim McCutcheon (Sewickley, Pa./Quaker Valley), were able to provide running room for the Vulcan backs.
Quarterback Joe Ruggiero (Detroit, Mich./Franklin) completed 20 passes for the eighth time in 16 career games, including seven to Sr. WR Marc Huddleston (Canton, Ohio/Canton McKinley) for 69 yards and a 22-yard fourth-quarter score. Huddleston, who also returns punts and kickoffs, went over the 2,000-yard plateau for career all-purpose yards last week.
The Vulcans will need to get back on the winning track, and Cheyney provides the opposition. The Wolves are 0-2, including losses at Clark Atlanta (23-20) and at home against Indiana, Pa. (33-6).
Soph. Jameel Felder was featured last week, scoring Cheyney¹s touchdown early in the game to take the lead against IUP, and adding several tackles on defense. Felder also had a team-high 12 hits in the loss at Clark Atlanta.
The passing game is led by Jr. QB Derrick Murry, who was named the PSAC East Offensive Player of the Week after completing 20-of-37 attempts for 259 yards and three touchdowns at Clark Atlanta. He connected with nine different receivers in the season-opening contest.
Defensively, LB Joseph Okafor was in on 10 tackles while Tyree Cooper contributed to seven stops against IUP.
NOTES: Following tonights game against Cheyney, the Vulcans travel across the state again for a clash against East Stroudsburg (9/23, 1:05 p.m.). The Warriors advanced to the NCAA semifinals last year and return the 2005 Harlon Hill Award winner in QB Jimmy Terwilliger. Cals next home game is Sept. 30 vs. Lock Haven (Family Day, 6 p.m. kickoff). The game will be broadcast live by WCAL radio (FM 91.9), which can also be heard on the Cal website (www.calvulcans.com).
Supplied by Sports Information Director Tom Byrnes.
Bloomsburg Scores Three Times In The Fourth Quarter For A 24-19 Win Over Cal
September 9, 2006
BLOOMSBURG, PA - Bloomsburg scored three fourth quarter touchdowns in less than eight minutes, two after special teams turnovers, as the 13th-ranked Huskies rallied for a 24-19 non-league football victory over 17th-ranked California Saturday.
Cal (1-1), ranked 17th in the country by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), snapped a six-game winning streak, dating back to the middle of the 2005 season, but lost to the Huskies for the fourth-straight meeting, dating back to 1984. Bloomsburg (1-1), ranked 13th, snapped a two-game losing streak.
Cal's offense drove for two touchdowns in the third quarter to erase a 3-0halftime deficit. Soph. RB Brandon Lombardy (Moureland Hills, Ohio/Chagrin Falls) bulled through the line for scoring bursts of 15 and 20 yards to give the visitors a 13-3 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
The Cal offensive line was dominant in the third quarter, providing room for Lombardy and Fr. RB Steffan Brinson (Verona, Pa./Wooodland Hills) to move the ball down the field. Lombardy finished with 105 yards on 14 carries while Brinson checked in with 80 yards on 15 tries.
Bloomsburg, which went undefeated in the 2005 regular season, battled back for the win with an 80-yard TD drive and two scores off Cal turnovers. BU also scored the only three points of the first half after an interception that was returned to the Cal 6-yard line.
Soph. All-American RB Jamar Brittingham, who finished with a game-high 106 yards on 24 rushes, keyed BU's first touchdown drive early in the first quarter. Brittingham reached paydirt from five yards out to cut Cal's lead to 13-10 with 11:34 remaining in the game.
The Huskies took the lead three minutes later when the snap on a Cal punt was fumbled. The ball bounced into the hands of Bloomsburg's Marcus Waddy, who bulled his way into the end zone for a 17-13 advantage.
Four minutes later, Cal fumbled a punt return, and Bloomsburg recovered on the Vulcan 15-yard line. Two plays later, WR Brahin Bilal pulled in a nine-yard pass from freshman QB Dan Latorre in the corner of the end zone for what proved to be the game-winning points.
Cal took advantage of a penalty on the kickoff to gain field position near midfield. Jr. QB Joe Ruggiero (Detroit, Mich./Franklin), who completed 20-of-31 passes on the day for 176 yards, connected on three-straight passes, the last a 22-yard scoring strike to Sr. WR Marc Huddleston (Canton, Ohio/Canton McKinley) with 3:15 left in the game. Huddleston was the game's top receiver with seven catches for 69 yards
Bloomsburg gained two first downs on its last possession to run out the clock and secure the victory.
The Vulcans held the statistics advantage, outgaining the Huskies on the ground (191-141), in the air (176-150), total offense (338-284), total offensive plays (64-59) and first downs (17-12).
The two categories Bloomsburg had the advantage was in turnovers (3-0) and final score (24-19). Cal's three turnovers led directly to 17 points.
Defensively, the Vulcans were led by the linebacking corps of juniors Josh Zunic (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny), Brian Mohr (Beaver Falls, Pa./Riverside) and sophomores Mike Dodson (Waldorf, Md./Thomas Stone) and Darren Burns (McKeesport, Pa./McKeesport).
Zunic posted game-highs of six solo tackles and nine total hits. Mohr added eight stops while Dodson and Burns contributed three solo hits, four assists and each had a half tackle for loss.
The Vulcans return to Hepner-Bailey Field at Adamson Stadium Saturday (9/16) for a 5 p.m. non-league clash vs. Cheyney.
Information supplied by Sports Information Director Tom Byrnes.
National Rankings On The Line When Cal Football Visits Bloomsburg Saturday
Sept. 6, 2006
CALIFORNIA, PA - The California University football team, ranked 17th in this week's American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II poll, is 1-0 and the defending PSAC West champion. Cal downed Fairmont State in the season-opener last week, 26-9.
Bloomsburg, 13th in this week's national rankings, is the defending PSAC East champion but has an 0-1 record despite an impressive performance at NCAA Division I James Madison in the opening weekend of the season.
The Vulcans and Huskies will knock helmets for the first time since 1995 on Saturday at Robert B. Redman Stadium with regional and national rankings at stake.
Bloomsburg leads the all-time series, 9-6-2, including three-straight wins. BU edged the Vulcans in each of the last two meetings, 23-22 in 1994 and 24-20 in 1995. Cal's biggest win in the series was a 21-14 decision in the 1984 PSAC Championship Game at HersheyPark Stadium.
Cal, which finished 8-2 last year but fell short in its effort for a bid to the 2005 NCAA Tournament, is riding a six-game winning streak. The Vulcans were among the Top 25 in three national preseason polls for the first time in team history.
Bloomsburg went 11-0 during the regular season and was the top seed in the region heading into the playoffs, but fell to fourth-seeded East Stroudsburg in the regional semifinals and is trying to break a two-game slide.
If the opening weekend is an indication, the defenses may dominate Saturday.
Cal's defense held Fairmont State to 65 rushing yards (only 11 in the second half). Cal is nationally-ranked in rushing defense (35th), scoring defense (tied for 35th) and turnover margin (+3.0). The Vulcans led NCAA Division II last year with a +1.8 turnover margin.
Jr. LB Brian Mohr (Beaver Falls, Pa./Riverside), Jr. DB Josh Kemp (Westland, Pa./Fort Cherry) and Fr. DB Terrence Johnson (Braddock, Pa./Woodland Hills) led the Vulcans' defense vs. Fairmont State. Mohr had a team-high seven tackles while Kemp had four solo hits and two interceptions and Johnson contributed four solo stops and another interception.
Bloomsburg's defensive unit was named the PSAC East Defensive Players of the Week after holding the 2004 NCAA Division I-AA champion Dukes scoreless for three quarters. The Huskies held JMU to just 219 yards total offense and nine first downs (BU held the advantage in both categories with 224 yards and 17 first downs).
The Cal offense rode the shoulder pads of Soph. RB Brandon Lombardy (Moureland Hills, Ohio/Chagrin Falls), who was named the PSAC West Offensive Player of the Week after gaining a career-high 175 yards on 30 carries against Fairmont State. Lombardy scored on runs of 42 and 23 yards in the second half to help the Vulcans pull away from a 10-3 halftime lead.
Jr. QB Joe Ruggiero (Detroit, Mich./Franklin) also got sharper as the game progressed. He completed 20-of-30 passes for 227 yards and one TD. He eclipsed the 3,000-yard career passing mark (now at 3,206) in just his 15th career game at Cal. Ruggiero's favorite targets were senior wideouts Nate Forse (Uniontown, Pa./Laurel Highlands) and Brandon Jackson (Monessen, Pa./Monessen), who combined for 15 receptions and 198 yards.
Bloomsburg's offense at JMU centered on QB Dan Latorre, who connected on 14-of-17 passes for 152 yards, and RB Christian Allen, who rushed for 89 yards on 25 tries. Soph. RB Jamar Brittingham, a 2005 All-American, did not play at James Madison. Jon Koenig's 28-yard field goal on the Huskies' first possession accounted for BU's scoring.
NOTES: The game will be broadcast live by WCAL radio (FM 91.9), which can also be heard on the Cal website (www.calvulcans.com). A video stream of the game, provided by CUTV, will also be available on the College Sports Television (CSTV) website.
Information supplied by Sports Information Director Tom Byrnes.
Fox SportsNet Pittsburgh To Re-Broadcast Cal's 26-9 Season-Opening Win Vs. Fairmont On Thursday (9/7) at Noon
September 5, 2006
CALIFORNIA, PA - Fox SportsNet Pittsburgh announced today that it will re-broadcast Cal's 26-9 season-opening non-league football victory over Fairmont State in its entirety on Thursday (9/7), beginning at noon.
The game, which was televised live nationally via Dish Network and DirecTV, was originally set to air in the Pittsburgh TV market on August 31, 2006, at approximately 11 p.m., following the Pittsburgh Steelers' final preseason game vs. the Carolina Panthers.
The broadcast was then delayed locally until 12:30 a.m. Friday (9/1), following the Steelers' preseason game and post-game shows. The broadcast, which lasted a little over three hours, was also cut down to fill a two-hour timespan.
Fox SportsNet Pittsburgh is also scheduled to televise Cal's final game of the regular season, Nov. 11 vs. Indiana, Pa., beginning at noon.
Information supplied by Sports Information Director Tom Byrnes.
Brandon Lombardy Named PSAC West Offensive Player of the Week
August 31, 2006
CALIFORNIA, PA - California Soph. RB Brandon Lombardy (Moureland Hills, Ohio/ Chagrin Falls) was named the PSAC West Offensive Player of the Week after rushing for 175 yards and two touchdowns in the Vulcans' season-opening 26-9 victory over Fairmont State Thursday.
Lombardy, who rushed for 256 net yards during the entire 2005 season as a reserve behind All-American Antoine Bagwell, averaged 5.5 yards per carry against the Fighting Falcons Thursday.
His touchdowns included a 42-yard spring to paydirt in the third quarter and a 23-yard run to the end zone in the fourth quarter to seal the win. He also rushed for two TDs in Cal's 2005 42-6 victory over Fairmont State Lombardy and the Vulcans, the defending PSAC West champions, hit the road Saturday (1 p.m.) for a PSAC crossover game at Bloomsburg, which won the PSAC East last year.
Information supplied by Sports Information Director Tom Byrnes.
California Downs Fairmont State, 26-9
August 31, 2006
California, PA -- California Soph. RB Brandon Lombardy rushed for a career-high 175 yards and two touchdowns to lead the 19th-ranked Vulcans (1-0) to a 26-9 non-league season-opening football game over Fairmont State (0-1).
Cal defeated Fairmont for the seventh-straight year and extended its home-field winning streak to six games.
Lombardy sprinted 42 yards early in the third quarter to give the Vulcans a 17-3 lead, then went 23 yards to paydirt early in the fourth quarter to finish the scoring.
Cal Jr. QB Joe Ruggiero completed 20-of-30 passes for 227 yards, including an eight-yard scoring strike to Sr. WR Marc Huddleston in the second quarter to erase a 3-0 deficit. Sr. WR Nate Forse led both teams with eight receptions for 112 yards.
Fairmont was led by Soph. QB John Rahl, who completed 20-of-33 passes for 241 yard, including a third-quarter 14-yard TD pass to Sr. WR Robbie Graham.
Cal outgained the Fighting Falcons, 414-306, and forced four Fairmont turnovers. The Vulcans also scored a safety when Fairmont's kickoff returner Demetrious Davis fumbled the ball, it was recovered in the end zone by Arlo Sterling, who was knocked out of the end zone by Vulcan Fr. Freddie Bacco.
Information supplied by Sports Information Director Tom Byrnes.
DirecTV, Dish Network To Show California vs. Fairmont Live
August 29, 2006
CALIFORNIA, PA - Thursday's season-opening football game featuring California U. of Pa. against Fairmont State, broadcast by Fox College Sports, will be available live throughout the country on DirecTV and Dish Network.
DirecTV will have the game available on Channel 660 while Dish Network will carry the broadcast on Channel 447.
The game will also be televised on a delayed basis (11 p.m.) in the Pittsburgh TV market (western Pa., eastern Ohio, West Virginia and western Maryland) by Fox SportsNet Pittsburgh. It will be part of a football doubleheader on Fox SportsNet Pittsburgh, following the Steelers' final preseason game of the 2006 season against the Carolina Panthers (7:30 p.m.). Kickoff for the Cal vs. Fairmont State game is 7:30 p.m. The Vulcans were 8-2 last year and won the PSAC West title with a 5-1 mark. Fairmont State was 4-6 last year, 4-4 in the WVIAC.
In the 2005 season-opening contest, also broadcast by Fox SportsNet Pittsburgh, Cal defeated the Fighting Falcons, 42-6. It was Cal's sixth-straight win vs. FS and improved the team's all-time record in the series to 25-9. This will be the first of two Cal games televised by Fox SportsNet Pittsburgh during the 2006 season. The Vulcans' season-ending clash vs. PSAC West arch rival Indiana, Pa., is also slated to be televised nationally.
Information supplied by Sports Information Director Tom Byrnes.
Vulcans Earn Third Preseason National Ranking By The AFCA
August 29, 2006
CALIFORNIA, PA - It was also announced Tuesday that the Vulcans are ranked 19th in the first American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) poll of the 2006 season. That is the highest ranking among the three national polls that honored Cal U. this year.
Street & Smith tabbed Cal 24th in its national preseason poll, and The Football Gazette moved the Vulcans up one spot to 23rd in its poll.
In the AFCA poll, Cal is the third PSAC team ranked and the fourth team in the Northeast Region. Bloomsburg was picked 7th by the AFCA while Shepherd (W.Va.) is 15th and East Stroudsburg is 18th.
Cal will travel to play both Bloomsburg (Sept. 9) and East Stroudsburg
(Sept. 23) this season.
Information supplied by Sports Information Director Tom Byrnes.
California Favored To Win PSAC-West
By BILL ALBRIGHT
CRANBERRY TWP., PA - You can now officially consider the collegiate football season under way.
Tuesday afternoon at the Regional Learning Center located in Cranberry Woods, the Pennsylvania State Athletic Association held its annual kickoff luncheon for the 2006 season.
While the seven teams comprising the division remain the same, one major difference evolved during the get-together.
One of the big attractions of the luncheon is the announcing of the coaches pre-season poll. In many of the recent years, the team expected to be at the top of the standings when the season concluded was either IUP or Edinboro and sometimes either Slippery Rock or Shippensburg.
However, this year, a different program will be wearing the target on its back as the California Vulcans were tabbed as the "team to beat" in the PSAC-West.
"Being named as the top-ranked team in the conference is such a different perspective for California than it has been in the past," pointed out Cal head coach John "Lucky" Luckhardt. "Our goal each year is to be in that one or two mix and we want to be a competitor wherever we are picked. This is a very, very good league and I truly believe there are five teams that all have a chance to win and we just want to be one of those five. Our goal when we came here (to California) was to be in that mix so I guess we have reached that goal."
So what does it mean to Luckhardt and his Vulcans?
"We aren't going to out and change our practice schedule because of the ranking," quipped Luckhardt. "We are just going to go out and work real hard and if we perform well, we'll have a chance to be competitive. Frank's (former IUP coach Cignetti) teams always seemed to dominate things with Edinboro, Shippensburg and Slippery Rock finding their way in there from time to time. Five years ago, we weren't competitive in this league, but right now, we are a competitor and really, that is all you can ask for."
While the Vulcans are the top choice in the polls, the Lock Haven Bald Eagles are perched on the other end in the seventh spot. Having been there numerous times before, LHU head coach John Klacik hopes his kids are tired of hearing about that and go out and prove the pollsters wrong.
"I don't put much stock in them (the polls) and I never have," said Klacik. "What I hope is that sooner or later our team starts looking at it and says, hey we are tired of being picked last and we have to do something about it. Some guys might look at the rankings and say, hey, we are ranked number one so we must be pretty good, while on the other hand, the guys on the team picked to place last might say, hey, we are picked last so we must stink. I don't know if our team is in that mode any more. Maybe three or four years ago, but not now."
With California (8-2, 5-1) and Lock Haven (2-9, 0-6) located at either end of the spectrum, the other five teams that provide the filling for the sandwich in spots two through six are Edinboro (8-2, 5-1), Slippery Rock (5-5, 4-2), IUP (5-5, 4-2), Shippensburg (4-7, 2-4) and Clarion (3-7, 1-5) respectively.
While Luckhardt, Dr. George Mihalik (Slippery Rock), Rocky Rees (Shippensburg) and Klacik all return with their same programs, three other coaches have either different roles or positions heading into the 2006 campaign.
At Edinboro, Scott Browning, an assistant in the Fighting Scot program for 20 years, takes over for the departed Lou Tepper. On the other hand, Tepper remains in the conference by moving to Indiana County where he takes over the reins of the Indians with the resignation of Frank Cignetti. Completing the trio of "new" faces is Jay Foster who takes over at Clarion after serving as Mihalik's defensive coordinator for the past 17 seasons at SRU.
In addition to the six conference games on each team's schedule, the new format of the PSAC will feature four "crossover" games for each team against teams from the Eastern Division of the PSAC on a rotating basis.
The Bald Eagles will waste no time getting the season untracked as they travel to Southern Illinois to face the Salukis on August 31. Following a week off, the Bald Eagles will face three crossover teams in East Stroudsburg, Millersville and Mansfield before tackling the six tough divisional foes with Kutztown tossed into the mix in week 11.
Cal Kicks Off Football Season Vs. Fairmont State
August 28, 2006
CALIFORNIA, PA - There will be picnics, concerts and pre-game dedications at Adamson Stadium and Roadman Park Thursday afternoon and evening.
But the real party will kick off at 7:38 p.m., in front of a national television audience, when the defending PSAC West Champion California Vulcans open the 2006 football season against non-league rival Fairmont State.
"We've worked hard during the offseason to prepare for this game and the
2006 season," said John Luckhardt, who enters his fifth season as Cal's head coach with a 161-55-2 career record (21 years), including a 24-18 mark with the Vulcans.
"Last year is gone. Both teams will be pumped up to open the season. Both teams are 0-0 entering this season. We won a championship last year, but we want to win consecutive titles for the first time in team history, then take it to the next level," he said.
Prior to the game, the University will host "The Party at the Park" for the students and Cal U. community. Games, a campus picnic and a free concert by
The Povertyneck Hillbillies will be featured inside Cal's baseball stadium. A brief field-naming ceremony, followed by The Povertyneck Hillbillies singing the national anthem, will precede the opening kickoff.
The game will be televised live nationally on Fox College Sports network. The game will also be televised on a delayed basis Thursday on Fox SportsNet Pittsburgh (approx. 11 p.m.), following the live broadcast of the Pittsburgh Steelers' final preseason game against the Carolina Panthers.
The Vulcans lost only four starters from 2005, including two-year consensus All-American RB Antoine Bagwell, who is currently in the St. Louis Rams training camp. However, Cal has an extra starter back on offense as Sr. OL Akil Patterson (Frederick, Md./Frederick), a 2004 PSAC West all-star, returns after missing the 2005 campaign for personal reasons.
The Cal offense, which set a team record for most points in a season in each of the last two years, will be led by Jr. QB Joe Ruggiero (Detroit, Mich./Wayne State) and Jr. OL Tim McCutcheon (Sewickley, Pa./Quaker Valley).
Ruggiero helped Cal score 421 points last year, throwing for 2,200 yards anD 20 touchdowns. Ruggiero and wideouts Nate Forse (Uniontown, Pa./Laurel Highlands) and Marcellus Garner (McKeesport, Pa./McKeesport), all earned first-team PSAC West all-star accolades in 2005.
McCutcheon is a two-time first-team PSAC West all-star and 2006 preseason All-America candidate. Combined with McCutcheon and Patterson, Sr. OT Carl Jay (Pittsburgh, Pa./Peabody) and Gr. TE D¹Monn Baker (Cincinnati, Ohio/Winton Woods) four out of six Vulcans on the offensive line have received all-league recognition in the past two seasons.
Defensively, LB Lloyd Price, who led the PSAC in tackles in 2006, moved onto the coaching staff this year while DB Jarred Dumm is playing in the European Football League. The rest of the defense that held opponents to 14.1 points per game and led the country in turnover ratio (plus 1.8 per game) returns.
The defense is deep in every position, but will likely feature junior linebackers Brian Mohr (Beaver Falls, Pa./Riverside), Josh Zunic (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) and free safety Jermaine Moye (Rochester, Pa./Rochester). Mohr and Moye were second-team PSAC all-stars in 2005.
Cal defeated Fairmont State to open the 2005 season by a 42-6 margin, the
Vulcans' sixth-straight win over the Fighting Falcons. Cal brings a five-game overall winning streak and a five-game win streak at Adamson
Stadium into the game.
The Vulcans were also selected to win the PSAC West title by the league coaches and are ranked in two national preseason polls 24th by Street & Smith and 23rd by The Football Gazette.
Fairmont posted a 4-6 overall record in 2005, 4-4 to finish tied for fourth in the WVIAC. The Fighting Falcons trail the all-time series against Cal, 25-9.
Information supplied by Sports Information Director Tom Byrnes.
