Skipping The Sidelines
For November 24
By Bill Albright
The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference went 1-1 in the second round of the NCAA-II playoffs as California advanced, while IUP came out on the short end of the stick.
The Vulcan downed South Connecticut State 43-7, while IUP battled back from two double-digit deficits to fall short in a 41-34 loss to Shepherd University
Here is a closer look at those games:
California 43, Southern Connecticut State 7: Cal quarterback Joe Ruggiero threw two touchdown passes and junior running back Daine Williams rushed for Cal’s sixth-highest single-game total and two TDs as the 6th-ranked Vulcans posted the 43-7 win to advance to the next round. It was the first NCAA playoff game in Cal history, and the 12-0 Vulcans rallied from a 7-3 first-quarter deficit with 36-straight points. The victory, which was a school-record 12th in a row, lifted the Vulcans into the Northeast Region Championship Game against Shepherd (10-1), the No. 2 seed in the region that beat Indiana, Pa., 41-34, in Saturday’s other regional semifinal. Kickoff between the Rams and the top-seeded Vulcans is noon at Hepner-Bailey Field at Adamson Stadium. Williams rushed for a three-yard score midway through the second quarter that gave Cal a 10-7 lead, then added a five-yard TD run in the fourth quarter. He finished with 234 yards on 35 carries, both career high totals. It was also the sixth-highest single-game rushing total in team history and the highest total since All-American Antoine Bagwell gained 278 yards against Slippery Rock in 2004.
Ruggiero completed 24-of-33 passes for 228 yards, including a 31-yard second-quarter TD pass to Sr. WR Nate Forse (Uniontown, Pa./Laurel Highlands) and a five-yard scoring strike just before halftime to Jr. WR Joe Slappy (Oakdale, Pa./West Allegheny) that gave the hosts a 23-7 lead at the break. Ruggiero moved into second place on Cal’s career total offense list with 7,224 and became the second passer in team history to throw for 7,000 career yards (7,008). He equaled his career high with 24 completions and posted a season-high total for passing yards. It was his 16th career 200-yard passing game. The Cal defense was strong again, holding SCSU to 91 net rushing yards and 146 passing yards (237 yards total offense). The Owls entered the game averaging 510 yards total offense, including 251 yards on the ground and 259 in the air. The Vulcan defense, which held a team averaging 40.6 points per game this season to one first-quarter TD, forced two turnovers and recorded five sacks for 22 yards. Cal Sr. LB Brian Mohr recorded two of Cal’s five sacks. Mohr finished with eight total tackles, one less than team leader Sr. LB Josh Zunic (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny). Late in the first quarter, SCSU drove 69 yards on 11 plays and broke into the end zone on a two-yard burst by Jarom Freeman, who finished with a team-best 63 yards on 17 carries. Freeman broke the SCSU record for career rushing yards (1,906). It was just the fourth time in 12 games this season the Vulcans were behind on the scoreboard. Cal totaled 549 yards of total offense, including 313 on the ground, and controlled the ball for 35:09.
Shepherd 41, IUP 34: Andrew Krewatch and Ken Witter enjoyed record setting statistical afternoons, but it was too many IUP mistakes that eventually resulted in the Crimson Hawk loss. The Crimson Hawks finish their season with a record of 9-3. The Rams are 10-1 and advance to the Northeast Region final next Saturday at California. Krewatch completed 34 of 49 passes for 378 yards and four touchdowns, tying a 22-year-old school record for completions in a game while posting the fifth highest single game yardage total in IUP history. Witter finished with 13 catches for 176 yards while tying the school mark by catching each of Krewatch's four touchdown passes. The 13 receptions is an IUP postseason, and he became the first player in school history with at least 10 catches in three consecutive games. He had 40 catches for 488 yards and seven touchdowns over the final four games of the season. His 67 total receptions for the year was the second highest in school history, trailing only Les Pesotini's 74 in 1975.
Krewatch became the first quarterback in IUP history to pass for 3,000 yards in a season, finishing the year with 3,100. He also set school single season marks for pass attempts (391) and completions (237) while throwing 29 touchdown passes, second only to Brian Eyerman's 36 in 2002. Despite the heroics of Krewatch and Witter, IUP turned the ball over twice on interceptions and two more times on lost fumbles. The Crimson Hawks also misfired on a pair of kicks while the defense also allowed not one, but two 100-yard plus rushers. However, despite all of the negatives by IUP, the Crimson Hawks had a chance to pull out the game until Shepherd's Bobby Humphries recovered an onside kick in the final minute to seal the deal. IUP battled back from a pair of 14-point deficits to tie the game at 20 early in the third quarter on Witter's second touchdown. Shepherd appeared to wrapped the game up when Walter Gouveia intercepted Krewatch and returned it 31 yards to the IUP 32 with 10:55 left. However, the Crimson Hawks held on downs and pulled to within 34-27 when Witter hauled in a 59-yard scoring pass that was deflected by a Ram defensive back with 7:28 left. The second catch by Anthony Cellitti in the drive was his seventh of the game and the 100th of his career, making him the 12th IUP player to reach that plateau. In addition to all of the other mistakes and missed opportunities, IUP missed on two golden scoring chances in the first quarter, reaching the Ram six and 16 on its opening two drives before losing the ball on a fumble before a field attempt was no good. Shepherd took advantage by scoring on two of its next three possessions, including a 70-yard run by Wallace and a two-yard pass from Tyler Lazear to Ryan Lavin. |
