Oct. 27, 2007
Final Stats
Slippery Rock, Pa. - Joe Ruggiero passed for 199 yards and one touchdown Saturday afternoon to lead California U. (Pa.) to a 22-13 win over The Rock in a battle of nationally ranked NCAA Division II Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference-Western Division teams on Bob DiSpirito Field at N. Kerr Thompson Stadium.
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.
The Rock outgained California by a 347-300 margin in total offense behind a 209-yard rushing attack.
Corey Manfull led The Rock with 175 yards on 37 carries and scored one TD. Quarterback Nate Crookshank was 11 of 25 passing for 138 yards and one TD (31 yards to Paul Favers) with two interceptions. Terry Grossetti caught five passes for 49 yards.
Ruggiero completed 15 of 24 pass attempts with one TD and had one pass picked off. Nate Forse caught three passes for 71 yards, including a 39-yard TD toss from Ruggiero.
Brandon Lombardy rushed for 65 yards on 16 carries and scored two TDs before leaving the game midway through the second period with an injury.
California moved 62 yards in eight plays on the opening possession of the game to take a 6-0 lead at the 11:09 mark of the first period. Lombardy capped the drive with a two-yard burst but Tyler Lorenz's extra-point kick sailed wide right.
Lombardy scored his second TD on a one-yard run with 4:32, three plays after Darren Burns intercepted a Crookshank pass and returned it to The Rock 6 on SRU's second possession of the game. The Vulcans held a 12-0 lead after a two-point conversion pass failed.
The Vulcans' Juan Butler blocked a punt on The Rock's next possession, but the guests were unable to capitalize on the turnover as a 48-yard field goal attempt by Lorenz early in the second period fell short of the crossbar.
The Rock turned around and marched 69 yards in six plays, keyed by a 40-yard run by Manfull - who ran the ball on all six plays and capped the drive with an eight-yard run. C.J. Bahr's extra-point kick trimmed the California lead to 12-7 with 12:30 left in the first half.
The Vulcans took a 15-7 lead with 5:36 left in the half on a 21-yard field by Lorenz that was set up by a shanked, 19-yard punt that gave the guests possession at the SRU 24.
The Rock came right back to mount potential scoring drives on its two possessions but came up empty on both occasions. The first drive ended when Crookshank was intercepted by Brian Mohr at the Vulcans' 18. The last drive of the half ended at the Vulcans' 5 when time expired.
After a scoreless third period, SRU drove 84 yards in 14 plays midway through the fourth quarter to close the gap to two, 15-13. Crookshank connected with Favers for a 31-yard TD to cap the drive. SRU went for the two-point conversion to tie the score, but the pass fell incomplete.
California responded with a six-play, 68-yard drive of its own to push the margin to its final 22-13 standing with three minutes left to play.
The Rock travels to Lock Haven for a PSAC-West game Thursday, while California is at West Chester for a PSAC interdivisional game next Saturday that will pit the No. 1 and 2 teams in the NCAA Northeast Region poll in a head-to-head meeting.
The Rock is ranked seventh in the regional poll.
