Lost afternoon for Vulcans
SLIPPERY ROCK – California University’s football team lost more than a game to Slippery Rock Saturday afternoon.
The Vulcans lost their starting quarterback, James Harris, early in the third quarter; they lost a chance to win the PSAC West Division, as long as Slippery Rock doesn’t implode; and they probably lost any shot at earning a postseason berth.
All that from a 35-17 drubbing by Slippery Rock, which needs to beat winless Seton Hill next week to wrap up the West Division title.
The Rock, now 8-1 overall and 5-1 in the conference, did nothing to hurt their No. 20 ranking in D2football.com or 24th spot in the AFCA Top 25 Poll. They also strengthened their grip as the top offense in the PSAC by rolling for 526 yards against Cal’s top-rated defense.
Cal fell to 4-2 in the conference and 6-3 overall.
“Our team put a lot of stock in this game,” said Cal head coach Mike Kellar. “We knew it wasn’t going to be an easy day. We had a great chance to play and win a big game.”
But Nigel Barksdale, Slippery Rock’s outstanding senior quarterback, made sure that didn’t happen. Barksdale, who ranks in the top 10 in five Division II offensive categories, rushed for a season-high 125 yards on 14 attempts and passed for 274 yards. His 16-yard run in the second quarter wiped out an early 3-0 lead by Cal and started the tidal wave of bad things for the Vulcans.
The loss of Harris, who took over for Cody Schroeder in the middle of the loss to Indiana in Week 4, sends Cal into an other quarterback debate. Harris was having a miserable afternoon, completing just three of 21 passes for 26 yards as the Vulcans trailed 21-3 at halftime.
“He was hit and dinged up pretty well,” said Kellar. “Cody has played in the first four, five games, and I know we have two kids we can win with. The trainers told me (Harris) couldn’t play anyway. I saw him after the game, and I asked him how he felt, and he said OK. But they always say that.”
Schroeder played fairly well for not getting many snaps in games. He completed 11 of 26 passes for 176 yards and a touchdown, and was the victim of at least four drops. Schroeder also scored on a 14-yard run that cut Slippery Rock’s lead to 21-10 with 10:49 left in the third quarter. But Slippery Rock would score the next two touchdowns to put the game away.
“I just wanted to go in and make some plays,” said Schroeder. “It hasn’t bee the easiest situation. I got some reps (in practice) and had to make the most of them.”
So who starts next week in a home game against Mercyhurst.
“Well first, we have to find out if James is healthy,” Kellar said. “We’ll watch the tape (of this game) and do what’s best for this team. I really believe we have a couple of guys we can win with. That’s the fortunate part for us. I hate quarterback controversies, and I hate the two-quarterback system.”
Slippery Rock has no such problem. Barksdale killed Cal’s defense with his legs, turning busted plays into long gains. He had six runs of 10 or more yards and scored on a 16-yard scamper that gave The Rock a 7-3 lead in the second quarter.
“Some people say I’m a running quarterback,” said Barksdale. “When I run, it’s off reaction, and it’s not intended. Once I hit that first run and got that first touchdown, it was like blood in the water. It got us going.”
Slippery Rock’s defense stifled Cal in the first quarter, allowing only a 44-yard field goal by Cody Nuzzo on three drives by Cal deep into The Rock’s territory. Two fourth-down passes were knocked down by Slippery Rock’s defensive front.
“It was one of those games where we didn’t start fast on offense,” said Slippery Rock head coach George Mihalik. “You have to give credit to Cal. What kept us in that first quarter was our defense. Stopping them on those fourth downs were key plays. It gave us a chance to gather ourselves and get into rhythm.”
Schroeder was Cal’s leading rusher with 26 yards on four carries. Mike Williams had a team-high 6 catches for 134 yards. John Schademan had a game-high 8 receptions for 105 yards for Slippery Rock. … Safety Dewey McDonald had 13 tackles for Cal, which managed just one sack of Barksdale. Jordan Bowman had an interception for the Vulcans.