Cal U. wins thrilling opener
Cody Schroeder hit Mike Williams with a five-yard touchdown pass with 50 seconds to play to give California University a 22-19 victory over Hillsdale in the season-opener for both teams.
Schroeder then hit Kowan Scott for the two-point conversion to make it a three-point game. Hillsdale got the ensuing kickoff and moved the Cal 31-yard line to try a 48-yard field goal. But Stephen Mette’s attempt went wide left as time expired.
Cal had to rally from a 13-0 deficit at halftime and outscored Hillsdale 22-6 in the final 30 minutes.
Schroeder completed 26 of 37 passes for 270 yards and three touchdowns. He also was intercepted three times. Schroeder hit Trey Johnson with a 3-yard strike to make it 13-7 with 8:02 left in the third quarter. Schroeder found Desimon Green from seven yards with 6:52 to go to give the Vulcans a 14-13 lead.
Less than two minutes later, Hillsdale regained the lead when Isaac Spence scored on a one-yard run.
Schroeder guided Cal on an 11-play, 80-yard drive to the winning touchdown. The key play to keep the drive alive came when Schroeder hill Paul Butler for 18 yards to set up a first and goal at the Hillsdale five.
Mette hit a field in each of the first two quarters to give Hillsdale a 6-0 lead. Evan Bach caught a 12-yard pass from San Landry to make it 13-0 at halftime. Landry completed 26 of 42 passes for 359 yards and a touchdown.
Wash & Jeff 58, Wooster 21: Dion Wiegand rushed for 128 yards and scored three touchdowns as Washington & Jefferson College rolled to a 58-21 victory over Wooster in the season-opener for both teams.
Wiegand scored on runs of 51, 2 and 9 yards for the Presidents, who rolled out to a 28-7 lead in the first quarter and were never threatened.
Matt Bliss completed 27 of 33 passes for 312 yards for a touchdown and an interception. Dan Lucas had a game-high 10 receptions for 96 yards and Alex Baroffio had nine also for 96 yards. Baroffio is just six receptions away from setting the W&J career receiving record.
Bliss also ran for two scores and Ryan Ruffing added one.