Defense leads Cal past IUP
Freshman defensive lineman Tyler Haddock celebrates a fumble recovery with linebacker Branko Busick during Saturday’s win over PSAC rival IUP. Haddock finished with two tackles for loss and a quarterback sack.
Cal receiver Garry Brown tries to escape the grasp of IUP’s Kevin Clarke on one of Brown’s eight receptions. Brown finished with 105 receiving yards.
CALIFORNIA – You won’t find the keys to this game in any of the offensive stats for California University. You won’t find it in the IUP stats package either.
It was a one-sided affair. And not in Cal’s favor.
But you couldn’t tell that from the post-game celebration of this annual Coal Bowl game. The cheers from the Vulcans’ locker room contrasted with the stoney silence from Indiana’s side.
Cal’s defense produced five critical turnovers, converting one for a touchdown, as the Vulcans handed IUP a 21-13 loss in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference game at Adamson Stadium Saturday.
The win puts Cal in sole possession of first place in the PSAC as the two teams previously tied with the Vulcans for that spot – IUP and Slippery Rock – lost.
“Even when you’re age 7 and you’re playing against the kids in your backyard, you don’t like to lose to your rivals,” said defensive end Jawan Turner, who had seven tackles, four for losses, three quarterback sacks and forced a fumble.
“You could lose 12 games in a season, but you don’t want to lose to your rival.”
Aaron Terry and Chaz Veal each had interceptions in the end zone, bringing back memories of last year’s game in which quarterback Cody Schroeder was intercepted twice in the end zone by IUP’s secondary in a 20-7 loss.
Veal’s interception was the most important because it came in the final minute on a 4th-and-8 play from Cal’s 14-yard line.
“Everyone is held accountable on defense,” Veal said. “When it came to me, I knew I had to catch it. I was surprised they came to me, but I’m glad they did.”
Cal’s defense had six sacks, eight tackles for losses, three interceptions and two fumble recoveries. The Vulcans needed all of them because IUP’s offense rolled up 359 yards, 131 more than Cal.
Quarterback Chase Haslett completed 33 of 44 passes for 359 yards and a 5-yard touchdown to Drew Carswell with 7:51 left to play to cut Cal’s lead to 21-13. Haslett completed 19 of 22 passes in the second half.
Carswell, a transfer from Pitt, had a monster game, catching 15 passes for 150 yards. Tight end Brock DeCicco, who began his career at Wisconsin, caught 11 for 111 yards.
“We won the battle up front,” said IUP head coach Curt Cignetti. “I was confident we were going to win. There are a lot of disappointed guys in that locker room. We played extremely poor on critical plays. Those plays decided the game.”
One of the biggest came early in the third quarter when Rodney Gillin burst in from the right side and blocked a 37-yard field goal try by Brett Ullman. The football ricocheted back to the IUP 48, where Corey Ford picked it up and raced to the end zone to make it 21-3.
“We practice that all the time,” said Cal head coach Mike Kellar. “It was a game-changing play. We do it live in practice. I know the coaches hold their breath that no one gets hurt. That’s what you have to do to get a play like that today.”
Cal ran 61 plays, 16 fewer than IUP. But the Vulcans did manage to build a 14-3 halftime lead when quarterback James Harris hit Luke Smorey with a 23-yard touchdown pass with 5:37 remaining in the first quarter.
Harris and Garry Brown, who had eight catches for 105 yards, connected on a bizarre play in the second quarter to set up a 1-yard plunge by Terrell Roberson.
Brown caught a pass from Harris and raced to the IUP 15, where the football was punched out. It rolled to the IUP 1, where Brown recovered it. Two plays later, Roberson scored.
“It was a weird game for our offense,” Kellar said. “They had the ball for 5½, 6 minutes and they kick (a field goal) and we score, then they get the ball back. It seemed like we hadn’t run a play in an hour.”
Indiana was at the Cal 12 near the end of the half when Aaron Terry intercepted Haslett in the end zone and returned it to just past midfield with 8 seconds left in the half.
Cal could have turned the game into a laugher had it not had two touchdown opportunities dashed in the first half.
The first came when tailback Nick Grissom scampered around left end from the IUP 7 and appeared headed to the pylon. Grissom extended his arm and the ball slipped from his hand and into the end zone, where Indiana recovered for a touchback.
Cal had another opportunity in the second quarter when Harris hit Kowan Scott with a beautiful 42-yard pass down the left sideline. The play was called back on a penalty by Tyler Peerson for illiegal hands to the face. Cal would finish with 9 penalties for 95 yards.