Cal wary of Shepherd’s offense
In the rarefied air of the NCAA Division II Elite Eight football playoffs, every play will be key, every tackle critical and every mistake magnified.
The team that handles that situation better should win Saturday’s quarterfinal game between California University and Shepherd at Adamson Stadium.
Kickoff is 1 p.m.
Both teams are undefeated, possess great offensive talent and effectively use their defenses and special teams to create scoring opportunities. Those characteristics intensify in importance the deeper a team goes into the playoffs because the talent level of the opponent increases. Shepherd is the No. 3 team in the AFCA Top 25 and Cal is sixth.
“Cal’s offense comes at you a lot of different ways,” said Shepherd head coach Monte Cater. “They have a really good defense. They come at you a lot of different ways, too. They aren’t afraid to play man-to-man. They are not afraid to blitz you. They have a lot of athletes.”
Shepherd, the champion of the Mountain East Conference and owner of a 12-0 record, was a national finalist last season, losing to Northwest Missouri State. California, champions of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference and possessing an 11-0 record, is in the postseason for the first time since 2011 and made trips to the national semifinals in 2007, 2008 and 2009. In 2007, Cal defeated Shepherd, 58-38, in the region finals.
“We’re very similar teams,” said Cal first-year head coach Gary Dunn. “Any time you are playing this deep into the season, you are likely lining up against a team very much like yourself.”
Cal had a first-round bye thanks to its top ranking in Super Region 1.
Shepherd was third in the region behind LIU-C.W. Post, a team the Rams disposed of last week, 40-21. Shepherd defeated Assumption, 48-31, in the first round. Cal is coming off a 44-23 victory over Indiana in a game the Vulcans trailed 17-0 early in the second quarter.
Like Cal, Shepherd’s heart and soul on offense is the passing game.
Quarterback Jeff Ziemba and 6-4, 240-pound and wide receiver Billy Brown, both seniors, have terrorized secondaries for 1,321 yards and 20 touchdowns.
“They have one of the best teams I’ve seen so far,” said Cal cornerback Vondel Bell, a 6-4 junior who will get a lot of coverage assignments against Brown. “The key to the game for us is to stop their quarterback and Billy Brown. I believe our offense will put up points but we have to stop their offense.”
Brown is not the only reliable target for Ziemba. Senior C.J. Davis has 61 catches for 1,161 yards and eight touchdowns, and sophomore Ryan Feiss has 53 for 722.
The Rams use an run-pass-option offensive set on each play depending on the defensive look. That’s where Ziemba comes in.
“He is one of the best in the nation,” said Jordan Bowman, a 6-0 senior free safety for Cal. “He has the freedom to change the play. He doesn’t run much, so we have to try to make his pocket collapses.”
That means Cal’s defense will be crucial to the team’s success. The Vulcans have 40 quarterback sacks with Jordan Lardini, a 6-2, 230-pound outside linebacker, leading the way with 9 1/2. The Vulcans’ two defensive ends – senior Jawan Turner (5-11, 240) and junior Justin Baker (6-0, 250) – have combined for eight.
“Their line is very big up front,” Bell said. “But we’re going to be doing the same things we’ve done all year.”
Cal also has a wide receiver named Brown – Garry Brown – and the senior wide receiver was recently named a finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy, given to the NCAA Division II College Football Player of the Year. He has 81 receptions for 1,384 yards and 20 touchdowns. Michael Keir, a 6-2 junior, is enjoying a great initial season as starting quarterback, completing 66 percent of his passes for 2,953 yards and 39 touchdowns. His interception rate is low, 11 in 323 attempts.
Nick Grissom, a redshirt junior, needs 33 rushing yards to reach 1,000 for the season. Cal has a stable of running backs behind Grissom with Jalen Bell (335 yards, 4 TDs) the first reserve.
“We can’t give up big plays on defense and we’ve always looked at turnovers and the kicking game,” Cater said of the keys to winning. “We have to protect our quarterback but we have to run the ball. We can’t just sit back and throw it. I don’t think you can pick out just one thing.”
Notes
The two teams are separated by 161 miles but have rarely played each other. Shepherd is located in Shepherdstown, W.Va. … The Vulcans are making their sixth appearance in the playoffs. … Cater is in his 30th season and leads all active NCAA coaches with 262 victories.