Cal’s odd season awaits next twist
It’s been a strange and totally unpredictable football season for California University.
The Vulcans began the year with two close losses and many thought it was a harbinger of things to come.
It wasn’t.
Cal ran off four straight wins, including a thrilling last-minute victory over then No. 2 Indiana, to take control of the PSAC West Division.
But not for long.
That’s because the Vulcans suffered an inexplicable loss to then 1-5 Gannon.
A bit of the unusual was mixed in last week when Cal needed two days to finish its win over Mercyhurst. Inclement weather, punctuated by lightning, not only delayed the game but ultimately forced the completion of the game to be pushed to Sunday.
“That was one for the ages,” said Cal head coach Gary Dunn. “To have a game delayed two hours, then delayed three times, then postponed until the next day, it made for very difficult circumstances. But I think our kids handled it great. We had a delay a couple weeks ago at Clarion and let’s just say thank God for technology. We were at Mercyhurst for six hours (Saturday). Our kids hung out together. But what I was most proud of was when we were ready to play, they were locked in.”
Still, the division title is still up for grabs and the Vulcans can take a big step in that direction by defeating Slippery Rock today at Adamson Stadium. Kickoff is 1 p.m.
Cal enters the game with a 5-3 overall record and 4-1 in the division. The Rock is 7-1 overall and 5-0 in the division. They have their own unexpected loss in Week 2 to Shippensburg.
“They’re playing really well right now in all phases and it will be a tough test,” said Dunn. “We’ve got to take care of the football and we’ve got to create turnovers on defense. That’s when we’re at our best.”
If Cal defeats Slippery Rock, then the chances are good the two teams will tie for the division title. Cal would own the head-to-head tiebreaker and play in the State Game against the East Division winner. However, there is no guarantee Cal would make the NCAA Division II playoffs because there is no automatic qualifier.
“We’re not looking ahead,” said Dunn.
If the Vulcans are to win out, then Nelson Brown will play a major role. The 5-11, 225-pound junior is a transfer from Lenoir-Rhyne. Brown needs 167 yards to reach 1,000 rushing yards.
“This game means a lot, especially with us being No. 1 and No. 2 on this side of the division,” Brown said. “They beat us last year so that makes it important. We have to play together. We can’t have turnovers and we have to run the ball to set up the pass.”
Freshman quarterback Noah Mitchell has passed 2,230 yards and 16 touchdowns. Tyson Hill has 740 yards on 50 catches and Chad Livingston has a team-high six TDs but is out with an injury.