What’s at stake in SRU football’s rematch with California (Pa.)
SLIPPERY ROCK — The Slippery Rock University football team has one loss on its ledger this season.
And it still stings.
The Rock (11-1) dropped a 28-7 decision at California (Pa.) on Oct. 19, surrendering a 65-yard touchdown pass on the Vulcans’ first offensive snap and never getting back in the game. Now SRU returns to Adamson Stadium for a 1 p.m. kickoff against California (10-2) with the Super Region One championship on the line.
“They took away our chance to win the PSAC West and play in the conference title game,” SRU coach Shawn Lutz said. “Yeah, we still made the playoffs, won a couple of playoff games ... but we haven’t won anything yet.
“The winner of this game gets a ring. We want that ring.”
Had California lost to Ashland last week, The Rock would be playing at home this week. But the Vulcans rallied from a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter to pull out a 34-33 win. California also rallied late to defeat East Stroudsburg in the first round.
“Our guys didn’t want the home game as much as they wanted another shot at Cal,” Lutz said. “Having a chance to avenge your only loss in the region championship game is pretty good.”
SRU survived a pair of close playoff games in its own right to get to this point. The Rock defeated New Haven, 14-7, and rallied to bounce unbeaten and No. 1 region seed Kutztown, 25-24, in overtime last week.
“We’re battle tested, but so are they,” Lutz said of California. “Both teams have outstanding quarterbacks. The one who plays the best will probably be on the team that wins.”
SRU quarterback Brayden Long needs 82 passing yards Saturday to become the first Rock quarterback to record two 3,000-yard passing seasons. He is also The Rock’s first two-time Harlon Hill Trophy finalist. Long finished fifth in the voting for the nation’s top Division II football player last year.
Long is headed to Las Vegas next week as a finalist for the Campbell Trophy, which goes to the top student-athlete in all of college football. He is carrying a 4.0 grade point average.
“It’s not a stretch to say Brayden is the best student-athlete in the history of this university,” Lutz said.
California coach Gary Dunn has a pretty good quarterback of his own in Davis Black, a 6-foot-5 senior who has thrown for 2,858 yards and 20 touchdowns. He’s thrown only four interceptions and has rushed for 366 yards and 12 touchdowns. Black was named PSAC West Offensive Player of the Year.
“He doesn’t turn the ball over and we can’t turn the ball over if we expect to win, certainly not against a team the caliber of Slippery Rock,” Vulcans coach Gary Dunn said.
Bobby Boyd Jr. has rushed for 839 yards and six touchdowns for the Vulcans. Eric Willis III - who caught the long TD pass early against SRU in the regular season meeting - has 64 catches for 1,006 yards and six TDs. Omart Hopkins has 343 catches for 344 yards.
Place-kicker Anthony Beitko has booted 12 field goals, including two longer than 40 yards.
“He might be the best kicker in the country,” Lutz said.
While Saturday’s forecast calls for chilly temperatures and no precipitation, Dunn said his team “has to be able to run the ball to set up what we want to do.”
SRU’s wild-card in this rematch may be receiver Logan Ramper. He missed half the season with an injury and was not a factor in the regular season game with Cal. Ramper has come alive in the playoffs, producing 15 catches fo 243 yards in SRU’s two postseason games.
“Ramp is playing at a different level right now,” Lutz said. “We may come out with an empty set, running five-wide, and make them cover everybody. We’re going to need a big day offensively.
“California is a good offensive football team. They’re going to score their points.”
The Vulcans have won six games by a touchdown or less this season. Saturday will mark California’s seventh consecutive home game.
“That’s a rare thing,” Dunn admitted. “It might be some kind of record.”
SRU is bidding to make the national semifinals for the first time since 2019. California hasreached the semifinals in 2016. SRU holds a 52-34-3 in the all-time series between the teams. Its regular season loss to Cal snapped a six-game winning streak vs. the Vulcans.
