Slippery Rock football thumps California (Pa.), wins 4th region championship to make final four
CALIFORNIA, Washington County — Slippery Rock is one of four teams left standing, and got some revenge along the way.
SRU football defeated California (Pa.) 31-13 in the NCAA Division II Super Region One Championship on Saturday, Dec. 7, at Adamson Stadium, knocking out the only team to have beaten The Rock this season. It’s the fourth region championship in program history.
The NCAA Division II Football Committee announced Saturday evening Slippery Rock will visit Ferris State (13-1) at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14. The game will be streamed on ESPN+. The winner will face the winner of Valdosta State vs. Minnesota State a week later in McKinney, Texas.
The 11th-ranked Rock (12-1) took a 14-point first-quarter lead courtesy of two Brayden Long passing touchdowns and never allowed the Vulcans (10-3) back within one score the rest of the way.
SRU has beaten two PSAC teams in a row during these playoffs after knocking out previously unbeaten Kutztown last week with a wild finish in overtime.
The Rock, who typically prefer to defer to the second half, got the ball first and opened with a statement drive. Chris D’Or started with a 10-yard carry, setting the tone for a dominant Rock rushing attack the rest of the way.
“We always defer to the second half and we actually lost the coin flip, but what an impressive drive they put on,” Slippery Rock head coach Shawn Lutz said. “I’m really proud of our offensive line. We graduated four of our starting five seniors last year.”
Two rushes and two completions later, Long found Logan Ramper in single coverage in the end zone. The receiver won the contested catch after some hand fighting to put the Green and White up 7-0 less than five minutes in.
“Not many people are going to stop Brayden Long throwing the ball with the receivers we have,” Lutz said.
D’Or finished with 11 carries for 42 yards, but Idris Lawrence was even better, carving up the Vulcans for 162 yards on 23 touches. Long added 36 more on two carries as SRU finished with 245.
It was a marked improvement from the Oct. 19 loss, 28-7, when SRU rushed for just 10 yards.
The Rock forced a three-and-out on the Vulcans’ first possession thanks to an Andrew Vince sack on third-and-6.
SRU scored even faster on its second drive, taking just 1:28 to put up seven. Lawrence started the drive, and his massive day, with a 15-yard rush. Long later tossed a 20-yard touchdown pass to Mike Solomon.
Cal U responded with a 10-play drive, but a sack once again ended a scoring opportunity. This time, Todd Hill got to quarterback Davis Black, forced a fumble and recovered it.
“We got pressure and (Hill) just could not be blocked,” Lutz said.
Long and The Rock mounted an 80-yard drive to take a 21-0 lead with 1:06 left in the half. D’Or ran the score in off a strong push from the offensive line.
Cal got to work out of half. Running back Bobby Boyd Jr. accrued 46 yards on six carries and ran 4 yards for the Vulcans’ first points.
Slippery Rock responded but was stopped inside the 10. Mason Yohn made sure the drive ended with points on a 26-yard field goal to make it 24-7 with 3:17 left in the third quarter.
Another Hill sack once again ended a Vulcans threat. The Rock took over at midfield, converted a fourth down on the ensuing drive and all but seal the game on Ramper’s second receiving touchdown.
"We got the ball on their side of the 50 a couple times and just kind of stalled out and missed a field goal," Cal head coach Gary Dunn said. "We just didn't execute as well as we have offensively early in the game."
“Last game we played, we had trouble running the football,” Lutz said. “We ran for 245 yards, and that’s the difference.”
Slippery Rock 14 7 3 7 — 31
California 0 0 7 6 — 13
First Quarter
SRU — Logan Ramper 18 pass from Brayden Long (Mason Yohn kick) 11:37
SRU — Mike Solomon 20 pass from Long (Yohn kick) 7:54
Second Quarter
SRU — Chris D’Or 2 run (Yohn kick) 1:12
Third Quarter
CAL — Bobby Boyd Jr. 4 run (Anthony Beitko kick) 8:31
SRU — Yohn 26 field goal 3:19
Fourth Quarter
SRU — Ramper 10 pass from Long (Yohn kick) 10:07
CAL — Omari Hopkins 12 pass from Davis Black (Black pass failed) 7:57
Individual Statistics
Passing: SRU, Brayden Long 17-21-154; California, Davis Black, 14-23-90.
Rushing: SRU, Idris Lawrence 23-162, Chris D’Or 11-42, Long 2-36, Kylon Wilson 1-3, Quentin Harrison 2-3; California, Bobby Boyd Jr. 13-99, Davis Black 14-63, Eric McKan III 7-26.
Receiving: SRU, Logan Ramper 4-73, Mike Solomon 7-73, Kam Kruzelyak 2-14, Lawrence 1-1, Wilson 3-(-7); California, Eric Willis III 4-32, Demonte Martin 5-21, Omari Hopkins 2-18, Isaiah Cameron 1-12, Jack Colecchi 2-7.
