Oct 9, 2005 By Justin Zackal For The 4 min read

Forse, Cox come up big in Cal U victory CALIFORNIA – There were eight lead changes in perhaps the biggest game of the season for the California University of Pa. football team.

The opposing team was the defending PSAC-West champion, the No. 17-ranked team in the country, and owners of the nation’s top defense against the run.

It was Edinboro that visited Adamson Stadium on Saturday and the game, the conference championship, and perhaps the Vulcans’ season were hanging in the balance.

With all this teetering in the air, two Laurel Highlands graduates pulled down the ball on separate occasions clinching California’s 36-26 win over the Fighting Scots.

Junior wide receiver Nate Forse, the Laurel Highlands graduate having the game of his life with 10 catches for 121 yards, had just scored to give Cal U. a three-point lead with a 23-yard reception from quarterback Joe Ruggiero.

Edinboro (4-2, 2-1) was about to make it nine lead changes with less than three minutes remaining. But another Laurel Highlands graduate, freshman defensive back Antwjuan Cox, was there at the 10-yard line to intercept a pass and seal the win.

“You got to learn how to play in tight games at the end, and tonight we did that,” said Cal U. head coach John Luckhardt. “That’s where we are headed; we’ve got to do that consistently.”

The interception bounced out of the hands of Edinboro’s Jordan Bobitski and Cox returned the pick 58 yards to the Edinboro 32.

Four plays later senior All-America running back Antoine Bagwell scored on an 18 yard run, giving him 109 yards for the game on 21 carries. Bagwell also caught a 12-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter giving him two scores on the day.

The Fighting Scots still had time to mount another drive, and another deflected pass off the fingertips of a receiver, this time Jeff Dinger, landed in the arms of – guess who? – Cox at his own 3-yard line.

“(The Fighting Scots) are very patient in the running game and they ran the ball down our throat,” Luckhardt said, “but Antwjuan Cox came up with two great plays for us.”

Edinboro ran the ball 36 times for 127 yards, led by Kelvin Collins with 90 yards on 17 carries, including touchdown dashes of 6 and 7 yards.

“We didn’t play very well today, and I can’t put my finger on why,” said Edinboro head coach Lou Tepper. “I don’t think it shocks me but it disappoints me; there are no more talented teams in our league than Cal.”

The teams alternated scores throughout the entire game leading up to Forse’s game-winning touchdown beginning with Edinboro’s Chris Avery picking off a Ruggiero pass in the first quarter and returning it 99 yards for a score.

The interception was Ruggiero’s only blemish during the game in which he completed 24 of 35 passes for 294 yards and three touchdowns. His longest completion was a 42-yarder to Forse’s 10 catches were more than half of the 17 receptions he had this season entering the game.

“It was our best effort, focus and everything,” Forse said. “We came out very intense and we weren’t scared of them or anything because they are defending champs.”

“When we spread the ball, we can do a lot of things,” Ruggiero said. “When the runs not working we’ve got the pass.”

Eight receivers caught at least one pass from Ruggiero, including D’Monn Baker who caught a 5-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter.

Edinboro quarterback Justin Bouch completed 23 of 36 passes including one touchdown, but three interceptions. Coming into the game, the Fighting Scots had just two turnovers the entire season.

“That was huge for us,” Tepper said. “Two of them were deflected but they still count. I think the turnovers hurt us.”

Edinboro, Cal U. (2-1, 4-2) and Slippery Rock are now tied for the lead in the PSAC-West behind 2-0 IUP.

“It put us back in the hunt,” Luckhardt added. “Now at least we have a chance to fight for it.”