Vulcans sink Raiders, pull into first-place tie
California University of Pa. scored two defensive touchdowns early in the second half and Antoine Bagwell rushed for 166 yards and two scores as the Vulcans defeated host Shippensburg, 41-13, to move into a first-place tie in the PSAC-West on Saturday. The Vulcans improve to 5-2 overall and 3-1 in the conference to pull even with Edinboro, one-half game ahead of IUP and Slippery Rock.
The Raiders fall to 3-5 and 1-3.
California was holding a precarious 13-10 lead at halftime before Jared Dumm intercepted a Tony Gomez pass and returned it 68 yards for a touchdown just 1:32 into the third quarter. Dustin Puzzuto’s extra-point kick was blocked, but Cal was still up 19-10 and added seven more points just 1:33 later.
Shippensburg was forced to punt from its own 14-yard line and the Vulcans’ Juan Butler blocked the kick with Laurel Highlands graduate Antwjuan Cox recovering in the end zone for the touchdown and a 26-10 lead.
Jamie Reder kicked a 24-yard field to pull the Raiders within 26-13 with 7:40 left in the third quarter, but Cal put the game away with a 5-yard TD run by Bagwell followed by a 2-yard scoring run by Brandon Lombardy to cap a 28-point quarter and set the final score.
Shippensburg got on the board first when Reder booted a 19-yard field goal in the first quarter.
The Vulcans quickly responded with a 1-yard touchdown run by Lombardy and a 14-yard TD jaunt by Bagwell to go up 13-3 as Puzzuto missed one of the two extra-point kicks.
The Raiders pulled with three with 12:27 left in the second quarter when Kyle Fogarty pulled in a 23-yard touchdown pass from Gomez.
The third quarter belonged to California, however, as it snapped a 14-year losing streak to Shippensburg.
Bagwell’s performance upped his season total to 1,042 rushing yards. He becomes just the second back in Cal history to break the 1,000-yard barrier twice. Bagwell also had two receptions for 29 yards.
Vulcan quarterback Joe Ruggiero completed 14 of 21 passes for 219 yards and no interceptions. Marcellus Garner hauled in four of those tosses for 94 yards. Laurel Highlands graduate Nate Forse was held to two receptions for one yard.
Cal punter Jon Fowler, a Belle Vernon graduate, averaged 33.6 yards on five punts.
California hosts Cheyney State out of the PSAC-East next Saturday at Adamson Stadium.