Bagwell scores 4 TDs as Vulcans hammer Cheyney, 49-3
CALIFORNIA – John Luckhardt applied fatherly sentiments to his California University of Pa. football team in Saturday night’s game at Adamson Stadium. The sentiments were, “Yes, you can play in the mud with the boys from Cheyney University, just make sure you finish your chores and don’t get hurt.”
The Vulcans, tied for first place in the PSAC West with two games to go, took care of business securing a 49-3 win over visiting Cheyney, an inferior non-conference opponent from the PSAC East.
“We wanted to play with a level of consistency, and I thought we did that,” Luckhardt said, Cal U.’s fourth-year head coach. “We also wanted to come out healthy.”
California also did that, but that’s not to say the Vulcans didn’t get down and dirty.
Standing just beyond Luckhardt on the sloppy field after the game was senior All-American running back Antoine Bagwell wearing a layer of caked-on mud as if it were a wedding-day tuxedo.
“I like playing in the mud,” Bagwell said. “I liked it since I was a little kid.”
Bagwell rushed 20 times for 163 yards and four touchdowns on runs of 5, 2, 5 and 13 yards. What’s more impressive is Bagwell didn’t even touch the ball in the second half.
Luckhardt was cautious about avoiding injuries and becoming creative with his offense with a home game vs. Lock Haven and a game at Indiana (Pa.) in two weeks that could very well decide the conference title.
“Sometimes it’s not easy,” Luckhardt said. “We just came out and did some nice things and got a couple touchdowns early and kept them out of the game.”
Cal U. (6-2) scored on six of its first eight possessions. Starting quarterback Joe Ruggiero did throw the ball, completing 14 of 19 passes for 149 yards including a 10 yard touchdown pass to Marcellus Garner on the team’s first drive and a 5-yard throw to Mike Dodson late in the second quarter.
Laurel Highlands graduate Nate Forse was the Vulcans’ leading receiver with three catches for 53 yards, including a 33-yarder on the first play of the game and two third-down converting plays on Cal U.’s second scoring drive.
However, Cal U. threw the ball just two times in the second half. Backup quarterback Matt Humbert, also a Laurel Highlands graduate, entered the game with 1:51 remaining in the second quarter and threw just three passes in the game.
“We would’ve liked to cut if off at halftime,” Luckhardt said. “(But) we had a lot of guys get playing time.”
Cheyney (2-7) was never even close being in the game. In fact, the game was delayed 25 minutes because its bus broke down on the way to the stadium.
The Wolves offense was just as mobile, compiling 24 yards and no first downs in the first half. When they finally got a first down on their first drive of the second half, it marked the first time the Wolves crossed midfield. Two plays later they fumbled the ball away.
The Vulcan defense, led by linebacker Lloyd Price’s nine tackles, smothered the Wolves, who ended up crossing midfield twice in the game, had three first downs and a total of 73 yards.
California was a special teams breakdown away from a shutout, as Cheyney’s Robert Edwards took a reverse on a punt return 49 yards to the Vulcan 4-yard line before the Cal U. defense came up with the stop and forced Cheyney’s John Riley to kick a 20-yard field goal.
NOTES: California has outscored Cheyney 169-19 the last four years. … the Vulcans are ranked No. 12 in the NCAA Division II Northeast Region … the Vulcans clinched their third season six-win season in the last four years … the last time they did that was from 1984-87 … other local players in the game were freshman CB Antwjuan Cox (Laurel Highlands) with one tackle, redshirt freshman C Matt Messich (Mapletown) playing the entire second half and sophomore WR Thomas Martinak (Frazier) playing most of the second half; he was thrown to once but the ball was tipped at the line of scrimmage.