Box Score Postgame Notes
Box Score
CALIFORNIA, Pa. – It took 30 minutes to show, but California (Pa.) gave its home crowd a glimpse of what all the preseason hype was about in the second half of its opener as the fifth-ranked Vulcans put away 16th-ranked West Chester, 44-32, Saturday before 5,200 fans at Adamson Stadium.
Cal quarterback Kevin McCabe picked apart West Chester’s young secondary, finishing 30 of 36 for 297 yards and two touchdowns. However, it was the Vulcans’ running game in the third quarter that opened things up.
“I was really disappointed with the way our front seven played in the second half,” West Chester head coach Bill Zwaan said. “I thought that was going to be the strength of this defense, and (Cal) just came out and ran it down our throats in the second half.”
The Golden Rams held a slim 19-16 advantage at halftime on the strength of two touchdown receptions by tight end Ryan Paulson. However, West Chester’s offense could not get much going against a much more aggressive and inspired Cal defense in the second half.
The Vulcans offense wore down the Rams’ tired defense, eating up yardage and clock to take control of the game. Cal racked up 517 yards of total offense on the afternoon, including 298 yards in the second half, and put the ball in the end zone three times in the third quarter.
“(West Chester) was getting a lot of overflow with their linebackers that really gave us some trouble in the first half,” Cal head coach John Luckhardt said. “We changed a few things within our formations at halftime to keep their linebackers at home, and that opened up some seams in the middle.
Rams quarterback Joe Wright finished the day 23 of 39 for 311 yards and four touchdowns in his first college start. The junior signal-caller was calm under pressure and utilized four different receivers, engineering West Chester’s offense.
Wright guided the Golden Rams down the field in 1 minute, 10 seconds just before halftime to give the visitors their halftime lead. That drive culminated in a 12-yard TD strike to Paulson, who made a circus catch in double coverage for the score. Paulson finished with 81 yards on six receptions, along with the two TDs, before leaving with an injured knee.
“We have a pretty experienced secondary back there,” Luckhardt added. “Wright and that group of receivers he has to throw to did a great job of exploiting us today.
“Washington is a son-of-a-gun. But, Miller and Paulson are just as dangerous. I will tell you what. That West Chester team is better than the one we played last November.”
Paulson’s first TD reception was good for 44 yards right down the center of the field as he was left wide open. That score put WCU on top 6-3 after the extra point was blocked.
Cal took a 9-6 lead with 2:38 left in the first quarter when McCabe found Marcel Pestano in the back of the end zone for a TD.
D’Andre Webb, who churned out 66 yards on 11 carries and added another 47 yards on four receptions, scored his first collegiate touchdown on a 28-yard pass over the middle. He finished with 144 yards of all-purpose yards on the afternoon.
Pestano then caught a 4-yard TD pass with 9:24 remaining in the first half to continue the see-saw battle and put Cal on top 16-12.
Daine Williams scored both of his rushing touchdowns in the third quarter that opened up a 30-19 advantage. Windell Brown tacked on a 19-yard run to give Cal its largest lead of the game at 37-19.
Pat McDermott and Washington each scored in the fourth quarter to drag West Chester back into it. However, Brandon Lombardy found the end zone on a 7-yard run in-between the Rams’ two touchdowns to keep the visitors at bay.
Washington posted 65 yards receiving on five catches and his 44th career TD catch. He now has 3,997 career all-purpose yards, three shy of becoming just the sixth player in WCU history to eclipse 4,000 career all-purpose yards.
Miller led all West Chester wide receivers with 94 yards receiving on five catches.
Nose tackle James Thorpe intercepted a tipped pass at the line of scrimmage late in the first half that stalled a Cal drive and sent West Chester on its 6-play, 69-yard drive
West Chester (0-1) heads home to Farrell Stadium for its home opener next Saturday afternoon against Lock Haven at 1 p.m.
