GAME NOTES
The Series: It will be just the ninth meeting between PSAC programs, which met first in the PSAC Championship game in 1968 in a 28-28 tie. The Vulcans hold a 4-3-1 lead, as Cal won the previous four meetings in 2007, 2010, 2011 and 2017. ESU took victories in the 1992, 1993 and picked up its last win against the Vulcans in current ESU head coach Jimmy Terwilliger’s senior season in 2006.
Last Time They Met: Michael Keir threw for 350 yards and two touchdowns, leading California (Pa.) to a 31-14 win over East Stroudsburg University in the Warriors' 2017 football season finale on Saturday afternoon at Eiler-Martin Stadium.Luke Smorey had 10 receptions for 119 yards and a TD for the Vulcans (9-2), who were listed No. 9 in the NCAA DII Super Region 1 rankings last weekKeir completed 29-of-48 passes without an interception, leading a Cal offense that gained 491 yards on 78 plays. Jimmy Wheeler had 13 carries for 87 yards and a TD, and starter Jalen Bell had 11 carries for 43 yards in the first half. Redshirt freshman quarterback Ben Moser was 21-for-41 for 180 yards, two TD and an interception and had 12 carries for 53 yards for ESU (3-8), which won 37-27 at Lock Haven last week. Redshirt junior tailback Jaymar Anderson caught an 18-yard TD pass from Moser and finished with 30 total yards, with seven carries for 12 yards. Anderson finishes the season with 1,046 rushing yards, sixth-most in school history. He had 30 carries for 200 yards and three TD last week.
Last Time Out: Despite building a 14-0 advantage to start the contest, the East Stroudsburg University football team fell to third-ranked Shepherd by a score of 37-14 on Senior Day at Eiler-Martin Stadium. 2021 Harlon Hill Trophy winner Tyson Bagent threw for 400 yards and five touchdowns, as his third touchdown pass set a new NCAA Division II record with 149 in career, surpassing current Warriors’ head coach Jimmy Terwilliger’s 148 set in 2006.
The Century Mark: Linebacker Sergei Felizor currently has 93 tackles on the season and looks to eclipse the 100-yd mark against the Vulcans. He would become the first player to record 100 tackles in a season since Pleasant Valley product Dakota Everett produced 101 tackles in the 2017 campaign. The all-conference contender currently ranks sixth in the PSAC in total tackles and seven in the solo tackles.
Last Ride: Last week, the ESU athletic department honored seniors Gunner Anglovich, Clifford Brinkley, Anthony Capitini, Jake Cirillo, Matt DeLaurentis, Cole Fryer, Elijiah Johnson, Jacob Keane, Elie Lavarin, Ezequiel Lopez, Jared Namnun, Isaiah Reigel, Devante Robinson, Jaco Sattamini, Tyler Watson and Christian Weissman on Senior Day. The match up with California (Pa.) is expected to be their final contest in the Red and Black uniform.
Cirillo: QB Jake Cirillo enters his final game in the Warrior uniform and sits highly among the accomplished quarterbacks in program history. In 33 career games, Cirillo has accounted for 5,798 passing yards (7th at ESU), 42 passing touchdowns (8th), 1,107 rushing yards (3rd) and 11 rushing touchdowns (2nd) and 6,905 yards of total offense (5th)
Know the Foe: Cal enters the season finale in a similar spot as ESU with a 5-5 record with close losses to potential playoff teams. All five of the Vulcans’ losses have come to NCAA DII Super Region 1 ranked teams in Kutztown (24-19), Shepherd (26-23 OT), IUP (22-21), Slippery Rock (42-24) and Gannon (25-13). The Vulcans’ strength of schedule currently ranks 17th of 163 NCAA Division II squads. Defensively, the Vulcans are elite at stopping the run, ranking second in the country in rushing defense (55.6 yards allowed per game). With Bagent in the same conference, Cal QB Noah Mitchell may get overlooked, but he ranks in the top-25 nationally in completion percentage (15th), completions per game (15th), passing yards (22nd) and passing yards per game (25th). His favorite target, wide receiver JaQuae Jackson ranks ninth in the country in receiving touchdowns, 10th in receding yards and 25th in points scored.
State Game: Shepherd and IUP, who ESU held leads against this season, will meet in the annual State Game on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. at IUP’s George Miller Stadium. The winner will earn the PSAC Championship and the automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
