Cal survives scare from Gannon
CALIFORNIA – For a few minutes, just about everyone inside Adamson Stadium was holding their collective breaths.
Down on the turf at the 15-yard line was Michael Keir, California University’s senior quarterback, and a group of trainers was attending to him. Keir had just taken a helmet to the outside part of his right knee. It was easy to expect the worse, but Keir, it turned out, only had a bruise.
While he missed the final minute of the half, Keir came back and played the final two quarters, tossing two touchdowns and leading No. 8 Cal to a 35-14 victory over Gannon in a PSAC West Division game on a raw Saturday afternoon.
The win keeps the Vulcans undefeated at 7-0 and 5-0 in the division. Cal is two wins away from finishing the regular season unbeaten and earning a spot in the State Game, which the Vulcans would host. Gannon slipped to 4-4, 1-4 in the conference.
Keir’s injury came when he scrambled for no gain on a first down play from Gannon’s 16-yard line. After being attended to, he was helped up and walked to the trainer’s table on the Cal sideline, where he was surrounded by the training staff.
“I got stood up and someone hit me on my knee,” said Keir. “There was a little bit of pain but I (came back to) play. Anyone who has had a knee injury might expect the worst but I came back out and I was happy with it. The trainers just told me to calm down and relax, and that was what I was trying to do.”
Keir completed 20 of 30 passes for 212 yards and had four interceptions. To be fair, two were long third-down passes that could have taken the place of punts.
“He’s fine,” said Dunn. “He just got twisted up with his leg a little bit but he’s fine. He’ll come in and get treatment (today). I leave that all up to the team doctors. They tell me who can go and who can’t.”
Keir’s injury, while heart-stopping, allowed Marcus Prather to get in the game to lead a last-second drive before halftime. He responded with a perfect 12-yard pass to Luke Smorey that capped a six-play, 60-yard drive and gave the transfer from Robert Morris his first TD pass of the season. That gave California a 14-7 lead at halftime.
“I didn’t get to keep the ball,” said Prather with a smile. “Our equipment guy would be mad if I took the ball. I was happy just to get the opportunity.”
“That’s big on Marcus’ (part),” said Keir. “It makes you happy knowing someone can come in and do it.”
Junior tailback Nick Grissom, coming off the fifth-most rushing yards in school history with 258 yards, two touchdowns and 33 carries in a 48-20 win over Clarion last week, had 68 yards on 16 carries yesterday and scored the game’s first touchdown on a 12-yard run in the second quarter.
Gannon tied the game on Zach Phillips’ 3-yard run with 1:27 left in the half. Prather’s TD pass gave Cal a 7-point lead at intermission.
Senior Garry Brown, who holds nearly all the receiving records at Cal, added another one with a 6-yard grab four plays before Keir was injured. That catch broke Perry Kemp’s school record for receptions (165). Coming into the game, Brown needed two and finished with nine for 95 yards and a touchdown. His 15-yard catch from Keir two minutes into the second half gave Cal a 21-7 lead.
“I wasn’t keeping track. I was trying to do the best I could to make my team win,” said Brown. “I heard about it over the (P.A. system).”
Gannon cut the lead to 21-14 when Marcus Jones broke off a 59-yard run with 11:55 to play in the third quarter. It was the longest play from scrimmage Cal yielded all season. But Keir put the game away with a 3-yard pass to Tom Greene with 6:52 left in the third quarter and John Franklin III scored midway through the fourth quarter to make it a three-touchdown advantage.
Senior Quad Law, a Ringgold graduate who plays wide receiver for Gannon, had five catches for 39 yards. His brother, Nico, a redshirt freshman had two for two yards.
“It was exciting to be close to home,” said Law. “It made me feel a little more comfortable.”
Notes
Cal rushed for only 88 yards on 31 carries. … Cal linebacker Luke Hrapchak had a game-high 11 tackles. Linebacker Jordan Lardini had three tackles for losses and defensive ends Jawan Turner and Justin Baker each forced a fumble.