Oct 27, 2012 3 min read

If California University’s football team is going to win a PSAC title and earn a playoff bid, the Vulcans might have to do so without quarterback Peter Lalich. Lalich, who leads the West Division in passing, has missed the past two games and is listed as day to day with a leg injury. Redshirt freshman Cody Schroeder of Avon, Ohio, is expected to make the start when the Vulcans host Slippery Rock at Adamson Stadium today. Kickoff is 3:30 p.m. Cal takes a 7-1 overall record and 5-0 conference mark into the game. Slippery Rock is 4-4 overall, 3-2 in the conference. “It’s a lower body problem, and the doctors are trying to figure out what’s wrong,” said Cal head coach Mike Kellar. “It wasn’t until Friday (before the Lock Haven game two weeks ago) that we knew something was wrong.” Schroeder led the Vulcans to two wins against weaker opponents, 30-0 over Lock Haven and 41-0 over Gannon last week. He completed 20 of 29 passes for 252 yards and three touchdowns against Lock Haven but struggled against Gannon, completing 15 of 34 passes for 119 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. “I just thought I would get mop-up time this season, nothing like this,” said Schroeder. “I made some rookie mistakes (in the first two games), but I thought I led the team pretty well. Everyone has accepted me as the starter.” Lalich passed for 2,134 yards and 17 touchdowns in six games. “(Schroeder) played like any other freshman quarterback,” Kellar said. “If we could have changed four or five throws, he would have been perfect.” The 6-2, 175-pound Schroeder, who played hockey and baseball at Avon High School, got some much-needed experience in the spring. He handled all the snaps because Lalich could not participate because of the 10-semester rule. “He’s got a big arm,” Kellar said. “There is not a throw in the offense he can’t make. The experience Pete had, we can’t replace that. It is what it is.” Kellar said other than using the running game more, there will be no changes to the offense. The Vulcans ran 100 rushing plays over the past two games and have 295 for the season. “We will stick to our game philosophy,” Schroeder said. “I just need to make some tweaks. You learn from doing it and I have to get rid of the mistakes. I came here to play and when they call my number, I’m ready to go.”

Waynesburg is just two wins away from completing its first undefeated regular season in 46 years. The opponent is Westminster today in a 1:30 p.m. kickoff. The Yellow Jackets (6-0, 8-0) will then have a week off to prepare for a Nov. 10 meeting against rival Washington & Jefferson. The Titans are 3-3, including 2-3 in the conference, and are coming off a 45-28 win over Bethany. The winner of the Presidents’ Athletic Conference will receive an automatic bid into the NCAA Division III playoffs. The 23rd-ranked Yellow Jackets have the second-best rushing offense in the conference at 201 yards a game, an average of three yards behind Westminster. Bertrand Ngampa and Dominic Moore have combined for 1,171 yards and 10 touchdowns. Waynesburg also has the PAC leading scoring defense, allowing just 16 points per game.