Sep 27, 2014 4 min read

For those California University football fans following the game against Shippensburg last week on the live scoring system, it must have been quite a shock.

Playing quarterback for the Vulcans, according to the computer program, was James Williamson, not the expected starter James Harris.

Williamson was having a great game, according to those stats, especially considering he is a junior defensive back and not a quarterback.

The live stats system inserted the wrong name at quarterback because Williamson and Harris share the No. 5 on the roster.

So it really was Harris who threw for 439 yards, just four off the school record held by Kevin McCabe and set in 2008. And it was Harris who led the Vulcans to eight scoring drives and 35 first-half points.

And it was Harris who finished the game completing 24 of 33 passes for those 439 yards and two touchdowns in a 56-34 romp over Shippensburg in a PSAC game.

“I didn’t realize that,” said Harris when told of the live stats error. “That’s pretty funny.”

Harris helped turn this game into a laugher with his passing prowess and a running game that produced six touchdowns, three apiece by Terrelle Roberson and Nick Grissom.

Suddenly, the Vulcans appear like the team to beat in the PSAC West, considering how well they played in the win over Shippensburg and a 24-21 overtime loss at then-No. 19 Bloomsburg two weeks ago.

The Vulcans emerged from a murderous first three games on the schedule at 2-1 and finally get relief when Edinboro visits Cal this afternoon for a 1 p.m. kickoff at Adamson Stadium.

“I believe (the Shippensburg game) was a must-win for us,” said Harris, who won the starting QB job at midseason last fall. “They came down and scored first. I think we all felt on the sideline that this was not going to happen again.”

Not another loss, that is. Shippensburg limped home with its first defeat of the season, and Cal left having finally seen its offense blossom.

Grissom rushed for 134 yards on 19 carries and Roberson had 89 on 14. Gary Brown led the receivers with 10 receptions for 190 yards and Kowan Scott had seven for 149.

“The wide receivers and I are on the same page,” said Harris, a transfer from Wake Forest, where he played baseball. “We are definitely bonding.”

It could not have come at a better time. Harris passed for 532 yards in the first two games combined. Scott had six receptions for 113 yards in a season-opening win over Virginia State and three for 82 against Bloomsburg.

“I always seem to make a big play,” said Scott, who has longs of 44, 49 and 47 yards in the first three games. “When I was at Wilson High School (in Easton), they threw me a lot of go routes. It takes a lot out of a defense when I catch one.”

So Edinboro might want to employ extra defensive backs in this game. The Fighting Scots score a lot but give up even more points. They average 26 points per game but allow an average of 44 and 302 passing yards.

Quarterback Cody Harris and wide receiver Darren Massey have been the main offensive threats. Harris has completed 74 percent of his passes for 749 yards and nine touchdowns. He’s thrown just one interception. Massey caught 28 of those passes for 333 yards.

“We want to take every game as a must-win game,” said Scott. “If we execute, then I don’t think anyone can stop us. I’m happy to go 2-1.”

Kickoff: 7 p.m.

The first three weeks have produced victories for Waynesburg, but the last two also have produced some concerns.

The Yellow Jackets’ offense has been superb, averaging 37 points in wins over Muskingum, Saint Vincent and Geneva. But the defense, which was gutted by graduation, including PAC defensive Player of the Year Brandon Fedorka, has sprung a few leaks. Waynesburg allowed 24 points against Saint Vincent and 38 against Geneva. The defense hemorrhaged 669 combined yards over those games.

Bethany is coming off a 21-14 overtime win against Westminster for a second straight victory after a Week 1 rout by No. 3-ranked Mount Union.

A two-man rotation in the backfield produced 161 rushing yards against Westminster and quarterback Brian Vales threw for 203 yards and a touchdown. Eric Blinn had 11 catches for 137 yards and leads the PAC with 24 receptions.

The Bison are last in the PAC in red zone defense, allowing nine touchdowns and three field goals in 14 visits. The offensive line has allowed a league-high 13 sacks.