Third-ranked Winston-Salem State was very comfortable in the Division II playoffs Saturday afternoon.
WSSU did what it needed to in a second-round game against 17th-ranked California (Pa.) and won 35-28 in front of nearly 8,000 at Bowman Gray Stadium. WSSU improved to 12-0 and advanced to a home quarterfinal next Saturday against New Haven.
"We're not finished," said running back Nic Cooper, who rushed for 118 yards on 20 carries and scored three touchdowns. "We've got three more games to play."
The 12 wins are a school record for victories in a season, and the quarterfinal playoff berth is the first for a CIAA program. The Rams also snapped the CIAA's nine-game losing streak in the playoffs.
Coach Connell Maynor's team had not faced much adversity in a season in which it set the school scoring record, but that changed Saturday.
The Vulcans (10-3) took a 14-7 lead in the first quarter, and the Rams trailed for just the third time all season. But it didn't faze quarterback Kameron Smith, and the Rams kept their composure and kept the pressure on.
"Going into halftime, coach said we would face some adversity," Cooper said. "And Cal is a good team, and of course they are going to capitalize on our mistakes, and we didn't help out by turning the ball over. But that's how you find out about great teams — whenever your back is against the wall, what are you going to do?"
Smith completed 20 of 33 passes for 267 yards and two touchdowns but also had an interception and fumbled twice after getting sacked.
"They tried to come out in man, and I made a few mistakes," Smith said. "I'll have to work on that next week, but they were a pretty good defense overall."
The Rams' defense caused enough havoc for quarterback Peter Lalich, who was 30 of 47 for 381 yards but also threw three interceptions.
The Rams charged back from their 14-7 deficit and led 28-14 at halftime after scoring two touchdowns in the final 6:20 of the half. Fullback Ced Hickman caught a 6-yard touchdown pass from Smith, and Jamal Williams made a nice catch in the end zone for a 26-yard touchdown with 24 seconds left.
The Rams seemed to be in command in the second half after Cooper's 1-yard run and Alejandro Suarez's extra point made it 35-14.
Lalich, however, got the Vulcans moving with his pin-point passing. He hit running back Lamont Smith for two straight touchdowns, and California closed to 35-28 with 6:10 left in the third quarter.
"We weren't playing Ram football," Maynor said of the Vulcans' comeback. "We were doing stupid stuff and gave them opportunities. They are a good football team, and you can't do that against a team like that."
WSSU buckled down on defense in the fourth quarter and didn't allow California to tie.
The Vulcans took possession with 3:10 left after a booming punt by Landen Thayer but had no timeouts and 79 yards to go to reach the end zone. Defensive coordinator Kienus Boulware had eight and sometimes nine players back to cover California's passing attack from the spread formation.
Lalich moved the Vulcans to midfield, but linebacker Carlos Fields stopped Lamont Smith on fourth-and-1 with 48 seconds left. The Rams took over on downs and ran out the clock.
The Rams have had good balance with their offense and defense all season. They had it again Saturday.
"Defense wins championships," Hickman said. And, without missing a beat, wide receiver Jameze Massey countered: "Offense sells tickets."
Maynor, when asked about where his team ranks, said: "Greatest team in the history of Winston-Salem State University, and they proved it. Nobody has ever won 12 games, so they proved it.
"We've got 12 wins, and we've got three more wins and we are the national champions."
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