SLIPPERY ROCK — Slippery Rock missed its chance to tie the game. California connected on its chance to win it.

Shortly after The Rock misfired on a two-point conversion attempt, Vulcans quarterback Joe Ruggiero teamed up with receiver Nate Forse for a 39-yard touchdown pass with three minutes remaining Saturday afternoon.

The play wrapped up a 22-13 football victory over SRUat N. Kerr Thompson Stadium, giving No. 6 California a school-record nine victories, a 9-0 start for the first time since 1946, and a strong hold on the No. 1 ranking in the Northeast Region.

Ruggiero found Forse open in the flat on a third-and-two play. The receiver broke a tackle and escaped down the right sideline for the clinching score.

"We were trying to pressure the quarterback and hopefully get to him before he could get the ball to his check-down receiver,"SRUcoach George Mihalik said. "We didn't get there in time on that play.

"Our safety missed a tackle and he (Forse) got away. It still would have been a first down, but not a touchdown."

The Rock (7-2, 2-2) had pulled within 15-13 by putting together a 14-play, 84-yard scoring drive following an A.J. Saunders interception. Nate Crookshank, who completed only two passes for 23 yards and two interceptions in the first half, found Terry Grossetti for 19 yards on a third-and-four to extend the possession.

On third-and-22 from the California 31, Crookshank found Paul Favers in the left corner of the end zone for a touchdown.

"Nate struggled to find his rhythm early ... But that pass was perfect,"Mihalik said.

The score occurred with 6:29 remaining in the game. The conversion pass was designed to go to back-side tight end Frank Cremonese cutting across the middle of the end zone. The pass fluttered to the ground with no one around it, however.

"They got some pressure and Nate had to throw the ball before he wanted to,"Mihalik said. "Frank was alone coming across, but the timing was all off."

The Vulcans' timing was off offensively most of the second half. Losing its leading running back, Brandon Lombardy, to a knee injury late in the second quarter, California had mustered only two first downs since halftime before putting together its clinching 68-yard scoring drive late in the game.

Lombardy, among the PSAC's leading rushers with 954 yards and 12 touchdowns, left the field on a cart and will miss the rest of the season.

"We have other weapons, but we have to be able to run the football,"California coach John Luckhardt said. "I was pleased with the way our offense reacted to their touchdown. We made the plays when we had to.

"This was two top teams slugging away at each other all day. It was the type of game we anticipated."

California entered the game leading all of NCAADivision IIin rushing defense, allowing but 33 yards per game. SRU's Corey Manfull had 37 carries for 175 yards and a touchdown Saturday.

The Rock amassed 347 total yards, failing to reach 400 for the first time all year.

"I wasn't surprised we were able to run on them,"Manfull said. "Our offensive line opens holes against everybody. I knew I had a lot of carries, but not that many."

"Corey was on his game today, so we rode it,"Mihalik said.

Luckhardt expected The Rock to have some success on the ground.

"Every team does something well,"Luckhardt said. "Edinboro threw it on us last week. Slippery Rock likes to run it."

California opened up a 12-0 lead in the first quarter. Lombardy's 2-yard TDrun capped a 62-yard drive on the game's first possession. Darren Burns intercepted a Crookshank pass and returned it 19 yards to the SRU6, setting up Lombardy's second touchdown run.

Juan Butler blocked a Kyle Witman punt at the SRU29 late in the quarter, but The Rock defense stiffened and Tyler Lorenz was short on a 48-yard field goal attempt.

Manfull capped a 69-yard drive with an 8-yard run to cut the gap to 12-7 early in the second quarter. Lorenz booted a 21-yard field goal with 5:36 left to give the Vulcans a 15-7 halftime lead.

"I felt like it should have been more, to be honest with you,"Luckhardt said. "We had a lot of chances early."

"I felt like they were inside our 25 the entire half,"Mihalik admitted."

Notes:Crookshank broke Randy McKavish's school-record of 523 career pass completions. He now has 526. ... The Rock lost its first and second-string Will linebackers, Jake Barzen and Nate Sipes, to injury Saturday. ... SRU's Robert Doiley had two sacks and forced a fumble. ... The Rock travels to Lock Haven for a 5:30 p.m. kickoff Thursday.California 22, SRU13

California 12 3 0 7—22Slippery Rock 0 7 0 6—13C SRU17 First Downs 2139-101 Rushes-Yards 46-209199 Passing Yards 13815-24-1 Passes (Comp.-Att.-Int.) 11-26-2300 Total Yards 3471-1 Fumbles/Lost 2-09-100 Penalties-Yards 4-48

First QuarterCAL— Brandon Lombardy 2 run (kick failed), 11:09

Second QuarterCAL— Lombardy 1 run (pass failed), 4:32SRU— Corey Manfull 8 run (C.J. Bahr kick), 12:30CAL — Tyler Lorenz 21 field goal, 5:36

Fourth QuarterSRU— Paul Favers 31 pass from Nate Crookshank (pass failed), 6:29CAL— Nate Forse 39 pass from Joe Ruggiero (Lorenz kick), 3:00

Individual Statistics

Passing: California, Joe Ruggiero 15-24-199-1. SRU, Nate Crookshank 11-25-138-2, Team 0-1-0-0.

Rushing: California, Brandon Lombardy 16-65, Daine Williams 18-44, Joe Riggiero 5-(-8). SRU, Corey Manfull 37-175, Ryan Lehmeier 3-18, Jim D'Amico 1-12, Nate Crookshank 5-4.

Receiving: California, Nate Forse 3-71, Daine Williams 3-39, Brandon Lombardy 3-32, Kirby Griffin 1-12, Jermaine Moye 1-12, Freddie Bacco 1-11, Joe Slappy 1-10, Richard Eberlein 1-8, Perry Ivery 1-4. SRU, Terry Grossetti 5-49, Paul Favers 2-38, Josh Prigorac 2-29, Colin Golden 2-22.