SLIPPERY ROCK — Around this time last year, then Seneca Valley senior Eric Hudanick got into a three-point stance along the line of scrimmage to protect his quarterback against Penn Hills at NexTier Stadium.

Saturday night, the SV grad was in that stance again — only at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium and against NCAA Division II's all-time sack and tackles for loss leader Marcus Martin.

The 6-foot-3, 275-pound Hudanick is starting at left tackle as a true freshman for defending PSAC champion California (Pa.) University.

“We gave him a little help with a running back blocking, but Eric was up against him (Msrtin) by himself quite a bit,” California coach Gary Dunn said. “I'm proud of him. The kid did a heckuva job.

“He wasn't intimidated. He wasn't too big for the situation.”

Hudanick is still adapting to the situation.

“In high school last year, I was pretty much the strongest guy out there,” Hudanick said. “I could control things physically.

“Now I'm an 18-year-old playing against 21 and 22-year-old guys. I'm the youngest guy on the field every game. It is totally different.”

Martin had two sacks against California, but Hudanick helped the Vulcans' offense generate 407 yards and 37 points. He is starting for a team that led all of Division II last year with 49 points per game.

California is averaging 40 points per game this season after replacing three graduated starters along the offensive line.

“Eric reported to camp knowing he had a shot, but he was gonna have to earn it,” Dunn said. “He beat out some guys who were already here and landed that position.”

Hudanick had more modest goals when he first reported to California this past summer.

“I just wanted to make the traveling squad,” he said.

Dunn wasn't that surprised Hudanick cracked the starting lineup, though he is the Vulcans' lone true freshman starter on either side of the ball. When Dunn was coaching at Duquesne University, he had recruited offensive lineman Tyler Hudanick, Eric's older brother.

Tyler wound up going to Central Florida and became a starter there his freshman year. He is now a junior at CFU.

“I came to know the Hudanick family while I was at Duquesne,” Dunn said. “It's a good family and those boys were hard-working players in high school.”

Dunn wasted little time going after Eric Hudanick last year, the coach's first season as head coach at California.

“The start of my senior year was really the beginning of my recruiting process and California was the first school to contact me,” Hudanick said. “They stayed with me the whole season. They showed how badly they wanted me and I knew it was a top-level program.”

Hudanick is majoring in business. He said his goal is “to graduate with a GPA over 3.0, maybe 3.5 and get a (championship) ring ... maybe multiple rings.”

Dunn anticipates some personal honors coming Hudanick's way as well.

“Absolutely, he can become an all-conference player. I anticipate that happening,” the coach said. “He's already making an impact and he'll get bigger and stronger.

“Eric will add muscle mass through our weight program. I see him getting up around 290 pounds. He's going to do great things for us.”