Ricca Throws 500+ yards as CUA Tops Guilford
November 8, 2008
GREENSBORO, NC-- Quarterback Keith Ricca passed for over 500
yards and five scores as CUA defeated Guilford College 49-34.
The Cardinals will now clinch the ODAC title with a win over
Bridgewater next Saturday.
Andrew Buis (Gaithersburg, Md./Gaithersburg) had nine catches
for 172 yards and two touchdowns while Greg Brown (Philadelphia,
Pa./Malvern Prep) had five grabs for 101 yards and a score.
Ricca completed 28 of 42 passes totaling 530 yards and five
touchdowns. Brown also added 34 yards on the ground with two
rushing scores.
Ricca threw three touchdowns in the decisive second quarter,
including a 22-yard strike to Andrew Buis 13 seconds before
halftime. The score marked the quarter's third lead change and was
set up by a Dylan O'Shea (Westport, Conn./Staples) interception at
Catholic's 31-yard line with 54 seconds left in the half. Ricca
sandwiched a short completion to Greg Brown between two tosses to
Buis before connecting with his favorite target for the go-ahead
score. Brendan Deluca's (Gambrills, Md./St. Mary's) point-after
made it a 27-21 Catholic lead just before halftime.
The teams exchanged punts to start the second half, but Ricca
got the Cardinals on the board again with a six-play drive that
covered 80 yards in 1:53. Brown picked up the first of his two
rushing scores of the quarter and caught a two-point conversion
pass for a 35-21 Catholic edge.
Guilford answered when Vogelbach hit Kevin Vaughn from 38 yards
out for his third and final touchdown pass of the day. He broke
Justin Peery's NCAA Division III career total offense record on the
play, which marked his 124th career touchdown pass.
The Quakers drew no closer as the Cardinals recovered a
Vogelbach fumble on their own 16-yard line early in the fourth
quarter. Joe Martin (Boynton Beach, Fla./Cardinal Newman) made the
sack and recovered the ball, which led to Catholic's final score of
the day, a 34-yard strike from Ricca to Alonzo Cooke (Clinton,
Md./Bishop McNamara). The Quakers thought they had stopped the
drive when Kenneth Hyman picked off Ricca near midfield, but
Guilford was offsides on the play and the Catholic's drive
continued.
A one-yard touchdown run by Justin Parker (Greensboro,
N.C./Southern Guilford) and Hunter Chappell's (Elizabeth City,
N.C./Northeastern) extra point provided the game's final margin
after a 14-play, 72-yard scoring drive. The Cardinals recovered the
ensuing on-side kick and ran out the clock.
Buis finished with nine receptions for 172 yards and two
touchdowns. Brown added 101 receiving yards on five catches, one of
which was a 63-yard first-quarter score. He also rushed for 34
yards and two touchdowns. Christian Pavik (Hereford, Md./Hereford)
made a game-high 10 tackles for a defense that forced three
turnovers. O'Shea made five tackles and recovered a fumble in
addition to his interception.
CUA will return to action on Saturday, November 15, 2008 as the
Cardinals will welcome Bridgewater (Va.) to Cardinal Stadium.
This game will not only end the regular season for CUA but will
also act as a championship game as a win would secure the ODAC
championship. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
