• Game Notes (.pdf)

#24/18 CAL U (6-2, 5-0) VS. SLIPPERY ROCK (5-3, 2-3)
When: Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009
Where: N. Kerr Thompson Stadium (10,000)
TV: CUTV – tape delayed
Audio: WCAL 91.9-FM (Cal U)
Live Stats: Click here
On-Line Video: B2 Networks (live PPV)

SERIES BREAKDOWN
All-Time Series: Slippery Rock leads 42-26-3
First Meeting: 1919 - Cal U won 7-0
Last Meeting: 2008 @ Cal U - Cal U won 31-10
Streak: Cal U +3

CAL U NOTES

• Cal U extended its win streak to six games with an impressive 38-14 win against Edinboro on Homecoming last weekend. Meanwhile, Slippery Rock enters the contest on a two-game skid after falling 51-48 at Gannon last week.

• After scoring 28 unanswered points in the second half, Cal U registered an impressive 38-14 against Edinboro. The win marked the 200th career victory for head coach #John Luckhardt#. Trailing 14-3 midway through the second period, the Vulcans scored touchdowns on five-consecutive possessions to seize control of the game. Junior running back #Windell Brown# rushed for 148 yards and two touchdowns.

• Slippery Rock leads the all-time series that started in 1919 by a 42-26-3 margin. The Vulcans have won five of the last six meetings against The Rock after Slippery Rock won seven-straight games from 1996-2002.

• Following a 12-year career as an assistant coach at Slippery Rock, Dr. George Mihalik is in his 22nd year season as head coach of The Rock. He is the program's all-time winningest coach with a 146-88-4 (.622) overall record and an 83-46-3 (.640) mark in PSAC West play. A former quarterback at Slippery Rock, Mihalik guided his alma mater to three-consecutive NCAA Playoff appearances from 1997-99. While a player, he earned three letters and was the quarterback in the 1972 and 1973 PSAC Championships.

• Slippery Rock returns 29 lettermen and 13 starters from last year's team that was 5-6 overall, marking only the fifth losing season in 21 seasons under head coach Dr. George Mihalik. Slippery Rock has been led offensively this year by the play of sophomore running back SayQuan Scott-Mitchell, who ranks fourth in the PSAC with 83.6 rushing yards per game. The Rock backfield also features junior Ryan Lehmeier, who has rushed for over 1,750 yards in his career. Sophomore quarterback Rocco Colavecchia, a transfer from Kent State, won the starting job in the fall and has completed only 46.4 percent (84-of-181) of his passes for 1,142 yards with eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Defensively, sophomore Zach Sheridan leads the team with 53 tackles (29 solo) in his second year as a starter. The Rock secondary is anchored by junior Robert Doiley and freshman Brandon Watters, as both players have three interceptions this season. Doiley also is among the best punt returners in the league, averaging 8.4 yards on 25 returns. Slippery Rock also has the top punter in the PSAC in senior Kyle Witman, who is averaging 41.2 yards per punt.

• After an impressive victory last week over then-No. 12 Edinboro, Cal U has climbed back into the AFCA Top 25 for the first time in six weeks and are ranked No. 24. In the D2Football.com poll, the Vulcans vaulted up five spots to No. 18 after appearing in the Top 25 last week for the first time in five weeks.

• Cal U continues to defend its fourth-straight PSAC West title this weekend when it travels to rival Slippery Rock. The Vulcans have won 18-straight games against PSAC West opponents with its last divisional loss coming in 2006. Cal U also enters the weekend with a 14-game win streak in road divisional games with its last loss coming at Slippery Rock in October 2005.

• Senior #Willie Walker# has established himself as one of the top defensive lineman in the nation throughout his career. A four-year starter and three-time All-PSAC West selection, he now ranks fourth in school history with 28.0 career tackles for loss (TFL). Walker is within reach of the school record of 31.0 TFL set by Jim Lukacs (1999-2001). This season, the Aliquippa native has 27 stops (14 solo) with 6.0 TFL and 2.0 sacks despite battling several injuries.

• In his first year with the program, quarterback #Josh Portis# has established himself as one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the conference. He ranks second in the league and 14th in the nation with a 152.6 passing efficiency behind a PSAC-best 20 touchdown passes. Portis has not thrown an interception in his last 136 pass attempts, a span that covers 23 quarters.

• The Vulcans are off to a 5-0 start in divisional play this year, including wins over rivals Edinboro and IUP. This marks the fourth-straight year in which Cal U has won its first five divisional games with the previous three seasons leading to divisional titles.

• Senior defensive end #Brandon Gordon# has become a dominant force in second year as starter. The Ohio native is fourth on the Vulcans this season with 36 tackles (19 solo) with a team-high 9.0 tackles for loss (TFL). Since the start of PSAC West play, Gordon leads the team with 26 stops (18 solo) and has registered 8.5 TFL, 2.5 sacks, two pass break-ups and one forced fumble.

• With a win in either of the next two weeks, the Vulcans will earn at least a share of the PSAC West title for a fifth-straight year. Only IUP has previously accomplished the feat by winning league crowns from 1990-94 and 2000-04.

• During its current six-game win streak, the Cal U offense has averaged an impressive 40.7 points/game and 422.5 yards/total offense after scoring only a combined 27 points in the first two games of the season. The Vulcans have excelled in ball security during that span, committing only three turnovers. Cal U has also scored on 28-of-32 trips inside the red-zone over the last six games.

• Over the last four weeks, junior kicker #Marc Domonkos# has made 24-of-24 PAT attempts and six-of-seven field goals. A transfer from Lock Haven, Domonkos is tied for second on the team with 42 points after not attempting a PAT or field goal until Week 5 against Clarion.

• The Vulcans have won 47 of their last 55 games (.855) overall, dating back to the start of the 2005 season. Cal U has posted a 31-4 record (.886) in regular-season games since the 2006 campaign.

• Since returning back to the line-up after an ankle injury, junior running back #Windell Brown# has been a dynamic player in the Cal U offense. In the last three games, he has totaled 280 rushing yards and four touchdowns. Last week, he established career highs with 21 attempts for 148 yards and two touchdowns.

• Since the start of PSAC West play, the Vulcans have virtually eliminated the rushing game for their opponents. In five games, Cal U has yielded only a total of 362 yards and a 2.4 yards per attempt. In four of the five games, the Vulcans have allowed the opposition to rush for less than 100 yards as a team. For the season, Cal U ranks third in the league 20th in the nation allowing just 91.0 rushing yards per game.

• Sophomore #Chedrick Cherry# has established himself as one of the most explosive players in the PSAC this year. As both a wide receiver and kick returner, he has amassed 696 yards on 26 touches for an impressive 26.8 yards per touch. Cherry is averaging nearly 37 yards per kickoff return and over 17 yards per catch.