• Game Notes (.pdf)

CAL U (1-2, 0-0) VS. GANNON (2-1, 0-0)
When: Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009
Where: Adamson Stadium (6,500)
TV: FSN Pittsburgh
Audio: WCAL 91.9-FM (Cal U - web only) I JET Radio 1400-AM (Gannon)
Live Stats: Click here
On-Line Video: B2 Networks (live PPV)

SERIES BREAKDOWN
All-Time Series: Cal U leads 1-0
First Meeting: 2008 @ Gannon - Cal U won 42-24
Last Meeting: 2008 @ Gannon - Cal U won 42-24
Streak: Cal U +1

CAL U NOTES

• Cal U opens PSAC West play this weekend after rallying to win 30-23 on the road against then-No. 21 West Chester last Saturday. Meanwhile, Gannon recorded a 30-9 win over Cheyney last week in PSAC crossover play.

• Cal U snapped its two-game losing streak with a 30-23 comeback win at West Chester. Freshman #Rontez Miles# made the game-changing play late in the first when he blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown. The Vulcans then claimed a 27-20 lead in the third quarter after scoring a pair of touchdowns. Junior linebacker #Anthony Roberts# led the defense with a career-high 10 tackles (all solo).

• Jim Kiernan is in his third season as head coach of the Golden Knights after spending eight years as the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at Saginaw Valley. Last year, Kiernan guided Gannon to a four-win improvement in its first season as members of the PSAC. Kiernan also has had coaching stints at fellow PSAC West member Mercyhurst, Alabama A&M, Kentucky Wesleyan and Lakeland.

• Gannon returns 47 lettermen and 14 players with at least six starts from last year's squad that made a four-win improvement. The Golden Knights feature one of the top tailbacks in the PSAC with senior Jon Richardson. He currently ranks fourth in the conference in rushing yards and leads the league with seven touchdowns. Defensively, Gannon is led by junior defensive back Matthew Neal-Mink. A three-year starter, he leads the conference with 37 tackles (22 solo) after making a combined 131 stops in his first two years with the program. On special teams, Gannon returns All-PSAC West First Team kicker Jeremy Ditzler, who made 15-of-19 field goals and 23-of-25 extra points last year.

• Graduate student #Derek Fiorenza# has played a pivotal role for Cal U this season. An all-region punter last year, Fiorenza ranks third in the 16-team PSAC this season with an average of 40.5 yards per punt. However, perhaps more impressive is that four of his punts have been placed inside the opponents' 20-yard line and six of his 13 punts have resulted in fair catches.

• Cal U defends its fourth-straight PSAC West title beginning this weekend when it hosts Gannon. The Vulcans have won 13-straight games against PSAC West opponents and haven't lost a home divisional game since November 2006.

• Freshman safety #Rontez Miles# made a game-changing punt block in last week's win over nationally-ranked West Chester. With the Vulcans trailing 10-0 late in the first quarter, Miles blocked the Golden Rams' punt and returned the ball 25 yards for a touchdown. Including his touchdown, Cal U out-scored West Chester 30-13 over the final 48-plus minutes of the game. Miles is the only true freshman to play for the Vulcans this year and has made seven tackles (all solo) while playing in the secondary and on special teams.

• The Vulcans have won 42 of their last 51 games (.824) overall, dating to the start of the 2005 season. Cal U has posted a 26-4 record (.867) in regular season games dating back to the 2006 campaign.

• This weekend's game will feature two of the top tacklers in the PSAC. Graduate student linebacker #Dontey Brown# leads the Vulcans and ranks third in the conference with 30 tackles (19 solo) this year in his first season as a starter. Meanwhile, the Golden Knights feature the top tackler in the PSAC in junior defensive back Matthew Neal-Mink. Neal-Mink, the reigning PSAC West Defensive Player of the Week, has registered 37 stops (22 solo) this season.

• Senior #AJ Jackson# continues to solidify his role as one of the top wide receivers in the PSAC and the region. Jackson has led the Vulcans in receptions and receiving yards in all three games this year after earning All-PSAC West First-Team honors last season. He ranks among the league leaders with 16 receptions and 209 receiving yards this year.

• Freshman #Anthony Roberts# stepped up in his first extended action as a Vulcan last Saturday. After starting linebacker #Dontey Brown# was injured in the first quarter against West Chester, Roberts tallied a career-high 10 tackles (seven solo) in only three quarters of play. A transfer from Iowa Central Community College, Roberts is tied for fifth on the team in tackles and also has registered 1.5 tackles for loss (TFL) and 0.5 sack this season.

• Graduate student quarterback #Josh Portis# has established himself as one of the top dual-threat signal callers in the PSAC. He currently ranks fourth in the 16-team league with 199.7 yards of total offense per game with nearly 500 passing yards and over 100 rushing yards. He is the only quarterback in the PSAC to reach both those benchmarks and is third among league quarterbacks in rushing yards.

• Cal U head coach #John Luckhardt# is on the verge on reaching a personal milestone. Already the winningest Vulcan football coach in school history, he is currently tied with Pittsburg State's Chuck Broyles for sixth among active NCAA Division II head coaches with 195 career victories. Only five active head coaches in Division II have reached the milestone, including all-time wins leader Ken Sparks of Carson-Newman with 277 victories.

• Cal U has won its last four and seven of its last 10 PSAC West-opening games. Over the last four years, the Vulcans have won in dominating fashion in its PSAC West-openers, beating divisional opponents by an average of 46-11. Cal U has scored over 30 points in each of the last four PSAC West-openers, including a 56-0 victory over Clarion in 2007.

• A total of 12 Vulcans have made their first career starts in the season's first three weeks. Offensively, Cal U first-year starters #Brandon Anderson# (running back), #Josh Portis# (quarterback) and #Chet Welc# (tight end) have started all three game in 2009, while offensive lineman #Jack Range# and running backs #Freddie Bacco# and #Windell Brown# have also made their first starts of their Vulcans' career this season. The Cal U defense also features half dozen new starters this year, led by three starts by linebackers #Dontey Brown# and #Marcus Cook# and defensive backs #Erik Harris# and #Josh Menendez#.

• Despite two early-season homes losses this year, the Vulcans have won 25 of their last 30 games at Adamson Stadium since the 2005 campaign. Cal U has also collected six-straight home wins against PSAC West teams with its last loss coming to IUP in 2006.