• Game Notes (.pdf)

CAL U (2-2, 1-0) VS. CLARION (2-2, 1-0)
When: Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009
Where: Adamson Stadium (6,500)
TV: CUTV - tape delayed
Live Audio: WCAL 91.9-FM (Cal U) I WCCR 92.7-FM (Clarion)
Live Stats: Click here
Live On-Line Video: B2 Networks - PPV

SERIES BREAKDOWN
All-Time Series: Series tied at 38-38-3
First Meeting: 1923 - Cal U won 65-0
Last Meeting: 2008 @ Clarion - Cal U won 52-20
Streak: Cal U +4

CAL U NOTES

• Cal U looks to post its first winning record of the season on Saturday after claiming a dominant 52-10 victory over Gannon last week. Meanwhile, Clarion evened its record last Saturday with a 24-0 shutout win against Lock Haven.

• The Vulcans and Golden Eagles are meeting for the 80th time this weekend with the series tied at 38-38-3. Clarion is the second-most common opponent for Cal U. The Vulcans have won the last four games over Clarion after the Golden Eagles earned victories in five of the previous six meetings dating back to 1999.

• Quarterback #Josh Portis# threw five touchdowns, including three first-quarter scores to wide receiver #AJ Jackson# on Saturday, as the Vulcans cruised to a 52-10 victory over Gannon. Portis completed 17-of-26 attempts for a career-high 262 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions. The Cal U defense allowed the Golden Knights to manage only 110 yards of total offense and recorded six sacks.

• Jay Foster is in his fourth season as head coach of the Golden Eagles after serving as the defensive coordinator at Slippery Rock for 17 years. He helped coach The Rock to four PSAC West titles and three NCAA Playoff appearances, including a semifinal appearance in 1998. Foster started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at West Chester after playing free safety at Plymouth State (N.H.).

• Clarion returns 33 lettermen and 17 starters from last year's team that finished 3-8 overall. The Golden Eagles feature a veteran at quarterback in Tyler Huether, who ranks third in the PSAC with 233.8 passing yards per game this year. Junior wide receiver Jacques Robinson has been Huether's favorite target this season, as he leads the team and the 16-team PSAC with 28 receptions. Clarion also has one of the most versatile players in the league with running back Alfonso Hoggard, who has totaled over 3,200 all-purpose yards since 2007. Defensively, the Golden Eagles are anchored by safety Nick Sipes and defensive lineman Ben Maund. Sipes ranks second in the league with 42 tackles (25 solo) and Maund is third in the PSAC with four sacks. On special teams, kicker Robert Mamula is second among PSAC kickers this year with 28 points on six field goals and 10 PAT attempts.

• Cal U quarterback #Josh Portis#, the reigning PSAC West Offensive Player of the Week, has established himself as one of the top dual-threat signal callers in the PSAC. He currently ranks fourth in the league with 225.2 yards of total offense per game with over 750 passing yards and nearly 150 rushing yards. Portis is showing his maturation in the offense as he also ranks fourth in the league in passing efficiency behind eight touchdown passes, including five last week against Gannon.

• Senior wide receiver #AJ Jackson# posted a career game last weekend against Gannon. Jackson set single-game personal marks with eight receptions, including three first-quarter touchdowns. Through four games this year, Jackson leads all PSAC receivers with five touchdowns. The 6-6 senior also ranks fourth in the league in receptions and receiving yards per game.

• Cal U head coach #John Luckhardt# is on the verge of reaching a personal milestone. Already the winningest Vulcan football coach, he is currently in sixth place among active NCAA Division II head coaches with 196 career victories. Only five active head coaches in Division II have reached the 200-win plateau, including all-time wins leader Ken Sparks of Carson-Newman (Tenn.) with 278 victories.

• Despite two early-season losses this year, the Vulcans have won 26 of their last 31 games at Adamson Stadium since the 2005 campaign.

• Cal U and Clarion feature a pair of top playmaking wide receivers in the early portion of the season. The Vulcans passing attack is highlighted by senior wide receiver #AJ Jackson#. Jackson leads the PSAC in receiving touchdowns with five, while the Golden Eagles' Jacques Robinson leads the league with 28 receptions. Last season, Robinson collected a PSAC-best 70 receptions for 849 yards and eight touchdowns.

• Cal U continues to defend its fourth-straight PSAC West title this weekend when it hosts Clarion. The Vulcans have won 14-straight games against PSAC West opponents and haven't lost a home divisional game since November 2006.

• The Vulcans rank first among PSAC West teams and third overall in the PSAC in the total defense, allowing only 270.2 yards of total offense per game. Cal U is allowing a stout 2.8 yards per carry and limited Gannon's Jon Richardson - the only PSAC running back to rush for 100 yards in the first three games of the season - to only 29 yards on 12 attempts last week. The Vulcans also registered an impressive 12 tackles for loss (TFL) and six sacks against the Golden Knights.

• Graduate student #Derek Fiorenza# ranks fourth in the league and 13th in the nation with an average of 41.07 yards per punt. He has forced six fair catches and placed four punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line.

• This weekend's game features the top-ranked pass rush in the PSAC with the Golden Eagles and the number-one pass protection with the Vulcans. Behind a combined 7.5 sacks by Ben Maund and Nick Sipes, Clarion leads the 16-team league with 18 sacks through four games this year. Meanwhile, the Cal U offensive line, anchored by junior All-PSAC West selections #Dan Jordan# and #Nick Piccirillo#, have allowed a conference-best three sacks on 115 passing attempts.

• The Vulcans have won 43 of their last 51 games (.843) overall, dating to the start of the 2005 season. Cal U has posted a 27-4 record (.871) in regular-season games dating back to the 2006 campaign.

• This weekend's game will feature two of the proficient tacklers in the PSAC. Graduate student linebacker #Dontey Brown# leads the Vulcans and is ninth in the league with 36 tackles (24 solo) this year in his first season as a starter. Meanwhile, the Golden Eagles feature the second-leading tackler in the league in defensive back Nick Sipes. After playing last year on offense, Sipes has made 42 stops (25 solo), 6.5 tackles for loss (TFL) and 3.5 sacks.

• Cal U leads the league and ranks third in the country in kickoff returns at 27.39 yards per return. Making this average more impressive is the fact that seven different Vulcans have returned kicks this season. Senior #Terrence Johnson# leads the team with 277 yards on 10 returns, while sophomore #Chedrick Cherry# is averaging a team-best 36.5 yards per return. Clarion utilizes one primary returner in Alfonso Hoggard, who has 225 return yards while handling both the kick and punt return duties.