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CALIFORNIA (Sept. 26) – The Vulcans twice rallied to take the lead in the fourth quarter before sealing a 35-31 victory over Clarion on Saturday with an interception as time expired at Adamson Stadium in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play.

The California University of Pennsylvania football team improves to 3-2 overall this year and 2-0 in league play. The Vulcans also extended their win streak in divisional play to 15 games and have won 27 of the last 32 games at Adamson Stadium. Meanwhile, the Golden Eagles fall to 2-3 and 1-1 in PSAC West action.

Trailing 31-28 with 4:33 left in the game, the Vulcans engineered a seven-play, 71-yard game-winning drive capped with a 47-yard touchdown strike from graduate student quarterback Josh Portis (Woodland Hills, Calif./William H. Taft/Maryland) to sophomore wide receiver Chedrick Cherry (Cincinnati, Ohio/Moeller/South Florida) with 1:01 remaining. The play before the go-ahead score, Cal U converted a critical fourth-and-one with a two-yard dive near midfield by junior fullback Shawn Johnson (Yorktown, Va./Grafton).

After a penalty on the ensuing kickoff, Clarion took possession of the ball near midfield to start the game's final offensive drive. The Golden Eagles worked the ball down to the Vulcans' 27-yard line before graduate student defensive back Mike Brown (Newark, N.J./St. Peters Prep/Virginia) intercepted the ball near the goal line as time expired.

Portis finished the game with 201 passing yards on 13-of-21 completions with three touchdowns and no interceptions. During the fourth quarter, he completed four-of-six attempts for 66 yards with the game-winning score to Cherry. He also added 33 rushing yards on eight rushes in the game.

Senior running back Freddie Bacco (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) posted his first 100-yard game of the season, finishing with 114 yards on 20 carries with one touchdown. Bacco also completed a 17-yard halfback pass to junior wide receiver Terrance Moore (Key West, Fla./Key West/Mesa) for a second-quarter touchdown.

Moore led Cal U with 84 receiving yards and two touchdowns on five receptions. Senior wide receiver AJ Jackson (Lehigh Acres, Fla./Lehigh/Sequoias) also had five catches for 41 yards and a score.

The game opened with a combined 17 points on the first three possessions after the Golden Eagles broke a 7-7 tie with a 43-yard field goal by junior Robert Mamula. Cal U then claimed a 14-10 lead early in the second quarter with an 11-yard score from Portis to Jackson. The Vulcans expanded the lead to 21-10 with 5:29 left before halftime on the halfback pass from Bacco to Moore. Clarion trimmed the deficit to 21-16 with a touchdown in the final seconds before halftime. Senior defensive lineman Willie Walker (Aliquippa, Pa./Aliquippa) then blocked the PAT attempt by Mamula.

In the second half, the Golden Eagles scored 10-unanswered points in the third quarter to take a 25-21 lead following a four-yard touchdown run by junior Alfonso Hoggard. Cal U regained the lead with 5:01 left in the game when Bacco scored his fourth rushing touchdown of the season. However, Clarion countered on the next drive when junior Jacques Robinson scored on a 44-yard screen pass from senior Tyler Huether to take a 31-28 advantage with 4:40 remaining. Cal U would then mount the game-winning drive capped with the Cherry touchdown.

Senior defensive line Brandon Gordon (Alliance, Ohio/Alliance) led the Vulcans with a career-high seven tackles (four solo) with 1.0 tackles for loss (TFL) and two pass break-ups. Senior defensive back Terrence Johnson (Braddock, Pa./Woodland Hills) finished with six tackles (five solo) and two pass-breakups, while fellow defensive backs Rontez Miles (Braddock, Pa./Woodland Hills) and Josh Menendez (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Chagrin Falls/Dayton) each added five stops.

Cal U now starts a two-game road trip, beginning Saturday, Oct. 3, when they face rival IUP. The Vulcans have won the last two meetings over the Crimson Hawks, including a 21-19 victory last year at Adamson Stadium.

Notes:

Portis has thrown nine touchdowns with no interceptions over his last six quarters …. Cherry finished with 128 return yards on four kickoffs with a long of 54 … Cal U held almost a six-minute advantage in time of possession (33:05-26:55) … The Vulcans converted 7-of-12 third-down opportunities.