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CALIFORNIA (Sept. 5) – The No. 17 California University of Pennsylvania football team suffered a tough loss at Adamson Stadium, falling 17-10 in the final minute on Saturday night to No. 6 Bloomsburg.

The Vulcans rallied to the tie the game with one minute remaining, but allowed the game-winning touchdown with only 22 seconds left. Cal U is off to its first 0-2 start since the 1999 campaign (5-6), while Bloomsburg moves to 2-0 after defeating a pair of nationally-ranked opponents despite scoring only a combined 27 points in two weeks.

After a defensive battle for three-plus quarters, the two teams scored a combined 21 points in the final 4:29 of the game. The Huskies broke a 3-3 tie with 4:29 left when sophomore Branden Wright recovered a fumble for a touchdown on a muffed punt return.

The Vulcans answered on their ensuing possession with an eight-play, 59-yard drive capped by an 18-yard touchdown pass from graduate student quarterback Josh Portis (Woodland Hills, Calif./William H. Taft/Maryland) to senior wide receiver AJ Jackson (Lehigh Acres, Fla./Lehigh/Sequoias).

With the score tied and less than a minute remaining, Bloomsburg mounted the game-winning drive behind the play of senior quarterback Dan Latorre, who was sacked five times in the game. After a 10-yard scramble by Latorre moved the Huskies to midfield with 36 seconds left, he connected with junior Chris Tressler for a 47-yard completion to the Vulcans' four-yard line. Latorre then found wide receiver Cory Stiger for the game-winning score with 22 seconds left in the game.

Cal U held Bloomsburg, who ranked fourth in the nation in rushing last year (265 yards/game), to only 104 rushing yards on 37 attempts (2.8 yards/attempt) and just 270 yards of total offense.

Graduate student linebacker Dontey Brown (McKeesport, Pa./McKeesport/Penn State) led the Vulcans and registered a career-high 12 tackles (five solo) with 1.0 tackles for loss (TFL) and 1.0 sack. In two games this season, the former McKeesport standout has collected 23 stops (nine solo).

Fellow linebacker Brett Diamond (Chesterfield, Va./Matoaca) recorded seven stops (three solo) with 1. 0 TFL, while senior defensive back Josh Menendez (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Chagrin Falls) made six tackles (five solo).

In the first half, Bloomsburg took a 3-0 advantage with 12:47 left in the second quarter on a 42-yard field goal by senior Jon Koenig. The Vulcans looked to get on the scoreboard in the final minute of the first half after having the ball at the Bloomsburg 29-yard line on a fourth-and-three. However with no timeouts left and the clock winding down, the fourth-down pass by Portis fell incomplete.

Cal U managed to tie the game with a 30-yard field goal by junior Kevin Hagerman (Scottdale, Pa./Southmoreland).

The Vulcans return to action on Saturday, Sept 12, when they travel to face West Chester in a rematch of last year's PSAC Championship. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. in West Chester, Pa.

Notes:
Cal U out-gained Bloomsburg on the ground, 106-104, led by 88 yards from senior running back Freddie Bacco (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) … Jackson led the Vulcans in both receptions (five) and receiving yards (67) for the second-straight week … The two teams combined for 13 punts with six placed inside the 20-yard line.