• Game Notes (.pdf)

#17/15 CAL U (10-2) vs. #3/4 WINSTON-SALEM STATE (11-0)
• When: Saturday, Nov. 26, 2011
• Where: Winston-Salem, N.C.
• Stadium: Bowman Gray Stadium (18,000)
• Kickoff: 1 p.m. ** NEW TIME **
• Live Radio: WCAL (91.9 FM) I WJPA (95.3 FM)
• Live Video: Click here

GAME INFORMATION
• General Admission: $15 adults I $10 students
• Parking: $10 East & West lots I $12 South lot
• Interactive Bracket
• WSSU Address: 1250 South Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, Winston-Salem, N.C. 27110

SERIES BREAKDOWN
• All-Time Series: First Meeting
• First Meeting: Nov. 26, 2011

CAL U NOTES
• Cal U enters the weekend following a 44-0 home victory over Elizabeth City State last Saturday in the first round of the NCAA Playoffs. Meanwhile, Winston-Salem State earned a first-round bye as the top seed in Super Region One after posting an undefeated record in the regular season.

• This weekend marks the first all-time meeting between the Vulcans and Rams. Cal U is making its fifth-straight appearance in the NCAA Playoffs, while Winston-Salem State is appearing in the post-season for the first time since 1991.

• Junior running back Lamont Smith and senior wide receiver Thomas Mayo each scored three touchdowns, as the Vulcans cruised to a 44-0 victory over Elizabeth City State in the first round of the NCAA Playoffs. Junior quarterback Peter Lalich posted his third 300-yard game of the season, finishing with 357 passing yards on 26-of-34 attempts with three touchdowns and no interceptions, while Smith surpassed the 1,000-rushing yard milestone in the win. The Vulcans recorded their first shutout of the year after forcing four turnovers and holding the Vikings to only 197 yards of total offense.

• In his second year as head coach, Connell Maynor has led the Rams to an undefeated regular season, a CIAA Championship and the top seed in Super Region One. In his first season with the program, Maynor guided Winston-Salem State to an 8-2 overall record while it was transitioning from time as a NCAA Division I program in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) from 2007-09. He previously spent 10 years with Fayetteville State, serving as the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator when the Broncos made the 2009 NCAA Playoffs. Maynor also served as the offensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Soul of the Arena Football League from 2006-08.

• After an eight-win season in 2010, Winston-Salem State was picked to finish second in the CIAA South Division with 16 returning starters. The Rams are the top-ranked defense in the CIAA and rank second in the country in rushing defense (74.0 yards/game), fifth in scoring defense (15.27 yards/game) and sixth in total defense (263.91 yards/game). Senior defensive back Alton Keaton was named the CIAA Defensive Player of the Year after leading the team with 85 tackles (59 solo) and 12.0 tackles for loss (TFL). He also has posted two interceptions, 2.0 sacks and two forced fumbles this season. Junior linebacker Carlos Fields ranks second on the Rams with 59 stops (35 solo) and has tallied 9.0 TFL, 4.5 sacks and three fumble recoveries. Winston-Salem State also boasts the top rushing offense (233.09 yards/game) and scoring offense (43.45 points/game) in the CIAA with the scoring offense ranking fourth in the country. Senior running back Nicholas Cooper ranks second in the conference and ninth in the country with 1,462 rushing yards, while posting 17 rushing touchdowns. Cooper, who rushed for over 1,100 yards last year, has posted eight 100-yard games this season with a season-high 257 yards and four touchdowns against Fayetteville State. In the CIAA Championship, he posted 163 rushing yards and three scores versus Elizabeth City State. Junior quarterback Kameron Smith has passed for over 2,000 yards and leads the CIAA with a passing efficiency of 151.10 behind 28 touchdown passes. Junior Tehvyn Brantley leads the receiving corps with 37 receptions, 354 yards and seven touchdowns, while senior Dominique Fitzgerald has five scores and averages nearly 15 yards/reception. The Rams feature one of the top punting units in the nation, as Landen Thayer averages 40.7 yards/punt with nine punts inside the opponents' 20 yard-line. Fitzgerald and junior Jameze Massey are two of the most explosive return specialists in the country, as Winston-Salem State ranks third in the country with an average of 17.87 yards/punt return.

• This weekend marks the first all-time meeting between Cal U and Winston-Salem State. The Vulcans and Rams share a common opponent this season in Elizabeth City State. Last week, Cal U posted a 44-0 victory over the Vikings in the first round of the NCAA Playoffs. Winston-Salem State defeated ECSU twice this season, including a 38-18 victory in the CIAA Championship on Nov. 12. The Vulcans are now 3-0 all-time against members of the CIAA with playoff wins over Fayetteville State (2009) and Elizabeth City State (2011).

• The Vulcans are making their fifth all-time appearance (8-4) in the NCAA Playoffs, while the Rams are in the post-season for the sixth time (1-5) in school history. Winston-Salem State, who recently played in the MEAC while in Division I, is making its first appearance in the NCAA Division II Playoffs since 1991. After an undefeated regular season in 2007, Cal U won the first of three-straight NCAA Regional Championships before losing in the first round last year.

• Cal U has won 15 of its last 17 games in November since the start of the 2007 season. In the previous decade from 1997-2006, the Vulcans struggled down the stretch of the season by posting only a 6-14 record (.300).

• Winston-Salem State has produced several notable professional athletes, including NBA Hall of Famer Earl “The Pearl” Monroe. Monroe was a four-time NBA All-Star and a member of the 1973 NBA Champion New York Knicks. Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Yancey Thigpen and running back Richard Huntley both played for the Rams. ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith is also an alumnus of Winston-Salem State.

• This weekend will feature two of the most dominating defensive players in Super Region One with CIAA Player of the Year Alton Keaton and PSAC West Player of the Year Rontez Miles. Keaton, a transfer from East Carolina, leads the team with 85 tackles (59 solo) and has added 12.0 TFL, 2.0 sacks and two forced fumbles. Miles, who was the 2009 PSAC West Freshman of the Year, has registered a career-high five interceptions and ranks third on the team with 65 tackles (48 solo) this season.

• With another 300-yard performance last week, redshirt junior quarterback Peter Lalich became only the third 3,000-yard passer in school history, all since 2008. He enters the weekend only 78 yards shy of eclipsing the single-season school record of 3,421 passing yards set by Josh Portis (2009). Lalich is already tied with Kevin McCabe (2008) for the most completions in a season at 253, while his 400 attempts are tied with Sam Mannery (1990) for the third-highest total in school history.

• After a road loss on Oct. 15, Cal U wasn't featured in the initial NCAA Super Region One rankings. The Vulcans then closed the regular season on a four-game winning streak, including victories over Edinboro, IUP and Mercyhurst, to move to as high as fourth in the regional rankings. Cal U earned a berth to the NCAA Playoffs on Nov. 13 for a fifth-straight region, which is the longest streak in Super Region One.

• Junior running back Lamont Smith is just the fourth player in school history to rush for 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons (Wesley Cates, Antoine Bagwell, Daine Williams). A two-time All-PSAC West First-Team selection, he ranks fourth in the PSAC this season with 1,078 rushing yards. Smith, who also has a career-high 30 receptions in 2011, has posted six 100-yard rushing games this year and 12 over the last two seasons.

• The Vulcans are once again among the nation's elite defensive units. Cal U enters the weekend ranked third in total defense (259.50 yards/game), third in scoring defense 14.50 (points/game) and seventh in rushing defense (97.58 yards/game). Last week, the Vulcans registered their first shutout of the season against Elizabeth City State and their first-ever shutout in the NCAA Playoffs.

• Senior wide receiver Thomas Mayo set a season high with three touchdown receptions in last week's win over Elizabeth City State. He now leads the PSAC this season with a career-high 16 touchdown catches, which is only two shy of the single-season school record set by A.J. Jackson (2009). Mayo is the active leader in NCAA Division II with 4,249 receiving yards behind three-straight 1,000-yard seasons and ranks second among active players in NCAA Division II with 262 career receptions and 44 career touchdowns.