• Game Notes (.pdf)

#12/11 CAL U (0-0) vs. #13/13 ST. CLOUD STATE (Minn.) (0-0)
• When: Thursday, Sept. 1, 2011
• Where: California, Pa.
• Stadium: Adamson Stadium (6,500)
• Kickoff: 7 p.m.
• TV: Pittsburgh CW (tape delay)
• Live Radio: WCAL (91.9 FM) I KNSI (1450 AM)
• Live Video: America One (PPV)
• Live Stats: Click here

SERIES BREAKDOWN
• All-Time Series: First all-time meeting
• First Meeting: Sept. 1, 2011 @ Cal U
• Last Meeting: First all-time meeting
• Streak: First all-time meeting

CAL U NOTES
• Cal U opens the 2011 campaign on Thursday night when it hosts nationally-ranked St. Cloud State. The Vulcans have won eight of their last 10 season-openers and are 7-2 in season-openers under head coach John Luckhardt.

• Following four-consecutive appearances in the NCAA Playoffs and after advancing to the NCAA Semifinals three times, Cal U is again a preseason national contender. The Vulcans return 14 starters from last year, including eight starters (seven seniors) on defense. In 2010, Cal U was the top-ranked defense in the PSAC in virtually every category and ranked among the top 10 in the country in total defense, passing defense, scoring defense and rushing defense. On offense, the Vulcans return five starters with an All-PSAC West First-Team selection at running back, wide receiver and tight end.

• The Vulcans and Huskies are meeting for the first time in program history. St. Cloud State is the 95th different opponent for Cal U since the 1916 season.

• Scott Underwood enters his fourth season as head coach of the Huskies after joining the program in 2001 as the defensive coordinator. Last year, St. Cloud State tied the school record for wins (10-3) and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Playoffs for the first time in program history. Underwood previously was the inside linebackers coach at North Dakota (1997-00), defensive coordinator at Sioux Falls (1993-96) and secondary coach at Augustana (1988-92).

• St. Cloud State returns 44 lettermen and 15 starters (eight offense, six defense, one specialist) from last year's NCAA Playoff team. Sophomore quarterback Phillip Klaphake will direct the Husky offense for a second-straight season after leading the NSIC in passing and total offense last year. After redshirting in 2009, he set the single-season school record with 3,716 yards of total offense and combined for 37 touchdowns (24 passing) in 2010. In addition to Klaphake's ability on the ground, senior running back Dante Steward returns after rushing for over 600 yards and six touchdowns in 2010. Junior Tyler Allery is top returning receiver for St. Cloud State following the loss of All-American Fred Williams, who totaled 95 receptions for over 1,600 yards last season. The Huskies return three of their top four tacklers from a unit that forced 37 turnovers last season and led the country in turnover margin. Senior defensive back Tony Kubes led the team with 85 tackles (54 solo), 8.5 TFL and 4.0 sacks and added three interceptions and five fumble recoveries. Junior defensive back Marvin Matthews finished with 63 stops (46 solo) and two interceptions and senior linebacker Thomas Gruis made 55 tackles, 7.5 TFL and 4.0 sacks. Junior kicker/punter Tyler Aldridge returns after making 9-of-15 field goals and 55-of-56 of PAT attempts, while averaging 37.8 yards per punt and 61.0 yards per kickoff with 14 touchbacks.

• The Vulcans are facing an opponent from the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) for only the second time in school history. Previously, Cal U suffered a 45-7 loss to Minnesota Duluth during the semifinals of the NCAA Playoffs in 2008.

• After earning a berth to the NCAA Playoffs in four-consecutive seasons, Cal U continues to garner a plethora of national attention in preseason polls. The Vulcans are ranked as high as No. 11 in the nation by D2Football.com, while also being ranked in the Top 25 by AFCA (No. 12), Sporting News (No. 17) and Lindy's (No. 23).

• Cal U owns a 51-39-1 (.566) record in season-openers since 1916, winning eight of its last 10. The Vulcans are 7-2 in season-openers under head coach John Luckhardt.

• This week's contest marks the third time in the last four years in which Cal U has opened the season against a Top 25 team. The Vulcans have won on each of the previous occasions, including a 42-41 overtime win last year at Saginaw Valley.

• Senior defensive back Erik Harris enters the season on pace to eclipse the 200-tackle mark in his career. The last time a Cal U player reached the milestone was in 2007 when linebackers Brian Mohr (2004-07) and Josh Zunic (2004-07) both accomplished the feat. After making a career-high 84 tackles (50 solo) in 2009, Harris registered 61 stops with 5.0 TFL and three interceptions last year. In his career, he has totaled 160 tackles (95 solo) in primarily two seasons after playing special teams as a true freshman in 2008.

• After a successful two-year stint as the head coach at Concord, Mike Kellar returns to the Vulcans as the associate head coach/offensive coordinator this season. He guided the Mountain Lions to a 14-8 overall record after the program managed only one win in the previous two seasons and hadn't had a winning season since 1998. Last year, Concord posted an 8-3 record to mark its first eight-win season since 1998.

• The Vulcans have won 62 of their last 74 games (.838) overall, dating back to the start of the 2005 season. Cal U has posted a 42-5 (.894) record in regular-season games dating back to the 2006 campaign.

• The Vulcans featured five former players in training camps with NFL teams this summer. Former cornerback Tommie Campbell was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the seventh round (251st overall) of the 2011 NFL Draft, while rookie wide receiver Derrick Jones (Oakland Raiders) and rookie quarterback Josh Portis (Seattle Seahawks) were signed as undrafted free agents. Former wide receiver and special teams standout Dominique Curry returned to the field with the St. Louis Rams during training camp after playing in two games during the 2010 regular season before suffering a season-ending injury. Former All-American cornerback Terrence Johnson was in training camp with the Indianapolis Colts after being signed to their practice squad late last season.

• Of the 14 returning starters from last year, the Vulcans return seven players that garnered All-PSAC West honors (first- or second-team) last season, including preseason All-Americans Brett Diamond and Thomas Mulabah. Junior defensive back Rontez Miles was tabbed by D2Football.com as a preseason First-Team All-American and preseason PSAC Defensive Player of the Year.

• The Vulcans have posted a 15-8 record (.652) against non-PSAC schools (West and East) since 2002.

• Cal U redshirt junior quarterback Peter Lalich will be making his first college appearance since Sept. 6, 2008 when he was the starter at Virginia. After that season he transferred to Oregon State and redshirted in 2009 before sitting out last season while with the Vulcans. As a true freshman in 2007, he appeared in eight games for the Cavaliers before starting the 2008 season-opener against No. 3 USC and Week 2 versus Richmond.

• Last season, the Vulcans became only the second program in PSAC history (West Chester; 1969-74) and first in PSAC West history to win at least a share of six-consecutive division titles. Cal U was again picked by the league coaches - sixth-straight year - to capture the divisional crown in 2011.

• Cal U head coach John Luckhardt has shattered the school record for wins and is among the elite coaches throughout all NCAA divisions. He enters the year as just one of 20 active head coaches with 200 career wins and ranks third among the all-time winningest active coaches in NCAA Division II. Among all active coaches with at least 200 wins, Luckhardt ranks fourth in winning percentage behind only Larry Kehres (Mount Union), Ken Sparks (Carson-Newman) and John Gagliardi (St. John's) - the winningest football coach in NCAA history.