•
Box Score
•
Photo Gallery
EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. (Sept. 17) – Redshirt junior quarterback
Peter Lalich (Springfield, Va./West Springfield) passed for a career-high 384 yards, accounted for three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing) and led a late go-ahead, fourth-quarter drive on Saturday night to help lead the No. 21 California University of Pennsylvania football team to a 22-19 victory over East Stroudsburg at Eiler-Martin Stadium.
With the win, the Vulcans improve to 2-1 this season and have now won 22 of their last 27 games against teams from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division. Meanwhile, the Warriors drop to 1-2 this year after winning their season-opener on Sept. 1.
Lalich finished the game with 384 passing yards on 29-of-45 attempts with two touchdowns (22, 75) and two interceptions. His passing total is the seventh-highest in school history and is the most since
Kevin McCabe established the all-time record in the 2008 PSAC Championship (443). Lalich also capped the game's opening drive with a five-yard touchdown run on Saturday.
Senior wide receiver
Thomas Mayo (Reston, Va./South Lakes) recorded one of the top receiving performances in program history, posting 12 catches for 201 yards and the go-ahead, 75-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter. He finished only reception shy of tying the school record of 13 set by
Pete Gialames in 1968 and became the first player with 200 receiving yards in a game since 1995.
The Vulcans led 14-3 at halftime before the Warriors scored 17-unanswered points (all off turnovers) in the third quarter to take their first lead of the game, 19-14. Cal U looked to reclaim the lead on the ensuing possession before East Stroudsburg recovered a fumble by junior
Lamont Smith (Penn Hills, Pa./Central Catholic) in the end zone for a touchback.
The Cal U defense then halted the next East Stroudsburg drive near midfield when senior defensive lineman
Thomas Mulabah (Sterling, Va./Parkview) recovered a fumble forced by sophomore linebacker
Brian Justice (Cape Coral, Fla./Cape Coral). The Vulcans moved the ball inside the red zone behind a 19-yard scamper by Smith before turning possession over on downs.
Looking for another score to possibly seal the victory, the Warriors moved the ball to just outside the red zone before senior defensive back
Erik Harris (New Oxford, Pa./New Oxford) made his seventh career interception and returned it to the East Stroudsburg 25-yard line. Cal U was then unable to move the ball on its first three plays of the ensuing drive before Lalich connected with Mayo for a 75-yard touchdown strike on fourth down. On the following PAT attempt, Mayo found Mayo in the end zone for a two-point conversion to give Cal U a 22-19 lead with 3:12 remaining in the game.
On the second play of the next East Stroudsburg drive, sophomore defensive lineman
Darnell Harding (McKeesport, Pa./McKeesport) intercepted a pass and returned it inside the Warriors' 5-yard line. However, the Vulcans were unable to add to their lead and turned the ball over on downs when Smith was stopped behind the line of scrimmage on fourth down with 38 seconds remaining. The Vulcans' defense then forced a turnover on downs on the final Warriors' drive of the game to preserve the victory.
Junior defensive back
Robby Green (New Orleans, La./John Curtis Christian) paced the defense with a career-high 12 tackles (nine solo) after making only a combined five stops in the first two weeks of the season. Harris finished with a season-best 10 tackles (seven solo), 1.0 tackle for loss (TFL) and one interception, while Justice and fellow linebacker
Spencer Lynn (Belle Vernon, Pa./Belle Vernon) each registered six stops at East Stroudsburg.
Cal U returns to action on Saturday, Sept. 24, when it opens PSAC West play by hosting Clarion on Family Day at Adamson Stadium with kickoff set for 3:30 p.m. The Vulcans have won the last six meetings against the Golden Eagles, including a 24-9 win at Clarion last season.
Notes:
Smith posted the seventh 100-yard rushing game of his career and first of the season, finishing with 107 yards on 24 attempts … Both teams committed five turnovers on Saturday … The Vulcans were only 1-of-7 from inside the red zone at East Stroudsburg
