• Box Score
• Game Notes (.pdf)

CALIFORNIA (Oct. 26) – In a meeting of teams tied for first place, the Vulcans rushed for a season-high 252 yards and scored 28-unanswered points on Saturday afternoon in a 35-7 victory against Gannon in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play.

With the win, the California University of Pennsylvania football team improves to 6-2 overall and extended its winning streak to three games. The Vulcans remain tied with Slippery Rock, next week's opponent, for first place in the PSAC West standings with a 4-1 mark in divisional play. Meanwhile, Gannon falls into a tie with IUP for third place in the standings with a 3-2 mark in league action and 4-4 overall.

Junior running back Jeff Knox, Jr. (Pittsburgh, Pa./DeMatha Catholic (Md.)) posted his first 100-yard game of the season, and second of his career, finishing with 102 yards and two touchdowns on 19 attempts. He has now posted a six combined touchdowns (five rushing) over the last three weeks after being held without a touchdown through the opening five weeks. True freshman Nick Grissom (Cincinnati, Ohio/Winton Woods) rushed for a season-high 81 yards and a touchdown, while sophomore Derrick Fiore (Monongahela, Pa./Ringgold) added 56 rushing yards in the victory.

Gannon was limited to a season-low 259 yards of total offense, which was over 200 yards below its season average. The Golden Knights entered the game averaging over 35 points and managed only one drive past midfield in the first half.

Senior defensive lineman Noah Taylor (Pittsburgh, Pa./Woodland Hills) led the team and set a career high with nine tackles (four solo), while classmate CJ Townes (Joppatowne, Md./Joppatowne) added eight stops (five solo) and recorded his third career interception. True freshman Aaron Terry (Pasadena, Md./Chesapeake) finished with seven tackles (four solo) and posted his team-leading fourth interception of the year.

The teams traded field position for the majority of the first quarter before the Vulcans mounted a 14-play drive that was capped with a five-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback James Harris (Woodstock, Ga./Etowah) to freshman running back Ryan McCauley (Seven Field, Pa./Seneca Valley) on the first play of the second quarter. Harris passed for 200 yards and two scores on 16-of-26 attempts with a pair of interceptions.

Gannon countered on the ensuing possession with its only score of the game, a one-yard touchdown run by sophomore quarterback Liam Nadler, who completed only 18-of-41 attempts. Following a pair of punts, Cal U looked to reclaim the lead after moving deep inside the red zone before Harris was intercepted at the 1-yard line with 2:07 left in the first half. The Golden Knights were forced into a three-and-out following the turnover and the Vulcans mounted a quick score with Harris connecting with senior wide receiver Nadir Brown (East Orange, N.J./East Orange) for a 31-yard touchdown with just eight seconds left before halftime.

On the opening possession of the second half, the Vulcans used only four plays to cover 70 yards with Grissom scoring on a 26-yard touchdown just two plays after a 31-yard scamper by Knox. Cal U quickly regained possession, as Terry posted an interception at the Gannon 31-yard line on the third play of the next drive. The Vulcans then rushed five-straight times with Knox scoring on a one-yard run with 10:07 left in the third quarter. Gannon looked to answer by driving to the Cal U 9-yard line before the defense forced a turnover on down. Harris was intercepted at midfield on the first play of the next drive before the teams traded field position throughout the remainder of the third quarter.

The Golden Knights threatened to cut into the deficit midway through the fourth quarter before Townes recorded an interception in the end zone and returned the turnover 71 yards. Cal U capitalized on the field position with another touchdown run by Knox with 7:16 left to play.

Cal U continues divisional play on Saturday, Nov. 2, when it travels to face rival Slippery Rock at 1 p.m. Both teams are currently tied for first place in the league standings with two weeks left in PSAC West play.

Notes:
Senior wide receiver Mike Williams (Hershey, Pa./Milton Hershey) finished with a team-high 85 receiving yards on six catches … The Vulcans posted 493 yards of total offense while running 80 plays … Cal U finished with nearly a 10-minute advantage in time of possession while maintaining possession for almost 11 minutes in the fourth quarter … Gannon senior Jansen Jones finished with just 69 rushing yards after entering the weekend with almost 150 rushing yards per game