CALIFORNIA (Nov. 15) – The Vulcans raced out to a 24-point lead in the first half on Saturday before closing the regular season with a 45-31 victory over Lock Haven at Adamson Stadium.

With the win, the California University of Pennsylvania football team improves to 8-3 overall and surpasses last season's win total. The Vulcans continue to be one of only two programs in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) to have posted at least seven victories every year since 2005. Cal U entered the weekend ranked ninth in the latest NCAA Super Region One rankings and is unlikely to receive a berth in the NCAA Playoffs. Meanwhile, the Bald Eagles finish the year with a 2-9 mark while completing their second year as members of the PSAC East.

Junior quarterback James Harris (Woodstock, Ga./Etowah) registered his fourth 300-yard game of the season and eclipsed the 3,000-yard mark for the season, becoming the fourth quarterback in school history – all since 2008 – to accomplish the feat. He passed for 311 yards and three touchdowns on Saturday while completing 20-of-30 attempts with one interception. In his first full year as the starter, Harris amassed 3,055 passing yards and 24 touchdown passes.

Sophomore Garry Brown (Columbus, Ohio/Westerville South) and junior Kowan Scott (Easton, Pa./Wilson) both totaled over 100 receiving yards in the victory. Scott posted a game-high 136 receiving yards and two touchdowns on five catches, including a 95-yard score, while Brown finished with 106 yards on seven receptions and added a 73-yard punt return for touchdown. Brown recorded a league-high 1,143 receiving yards in his first season as the starter, which ranks as the fourth-highest single-season total in school history.

Sophomore Nick Grissom (Cincinnati, Ohio/Winton Woods) set a career high with 135 rushing yards on 15 attempts and senior Terrell Roberson (Pittsburgh, Pa./Penn Hills) added 59 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries. Roberson, a former starting defensive back, scored at least one touchdown in each of the last eight games and posted 17 rushing touchdowns this year, which is the highest single-season total since 2006.

The Vulcans held the Bald Eagles to a three-and-out on the opening possession of the game before Brown posted a 73-yard punt return for touchdown 12:49 left in the first quarter. Cal U halted the next Lock Haven possession near midfield with an interception by sophomore defensive back Jordan Bowman (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin). On the ensuing drive, Harris connected with Scott for a five-yard touchdown to stretch the lead to 14-0 with 7:56 remaining in the first quarter. The Vulcans later added a 23-yard field goal by senior Cody Nuzzo (Bradford, Pa./Bradford) before the Bald Eagles cut the deficit to 17-7 with a 14-yard touchdown pass as time expired in the first quarter.

Cal U answered early in the second quarter with a four-yard touchdown pass from Harris to junior running back Derrick Fiore (Monongahela, Pa./Ringgold). The Vulcans halted the next drive by the Bald Eagles when senior linebacker Jeff Knox, Jr. (Pittsburgh, Pa./DeMatha Catholic (Md.)) registered a sack on a third-and-10 from the Cal U 38-yard line. Lock Haven pinned Cal U inside its 10-yard line on the punt and posted a sack on the first play of the drive. After a short run, Harris connected with Scott for a 95-yard touchdown to give the Vulcans a 31-7 lead with 5:22 left before halftime. Lock Haven answered with a 15-yeard touchdown pass in the closing seconds of the first half and Cal U took a 31-14 lead into the break after missing a 50-yard field goal as time expired.

The Bald Eagles made a 35-yard field goal on their initial drive of the second half and the Vulcans advanced into the red zone on the ensuing possession before Lock Haven senior George Christas posted an 85-yard interception return to trim the deficit to 31-24 with 8:34 left in the third quarter.  The teams traded field position for the next five minutes before senior Kellan McCants (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) blocked a punt that was recovered by sophomore Vondel Bell (Wheeling, W.Va./Wheeling Park) near the red zone. Cal U capitalized on the field position with a two-yard touchdown run by Roberson with 1:00 left in the quarter.

Early in the fourth quarter, Cal U mounted a nearly five-minute drive that was capped with a one-yard leaping touchdown plunge by Roberson to take a 45-24 with 9:52 left to play. The Bald Eagles countered with a 69-yard touchdown pass on the opening play of the next drive before turning the ball over on downs at the Cal U 13-yard line on their next possession.

Knox led the team with eight tackles (seven solo) and added 2.0 sacks, one pass break-up and two quarterback hurries. Senior linebacker Branko Busick (Steubenville, Ohio/Steubenville) and Bowman both finished with seven stops, while five other players tallied at least five tackles.

The NCAA Selection Show is tomorrow, Sunday, Nov. 16, on NCAA.com at 5 p.m. EST.

Notes:
The Vulcans scored on each of their opening five possessions … Cal U finished with 500 yards of total offense, marking its fourth game with least 500 yards this season … Nuzzo made a career-high 14 field goals this season, which is tied for the second-most in school history … The Vulcans blocked a combined seven kicks this season … The longest pass in school history was a 97-yard pass from Todd Hirt to Fred Tomoney in the 1993 season.