Full Game Notes (PDF)

#25/22 CLARION (7-0, 4-0) @ CAL U (4-3, 2-2)
• When: Saturday, Oct. 24, 2015
• Where: California, Pa.
• Stadium: Adamson Stadium (6,500)
• Kickoff: 3 p.m.
• Live Video: SIDEARM Sports
• Live Radio: WCAL (91.9 FM) I WKQW (96.3 FM)
• Live Stats: Fan Stats | Media Stats

SERIES BREAKDOWN
• All-Time Series: Cal U leads 44-38-3
• First Meeting: 1923 - Cal U won 65-0
• Last Meeting: Oct. 25, 2014 @ Clarion - Cal U won 43-32 I Recap I Box Score
• Streak: Cal U +10
 
CAL U NOTES
• Cal U returns to Adamson Stadium for the first time in three weeks with Homecoming set for Saturday. The Vulcans suffered a 20-15 loss last week at IUP in the seventh-annual Coal Bowl. Meanwhile, Clarion remained undefeated with a 44-29 victory over Seton Hill.

• Cal U was in position to take the lead multiple times late in the fourth quarter before suffering a 20-15 loss at IUP in the Coal Bowl. The Crimson Hawks rushed for a staggering 388 yards on 55 carries, including a near Coal Bowl-record 255 yards by Chris Temple, and finished with just seven pass attempts. Sophomore Corey Bopp led the Vulcans and set a career high with 11 tackles, while juniors Jordan Bowman and Aaron Terry both finished with 10 stops. The Vulcans converted just 2-of-14 third downs and scored only three times in seven red-zone chances.

• The Vulcans lead the all-time series that started in 1923 by a 44-38-3 margin. Cal U has won the last 10 meetings against Clarion, who hasn't won at Adamson Stadium since 2000.

• A former All-American quarterback for the Golden Eagles, Chris Weibel is in his first season as head coach at his alma mater. He previously served 11 years as an assistant coach at Clarion, including the last two as offensive coordinator. Weibel, who holds the school's all-time records for passing yard and touchdowns, helped guide Clarion to an 11-3 record in 1996 after advancing to the semifinals of the NCAA Playoffs.

• Clarion boasts one of the top offenses in the PSAC this year, averaging over 40 points and nearly 500 yards of total offense. Junior quarterback Connor Simmons leads the league with a 64.3 completion percentage and ranks second with 347.7 passing yards/game and 25 touchdown passes. He has thrown four touchdowns in a game five times already this season and has passed for at least 345 yards in each of the last four weeks. Junior wide receiver Matt Lehman ranks second in the country this year with 13 touchdowns this year and sits second in the league with 729 receiving yards. Sophomore running back Delrece Williams leads the PSAC with 138 attempts and ranks fourth with 744 rushing yards, including a career-high 201 yards last week. He also ranks second on the team with 25 receptions, while junior wide receiver Kevin Genevro has totaled 501 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Behind 10 returning starters, the Golden Eagles are among the top four in the PSAC in scoring (21.4), total (328.0) and rushing (95.3) defense. Senior Chris Liberto leads the team with 52 tackles (30 solo), while classmate Rocco Yauger has posted 42 stops (18 solo). Clarion ranks second in the league with 23 sacks behind a combined 12.0 sacks by junior Matt Koerper and redshirt freshman Tyrone Archie, who rank first and second in the PSAC. On special teams, junior Phil Esposito leads conference kickers with 72 points behind a league-best 13 field-goals made.

• The Vulcans were picked to finish fourth in the preseason PSAC West poll after tying for third place in the divisional standings in each of the last three seasons. Cal U had earned at least a share of the top spot in the preseason divisional poll every year from 2005-12. Meanwhile, Clarion was picked to finish last in the PSAC West after losing its final eight games of last season.

• Cal U hosts Clarion for Homecoming this weekend for the second time in three years. The Vulcans have won each of their last 10 Homecoming contests, including a 48-26 victory over Slippery Rock last season. Cal U last suffered a loss on Homecoming in 2004 (Shippensburg).

• This weekend marks the 43rd game for the Vulcans against an opponent ranked in the AFCA Top 25 since the start of the 2000 season. During that span, Cal U has posted a 20-22 record against nationally-ranked programs with a 10-9 mark at Adamson Stadium, including four-straight victories at home. The Vulcans are hosting a nationally-ranked team on Homecoming for a consecutive year.

• The Vulcans enter play having lost back-to-back games and are looking to avoid their first three-game losing streak in the same year since the 2003 season when they lost five of their last six games. Cal U also hasn't lost three-straight games in divisional play since 2002 when it tied for last in the standings with a 1-5 league record. Since 2005, Cal U has posted a 21-7 record in games following a loss.

• Freshman running back Jimmy Wheeler has led the team in rushing in each of the last three games and is averaging 6.5 yards/attempt this season. He nearly posted his second 100-yard game of the season last week at IUP, finishing with 95 yards while establishing a season high with 22 carries. Wheeler has rushed for either a first down or touchdown 19 times on 55 total carries (34.5 percent).

• Last week at IUP, sophomore Luke Smorey recorded the longest punt in NCAA Division II this year at 80 yards, which ranks as the third-best distance in all NCAA divisions. In the program's last trip to IUP, Andrew Cerett belted a 79-yard punt which ended up being the longest punt in the country in 2013. Smorey, who started the game at wide receiver, also converted a fourth-and-two on a fake punt in the first quarter with a 16-yard run.

• Clarion enters play as one of only two undefeated teams in Super Region One, which is comprised of 39 schools. The Golden Eagles earned the program's first-ever AFCA ranking this week after matching their best start since 1983. However, the combined winning percentage of Clarion's opponents so far this season is just .214 (9-33). The Vulcans faced the Golden Eagles five times from 2007-12 while being ranked in the AFCA Top 25 poll.

• Last week, sophomore linebacker Corey Bopp led the team and set a career high with 11 tackles (five solo) while making his third career start. He has filled in for classmate Luke Hrapchak, who ranks fourth in the PSAC in tackles/game, twice this season and has registered a combined 20 tackles (nine solo) in three games as a starter. Overall, Bopp has made 32 stops (15 solo) this year after playing in eight games as a true freshman in 2014.

• Junior wide receiver Garry Brown recorded his third 100-yard game of the year and the eighth of his career last week. Despite missing parts of two games this fall, he leads the team and ranks sixth in the PSAC with 618 receiving yards and is 10th in the league with 36 receptions. Brown has already surpassed 100 career catches while making only 14 career starts and is on pace to eclipse 2,000 career receiving yards this season.

• Last week, Cal U allowed 388 rushing yards on 55 carries (7.1 yards/attempt) against IUP. It marked the first time an opponent rushed for over 350 yards against the Vulcans since Shippensburg totaled 370 yards on the ground in 2004. Cal U also allowed multiple 100-yard rushers in a game for the first time in recent program history (since 2002), as running back Chris Temple (255) and quarterback Lenny Williams (134) both surpassed the century mark.

• Through seven games this season, the Vulcans have started the same five players at the same position on the offensive line. Junior Tyler Peerson leads the team with 28 career starts while making the transition from right tackle to left guard. Senior right guard Jeremy Seaman has made 26 starts over the last three years, including 12 straight, and junior Zach Morehead has started 17-consecutive games.

• The Vulcans have struggled inside the red zone the last two weeks, scoring only five times in a combined 14 trips. Meanwhile, opponents have scored on seven of eight trips inside the red zone during that span. Cal U has committed three turnovers and lost possession five times on downs inside the opponents' 20-yard line over the last two weeks.