CALIFORNIA (Oct. 1) – In a meeting of top-25 programs, the No. 24 Vulcans forced three turnovers and limited No. 9 Slippery Rock to under 300 yards of total offense in a 52-26 victory at Adamson Stadium on Saturday afternoon in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play.

With the win, the California University of Pennsylvania football team improves to 4-0 overall with a 2-0 mark in divisional action. Cal U and IUP are the only two programs in the PSAC West to open league play with a pair of victories. Meanwhile, The Rock falls to 4-1 this season and 1-1 in PSAC West action.

Senior wide receiver Garry Brown (Columbus, Ohio/Westerville South) broke the all-time school records for receiving yards and receiving touchdowns on Saturday. He finished with a season-high 136 receiving yards and two touchdowns on six catches and also scored a rushing touchdown. Brown now ranks first in school history with 2,690 receiving yards, surpassing the mark set last year by Kowan Scott (2012-15). Brown also set the school record for receiving touchdowns with 29, as former All-American AJ Jackson (2008-09) previously held the record. A native of Ohio, Brown also moved into fourth place in school history with 149 career receptions.

Junior quarterback Michael Keir (Philadelphia, Pa./Roman Catholic) finished with 280 passing yards and four touchdowns on 20-of-35 attempts against The Rock. He also threw his first interception of the season and was sacked four times despite being only sacked once in the previous three games.

Slippery Rock was held to a season-low 296 yards of total offense after entering the weekend averaging nearly 470 yards per game. The Rock also only posted two offensive touchdowns after scoring 40.0 points through the opening four weeks of the season. Junior linebackers Luke Hrapchak (Fairmont, W.Va./Fairmont Senior) and DeVonte Suber (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville) tied for the team lead with seven tackles, while senior defensive back Jordan Bowman (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) finished with five stops, 1.5 TFL, 1.0 sack, one quarterback hurry and a 68-yard interception return for a touchdown.

After each team was forced to punt on its initial possession, the Vulcans took a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter on a two-yard run by Brown. The score was setup by a 52-yard rush by junior Nick Grissom (Cincinnati, Ohio/Winton Woods), who finished with a game-high 102 rushing yards on 16 attempts – his second 100-yard game of the year.

The teams traded field position until the second quarter when Keir connected with sophomore wide Jordan Dandridge (Duluth, Ga./Duluth) for a 31-yard touchdown with 6:32 remaining before halftime. The Rock countered with a two-yard touchdown run by senior Shamar Greene with 4:03 left in the second quarter after Greene rushed for 50 yards two plays earlier on a third-and-six.

Slippery Rock was flagged for offside on back-to-back plays while attempting a kickoff before The Rock forced and recovered a fumble on the eventual return by the Vulcans. Slippery Rock returned the fumble inside the Cal U 5-yard line and a penalty advanced the ball to the 2-yard line. On the initial play of the drive, Greene lost a fumble and suffered an injury that kept him out for the remainder of the game. The Vulcans were forced to a three-and-out and a short punt gave The Rock possession at the Cal U 35-yard line. On the second play of the drive, Bowman registered his 12th career interception and returned the turnover 68 yards for a touchdown with 1:42 left before halftime. Cal U halted the next Slippery Rock possession with an interception by sophomore defensive back Brendan Edwards (Pittsburgh, Pa./Imani Christian Academy) and Edwards returned the ball inside The Rock 5-yard line. The Vulcans stretched their lead to 28-7 when Keir found junior wide receiver Tom Greene (Pittsburgh, Pa./Woodland Hills) for a two-yard score with 31 seconds remaining in the second quarter.

On its opening possession of the second half, Cal U took a 35-7 lead when Keir connected with Brown for a 28-yard touchdown with 11:32 left in the third quarter. The Rock trimmed the deficit to 35-14 when Patrick Minenok recovered a fumble in the end zone after the snap on a punt went over the punter's head. Cal U answered with a nearly five-minute scoring drive, as Grissom capped the 10-pay drive with a 1-yard touchdown run with 4:03 remaining in the third quarter.

The teams traded scores early in the fourth quarter with the Vulcans taking a 45-20 lead on a 27-yard field goal by junior Will Brazill (Kansas City, Mo./Park Hill). Cal U forced a turnover on downs after Slippery Rock advanced near the red zone on its next drive. The Vulcans then advanced the ball to near midfield before Keir found Brown for a 53-yard touchdown with 4:31 left to play, as Brown broke both all-time school records on the play. Slippery Rock later countered with a touchdown of its own (PAT blocked) with 2:45 remaining, 52-26.

The Vulcans return to action on Saturday, Oct. 8, when they host No. 8 IUP in the eighth-annual Coal Bowl at Adamson Stadium with kickoff set for 7 p.m.

Notes:
Cal U registered its sixth-straight victory against a top-25 opponent at Adamson Stadium … The Vulcans earned their first victory over a team ranked in the top 10 since the 2009 NCAA Playoffs … The two teams combined for 201 penalty yards after being flagged 26 times … Bowman scored his fourth career touchdown (two blocked punt, one fumble, one interception) … Cal U finished with just under a 10-minute advantage in time of possession … Brown has accounted for 10 touchdowns in only four games this season … The Vulcans are off to their first 4-0 start to a season since 2012