CLARION, Pa. (Oct. 15) – Junior Nick Grissom (Cincinnati, Ohio/Winton Woods) rushed for over 250 yards on Saturday night, as the Vulcans finished with 600-plus yards of total offense in a 48-20 victory against Clarion at Memorial Stadium in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play.

With the win, the California University of Pennsylvania football team improves to 6-0 overall and 4-0 in divisional action. The Vulcans still maintain a one-game lead for first place in the PSAC West standings with three weeks of divisional games remaining. Meanwhile, Clarion falls to 2-5 this season following its third-straight loss and stands at 1-3 in league play.

Grissom finished with 258 rushing yards on 33 attempts, both career highs, with two touchdowns. He became the first player to eclipse 250 rushing yards in a game since Antoine Bagwell posted 278 rushing yards in 2004. Grissom has now rushed for over 100 yards in each of his last three games and leads the team with 675 rushing yards this year after missing all of 2015 due to injury

Junior quarterback Michael Keir (Philadelphia, Pa./Roman Catholic) posted 307 passing yards and three touchdowns on 27-of-35 attempts with one interception. He has now surpassed 300 yards three times in the last four games and ranks second in the PSAC this season with 21 passing touchdowns.

Senior Garry Brown (Columbus, Ohio/Westerville South) tallied 87 receiving yards and two touchdowns on a season-high eight catches. Junior wide receiver Tom Greene (Pittsburgh, Pa./Woodland Hills) and senior tight end Paul Butler (Reynoldsville, Pa./DuBois) both finished with five receptions with Greene catching one touchdown.

The Vulcans limited the Golden Eagles to only 147 passing yards and registered three interceptions. Clarion also converted just two-of-nine third downs and finished with 248 yards of total offense, which is nearly 150 yards below its season average. Junior linebacker DeVonte Suber (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville) led the team with six tackles (three solo), while classmate Luke Hrapchak (Fairmont, W.Va./Fairmont Senior) and senior Jordan Bowman (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) both finished with five stops.
 
Cal U mounted an 87-yard scoring drive on its opening possession of the game, as Grissom capped the drive with a 36-yard touchdown run. On the ensuing kickoff, the Vulcans were flagged for two separate 15-yard penalties and the Golden Eagles started their drive at the Cal U 31-yard line. Clarion took advantage of the field position and tied the score on a 10-yard touchdown pass with 7:33 left in the first quarter.

The teams traded field position until early in the second quarter when the Vulcans broke the tie on a 10-yard score from Keir to Greene with 9:49 left before halftime. Cal U added to the lead on its next possession when Keir connected with Brown for a two-yard touchdown. The Golden Eagles responded with a 32-yard touchdown pass to cut the deficit to 20-13 (PAT failed) with 2:17 remaining in the second quarter. Keir then led the offense on a successful 2-minute drill, as he found Brown for a three-yard touchdown with just seven seconds left in the first half. Early in the drive, Grissom picked up a first down on a fourth-down run before Clarion was later flagged for roughing the passer.

The Vulcans mounted an 11-play scoring drive to start the third quarter with junior Will Brazill (Kansas City, Mo./Park Hill) converting a career-long, 44-yard field goal. Following a blocked punt and an interception on back-to-back plays, Clarion trimmed the deficit to 31-20 on a three-yard touchdown pass with 2:11 left in the third quarter, 31-20.

Junior running back John Franklin III (Canal Winchester, Ohio/Canal Winchester) added a three-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter following a 37-yard completion from Keir to junior Luke Smorey (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin), who finished with 71 receiving yards on four catches. Cal U regained possession on an interception by junior defensive back Vondel Bell (Wheeling, W.Va./Wheeling Park) and Grissom stretched the lead to 45-20 on a four-yard touchdown run with 8:00 left in the game. On the drive, the Vulcans were originally held to a three-and-out before an offside penalty on a punt resulted in a first down. Freshman defensive back Aaron Brown (New Oxford, Pa./New Oxford) later recorded an interception near midfield and Brazill eventually converted a 23-yard field goal with 2:41 remaining..

Cal U returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 22, when it hosts Gannon for Homecoming at Adamson Stadium with kickoff set for 3 p.m.

Notes:
The Vulcans were penalized a whopping 20 times for 165 yards, while Clarion was flagged 10 times for 98 yards … Cal U controlled the ball for 39 minutes, 14 seconds after running 85 plays … The Vulcans now hold a 12-5 record over the last 10 seasons in games with kickoff at 6 p.m. or later …Garry Brown now leads the PSAC with 10 touchdowns receptions on 32 total catches … The 44-yard field goal by Brazill is the longest since Cody Nuzzo set the school record at 50 yards in 2014 …  Cal U finished with 308 rushing yards on 49 attempts, both season highs