CALIFORNIA (Aug. 31) – Senior quarterback Michael Keir (Philadelphia, Pa./Roman Catholic) passed for nearly 400 yards and led a go-ahead drive late in the fourth quarter, as the No. 8 Vulcans earned a 36-34 season-opening victory over Ohio Dominican at Adamson Stadium on Thursday night.

With the victory, the California University of Pennsylvania football team starts the year with a 1-0 record and has now won 12 of its last 14 season-openers. The Vulcans also improve to 14-5 overall in games with kickoffs at 6 p.m. or later since 2010. Meanwhile, the Panthers fall to 0-1 to open its first year as members of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC), which is now included in Super Region One.

Keir set a career high with 398 passing yards on 36-of-51 attempts, both also career highs. He threw for a pair of touchdowns while committing no turnovers and being sacked only once. He nearly became the first quarterback to reach the 400-yard mark in a game since James Harris set the single-game school record at 473 yards in 2014.

Ohio Dominican took its only lead of the game with six minutes left in the fourth quarter on a 52-yard wide receiver pass from Cory Contini to Cedric Washington. The Vulcans then responded with a methodic 13-play drive over nearly five minutes. Keir completed a pair of third down passes in Cal U territory before a roughing the passer penalty moved the Vulcans close to the red zone. Cal U advanced to the seven-yard line before senior Will Brazill (Kansas City, Mo./Park Hill) converted a 25-yard field goal from the left hash mark with 49 seconds remaining.

The Panthers countered with several quick passes that moved the ball across midfield. Following a timeout, ODU advanced to the 33-yard line in the closing seconds before Cal U called timeout. The Panther kicker then missed the potential game-winning, 50-yard field goal wide left as time expired.

Senior wide receiver Tom Greene (Pittsburgh, Pa./Woodland Hills) recorded his first career 100-yard game, finishing with a game-high 158 yards on eight catches. Classmate Luke Smorey (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) led all players with a career-high 10 receptions for 96 yards, while junior Jordan Dandridge (Duluth, Ga./Duluth) posted 56 receiving yards and one touchdown on nine catches.

Cal U scored touchdowns on its opening two drives of the game to take a 14-7 lead in the first quarter behind a five-yard touchdown run by junior Jalen Bell (Columbus, Ohio/Westerville South) and a two-yard touchdown reception by freshman tight end Dylan Stallings (Yorktown, Va./Grafton). The teams traded field position for the opening minutes of the second quarter before the Vulcans stretched their lead to 21-7 on a 16-yard touchdown reception by Dandridge with 1:53 left in the half. ODU responded with a 52-yard touchdown pass to Washington, who caught the ball after it was tipped by a fellow Panther wide receiver. However, the Vulcans scored the final points of the first half on a 32-yard field goal by Brazill with two seconds left.

On the opening possession of the third quarter, the Vulcans forced a turnover on downs just outside the red zone. Cal U then advanced to near midfield before a punt by Keir pinned ODU at its 1-yard line. Two plays later, the Vulcans recorded a safety to take a 26-14 lead. Keir completed a pair of 30-plus yard passes on the drive to set up a one-yard touchdown run by senior Nick Grissom (Cincinnati, Ohio/Winton Woods) with 6:26 left in the quarter. The Panthers countered with a touchdown drive to cut the deficit to 33-21 before scoring another touchdown in the final seconds of the quarter, 33-28.

ODU completed its second 50-yard pass of the contest midway in the fourth quarter when Contini found Washington for the go-ahead touchdown on his first collegiate pass with 5:45 left to play. The Vulcans then responded with the go-ahead drive that was capped by the field goal from Brazill.

Senior linebacker Luke Hrapchak (Fairmont, W.Va./Fairmont Senior) and junior defensive back Brendan Edwards (Pittsburgh, Pa./Imani Christian Academy) tied for the team lead with nine tackles. Junior defensive lineman Malik Akins (Aliquippa, Pa./Aliquippa) added six stops with 1.5 TFL, while senior linebacker Cameron Tarver (Columbus, Ohio/Central Crossing) tallied 2.0 TFL in the contest.

The Vulcans return to action on Sept. 9 when they host Cheyney at Adamson Stadium with kickoff set for 1 p.m..

Notes:
Cal U was flagged for zero penalties in the contest compared to 10 penalties for 99 yards by Ohio Dominican … Neither team committed a turnover … Keir averaged 43.2 yards on four punts … The teams were limited to a combined 137 rushing yards on 55 attempts, as neither team eclipsed the century mark … ODU quarterback Grant Russell accounted for 407 yards of total offense (378 passing) and three touchdowns … Cal U finished with over an 11-minute advantage in time of possession after controlling the clock for over 11 minutes in the fourth quarter