CLARION, Pa. (Oct. 6) – The Vulcans scored 28 first-half points while battling a nearly two-hour lightning delay on Saturday afternoon before earning a 41-27 win at Clarion in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play.

With the victory, the California University of Pennsylvania football team extends its winning streak to four games and improves to 4-2 overall. The Vulcans remain tied with Slippery Rock for first place in the PSAC West standings with a 3-0 mark in divisional play. Meanwhile, the Golden Eagles fall to 4-2 this season behind a 2-1 record in league action.

Freshman quarterback Noah Mitchell (Euclid, Ohio/Euclid) finished with 195 passing yards and three touchdowns on 19-of-32 attempts with no interceptions. He helped the Vulcans build a 28-6 halftime lead on Saturday after tossing three touchdowns while completing 13-of-17 attempts. Mitchell now has posted 1,820 passing yards on a 60.9 completion percentage (134-of-220) with 13 touchdowns this season.

The Vulcans scored touchdowns on five of their initial seven drives in the first half, including each of their opening three drives. Cal U took a 7-0 lead on the initial drive of the game when junior Nelson Brown (Salisbury, Md./Wicomico) scored an eight-yard rushing touchdown with 10:19 left in the quarter. The Golden Eagles countered with a touchdown on the ensuing drive at the 5:37-mark before the PAT attempt was blocked by freshman Gerald Brown (Duquesne, Pa./West Mifflin). The Vulcans later took a 14-6 lead with 26 seconds left in the quarter when Mitchell connected with senior wide receiver Craig Thompson (New Brighton, Pa./New Brighton) for an 11-yard touchdown while facing a third-and-10.

At the conclusion of the first quarter, the teams were forced to leave the field for nearly two hours due to lightning. Once play resumed, Cal U needed just four plays in the quarter to take a 21-6 lead when Mitchell found Nelson Brown for a seven-yard touchdown with 13:22 left. The Vulcans then forced a three-and-out and extended the lead to 28-6 on a 20-yard touchdown pass from Mitchell to junior wide receiver Chad Livingston (Lemont Furnace, Pa./Laurel Highlands) at the 9:38-mark. The teams traded field position for the remainder of the first half with redshirt junior linebacker Breon Coke (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Mechanicsburg) halting a drive by the Golden Eagles inside the red zone with an interception.

The Golden Eagles scored a touchdown on the opening drive of the third quarter to cut the deficit to 28-13 at the 10:28-mark. Cal U then answered with a 22-yard field goal by sophomore Brian Alsobrooks (Livonia, Mich./Chuchill) with 6:49 left in the third quarter. The Golden Eagles crossed midfield on the next drive before junior defensive back Lamont McPhatter II (New Castle, Pa./New Castle) recorded his fifth interception of the year, matching his total from last year. McPhatter returned the turnover to the Clarion 27-yard line before the Vulcans turned the ball over on downs with just over one minute left in the quarter.

On the second play of the fourth quarter, McPhatter registered a punt block and recovered the loose ball at the Clarion 18-yard line. The Vulcans converted the short field into points with a 33-yard field goal by Alsobrooks with 13:15 remaining. Cal U later stretched the lead to 41-13 on a 1-yard touchdown run by redshirt senior Nick Grissom (Cincinnati, Ohio/Winton Woods) at the 7:39-mark. The Golden Eagles scored a touchdown on each of their last two drives to cut the final score to 41-27.

McPhatter led the team with a season-high 10 tackles (seven solo) and finished with 0.5 sack, one interception, one fumble recovery and one blocked kick. Coke and fellow junior linebacker London Cloud (Bedford, Ohio/Bedford) each added seven tackles in the victory and both players recorded 2.0 TFL and 1.0 sack. Gerald Brown tallied 1.5 sacks against the Golden Eagles and fellow freshman Derick Korboi (Upper Darby, Pa./Upper Darby) registered 2.0 sacks.

Cal U returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 13, when it hosts Gannon on Homecoming with kickoff set for 3 p.m.

Notes:
Nelson Brown finished with 98 rushing yards and one touchdown on 19 carries … Sophomore Tyson Hill (New Kensington, Pa./Valley) led the team with 78 receiving yards on eight catches … The Vulcans scored on all seven trips inside the red zone (five touchdowns, two field goals) … Cal U converted 10-of-15 third downs after entering the weekend as the NCAA Division II leader in the category … The teams combined for 22 penalties and 176 penalty yards … The average starting field position for the Vulcans was their own 47-yard line