COLUMBUS, Ohio (Aug. 30) – Facing a nationally-ranked opponent on the road, the Vulcans suffered a 28-23 loss to defending-Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) Champion and No. 23 Ohio Dominican on Thursday night at Panther Stadium.

With the loss, the California University of Pennsylvania football team drops its season-opener for the first time since the 2011 campaign. Meanwhile, Ohio Dominican starts the year with a victory and extends its winning streak to eight games dating back to last season. The Vulcans and Panthers have split their meetings over the last two years with the contests being decided by a combined seven points, plus each game was decided in the final minute.

Freshman quarterback Noah Mitchell (Euclid, Ohio/Euclid) finished with 329 passing yards on 32-of-51 attempts with three touchdowns and three interceptions, including two off deflections. The Ohio native completed passes to nine different players while becoming the first Cal U freshman to start a season-opener since 2004. Mitchell became only the second quarterback since 2012 to attempt at least 50 passes and also complete at least 30 passes in a game.

Redshirt junior wide receiver Jordan Dandridge (Duluth, Ga./Duluth) set a career high with 120 yards and one touchdown on nine catches. He has now posted a touchdown in each of his last four games, as he sustained a season-ending injury in Week 3 last year. Fellow junior wide receiver Chad Livingston (Lemont Furnace, Pa./Laurel Highlands) finished with 55 yards and seven receptions with one touchdown on Thursday, while Tyson Hill (New Kensington, Pa./Valley) posted five catches for 52 yards.

The Vulcans scored a touchdown on the opening drive of the game, as Mitchell found senior wide receiver Craig Thompson (New Brighton, Pa./New Brighton) for a six-yard score with 8:28 left in the first quarter. Ohio Dominican countered with a 30-yard touchdown pass just over a minute later to tie the score. Cal U then took a 10-7 lead on a 28-yard field goal by sophomore Brian Alsobrooks (Livonia, Mich./Churchill) with 1:00 remaining in the quarter.

In the second quarter, Cal U stretched the lead to 17-7 on a 19-yard touchdown reception by Dandrdige with 10:12 left before halftime. The Panthers quickly cut the deficit to 17-14 behind a 59-yard touchdown pass at the 8:50-mark in the quarter. The Vulcans looked to respond by advancing the ball near the red zone before Mitchell was intercepted at the Ohio Dominican 25-yard line. Cal U took a 17-14 lead into the break after maintaining possession for over 24 minutes in the first half.

The Panthers took their initial lead of the game at 21-17 on the opening drive of the third quarter, capping a 10-play drive with a two-yard touchdown run. Ohio Dominican maintained the lead throughout the quarter, as the teams traded field position with punts and an interception by Mitchell.

Ohio Dominican added to its lead at the 10:58-mark in the fourth quarter on a 50-yard touchdown reception, 28-17. The Vulcans responded with a drive that featured back-to-back lengthy passes to Thompson (28 yards) and Dandridge (41 yards) before Mitchell found Livingston for a 1-yard touchdown with 9:08 left to play. Cal U was unsuccessful on the two-point attempt, as the score moved to 28-23.
 
The Panthers were held to three-and-outs on consecutive drives before the Vulcans threatened with a drive inside the red zone in the final minute. Cal U started the drive at its 28-yard line with 4:37 remaining before later picking up a fourth-and-four near midfield. The Vulcans then advanced the ball to the 15-yard line of the Panthers before four-straight incompletions forced a turnover on downs and sealed the contest.

Redshirt freshman defensive back Darrell Jackson (Youngstown, Ohio/Cardinal Mooney) led the team with 10 tackles (nine solo), while junior transfer London Cloud (Bedford, Ohio/Bedford) registered eight stops (six solo) and 3.5 TFL. The defense limited Ohio Dominican to only 38 rushing yards on 27 attempts.

The Vulcans return to action on Sept. 8 when they travel to face Kutztown in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Crossover play with kickoff at 12 p.m.

Notes:
Junior transfer Nelson Brown (Salisbury, Md./Wicomico) led all players with 94 rushing yards on 26 carries … The Vulcans finished with over a 17-minute advantage in time of possession after totaling 28 first downs and running 88 plays … Ohio Dominican scored three of its four touchdowns on passes of at least 30 yards … Both programs debuted new quarterbacks, as Panther quarterback Shane Bucenell played the last two years at Charleston Southern