CALIFORNIA (Sept. 22) – Junior running back Nelson Brown (Salisbury, Md./Wicomico) scored three touchdowns for the second time in two weeks and junior defensive back Lamont McPhatter II (New Castle, Pa./New Castle) registered three takeaways, including a fumble return for a touchdown, on Saturday to help the Vulcans open Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play with a 40-35 win against Edinboro at Adamson Stadium.

With the victory, the California University of Pennsylvania football team improves to 2-2 this season and starts divisional play with a 1-0 mark. The Vulcans also recorded their 14th-consecutive win over the Fighting Scots. Meanwhile, Edinboro drops to 3-1 overall with a 0-1 record in league action.

Brown tied his career high of three rushing touchdowns (2, 1, 4) while finishing with 121 yards on a season-high 32 attempts. He is the first player to total at least 30 carries in a game since Week 7 of the 2016 season. Brown has posted eight rushing touchdowns over the last three weeks and eclipsed 400 rushing yards this season on Saturday.

McPhatter recorded two interceptions and one fumble recovery while also collecting seven tackles (five solo) against the Fighting Scots. He posted an 82-yard fumble return for a touchdown late in the second quarter to give Cal U a 27-14 lead at halftime. McPhatter registered his first interception on Saturday just under three minutes after the fumble recovery and made his third interception of the season late in the third quarter.

The Vulcans took a 7-0 lead after Brown posted a two-yard touchdown run to cap the opening drive of the game. Edinboro tied the game on a five-yard touchdown pass at the 6:53-mark after the drive was setup by a 54-yard interception return.

Early in the second quarter, the Fighting Scots blocked a punt and took a 14-7 lead on a 21-yard run by quarterback Andrew Tomko on a fake field goal. Cal U countered with a 42-yard, one-handed touchdown reception by redshirt junior wide receiver Jordan Dandridge (Duluth, Ga./Duluth) with 11:20 left before halftime. Dandridge set a career high with 153 receiving yards and one touchdown on nine catches, which also matched a career high.

Cal U forced a three-and-out on the next Edinboro possession before taking a 21-14 lead at the 7:20-mark on a one-yard touchdown run by Brown. The Fighting Scots then advanced into the red zone before McPhatter recovered a fumble and returned the loose ball 82 yards for a touchdown to give the Vulcans a 27-14 lead (PAT failed) with 3:51 remaining in the second quarter. Cal U advanced into Edinboro territory with under 90 seconds left in the first half before the teams traded interceptions on back-to-back plays.

The Fighting Scots looked to score on the opening possession of the second half before the Vulcans forced a turnover on downs at the Cal U 23-yard line. Edinboro made an interception on the initial play of the ensuing drive and cut the deficit to 27-21 at the 11:43-mark of the third quarter. Brown stretched the lead to 34-21 with a four-yard touchdown run after previously converting a fourth-and-two on the drive. The Fighting Scots again moved deep into Cal U territory before the Vulcans forced a turnover on downs inside the red zone. The teams then committed three turnovers in a span of six plays before Edinboro trimmed the deficit to 34-28 on a seven-yard touchdown run with 1:09 remaining in the third quarter.

Midway through the fourth quarter, Edinboro seized the lead at 35-34 on a 17-yard touchdown run with 8:01 left to play. The Vulcans responded with a seven-play drive to reclaim the lead on an 18-yard touchdown reception by sophomore wide receiver Tyson Hill (New Kensington, Pa./Valley) at the 5:20-mark in the quarter (two-point conversion failed). The Fighting Scots were penalized for holding on the opening play of the ensuing drive before an incomplete pass on third-and-21 forced a punt. Cal U then sealed the victory after picking up a pair of first downs on the final drive of the game.

Junior linebacker London Cloud (Bedford, Ohio/Bedford) led the team with eight tackles (six solo) and registered 2.0 TFL and 1.0 sack. Sophomore defensive back Jimmy Pierce (Uniontown, Pa./Laurel Highlands) posted six stops (five solo) and 2.0 TFL in the victory.

Cal U returns to action on Saturday, Sept. 29, when it hosts rival and No. 3 IUP in the 10th-annual Coal Bowl with kickoff at 6 p.m.

Notes:
The game featured a combined nine turnovers, including six interceptions … Freshman quarterback Noah Mitchell (Euclid, Ohio/Euclid) finished with 297 passing yards on 22-of-40 attempts with two touchdowns and four interceptions … The Vulcans finished with over a 10-minute advantage in time of possession and registered 458 yards of total offense … Edinboro running back Walter Fletcher was limited to 66 yards after entering play with a PSAC-best 119.7 rushing yards per game … The average field position for the Fighting Scots was their own 44-yard line