CALIFORNIA (Oct. 26) – Senior running back
Nelson Brown (Salisbury, Md./Wicomico) finished with nearly 200 all-purpose yards and scored a pair of second-half touchdowns on Saturday afternoon, as the Vulcans claimed a 27-15 victory over Mercyhurst at Adamson Stadium in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West action.
With the win, the California University of Pennsylvania football team improves to 6-2 overall and remains tied for second in the PSAC West standings with a 4-1 mark in divisional play. Meanwhile, the Lakers drop to 3-5 this season and are one of three teams with a 1-4 record in league play.
Brown posted 119 rushing yards and one touchdown on 24 carries, plus made a 74-yard touchdown reception in the victory. He eclipsed the century mark on the ground for the fourth time this season and the 16th time in his career. Brown ranks second in the league this year with 725 rushing yards and has scored nine total touchdowns (two receiving).
Junior wide receiver
Tyson Hill (New Kensington, Pa./Valley) led all players with 102 receiving yards and one touchdown on six catches. He has registered five 100-yard games this season and now sits second in the PSAC with 779 receiving yards. Senior wide receiver
Jordan Dandridge (Duluth, Ga./Duluth) also made six receptions on Saturday and finished with 55 receiving yards in the contest.
The Vulcans recorded three interceptions and allowed 255 yards of total offense while holding the Lakers scoreless in the first half. Senior defensive back
Lamont McPhatter II (New Castle, Pa./New Castle) matched his season high with a team-high seven tackles (five solo) and made 1.0 TFL. Sophomore defensive back
Jermal Martin, Jr. (South Philadelphia, Pa./Academy Park) was one of four players to tally six stops and also posted his team-leading fourth interception of the year, plus blocked one kick.
Cal U took a 7-0 lead on its opening drive of the game when sophomore quarterback
Noah Mitchell (Euclid, Ohio/Euclid) connected with sophomore wide receiver
Derrick Caraway (Pittsburgh, Pa./Woodland Hills) for a five-yard touchdown with 2:33 left in the first quarter. The Lakers attempted to cut into the deficit early in the second quarter before Martin blocked a 32-yard field goal. Cal U halted the next Mercyhurst drive when senior defensive back
Aaron Brown (New Oxford, Pa./New Oxford) made his second interception of the year. Following a turnover on downs, the Vulcans registered another interception when senior defensive lineman
Jordan Scarbrough (Pittsburgh, Pa./Woodland Hills) halted a drive near midfield with 3:46 remaining before halftime. Cal U attempted to stretch its lead in the final seconds of the second half before missing a field goal.
Midway through the third quarter, Mitchell was intercepted following a jarring hit and Mercyhurst returned the turnover to the Cal U 30-yard line. The Lakers then claimed an 8-7 lead at the 5:22-mark on a 14-yard pass to fullback Jason Armstrong and a two-point conversion. Cal U quickly reclaimed the lead on the ensuing drive when sophomore quarterback
Josh Dale (Concord, N.C./Jay M. Robinson) connected with
Nelson Brown on a screen pass and
Nelson Brown raced 74 yards for a score, 13-8. After the Lakers were held to a three-and-out, Dale found a streaking Hill down the sideline for a 56-yard touchdown with 35 seconds left in the third quarter.
The Lakers looked to answer in the early minutes of the fourth quarter after converting a pair of third downs before facing a third-and-goal from the 2-yard line. Sophomore defensive lineman
Gerald Brown (Duquesne, Pa./West Mifflin) and senior linebacker
Geremy Paige (Wheeling, W.Va./Wheeling Park) then combined to stop the Mercyhurst running back at the 1-yard line. The Lakers called back-to-back timeouts at the 11:42-mark before
Gerald Brown and
Aaron Brown stopped the ball carrier shy of the end zone to force a turnover on downs.
The Vulcans flipped field position after crossing midfield on the ensuing drive before halting the next Laker drive when Martin recorded an interception with 6:29 left to play.
Nelson Brown then carried the ball for six-straight plays before breaking off a 31-yard touchdown run to seal the game at the 1:58-mark, 27-8. The Lakers responded with a seven-yard touchdown pass that immediately followed a 50-yard completion.
Cal U returns to action on Saturday, Nov. 2, when it travels to face PSAC West-leading and nationally-ranked Slippery Rock at 1 p.m.
Notes:
The Vulcans have won five-straight games against the Lakers and hold a 5-1 home record in the all-time series … Dale finished with 140 passing yards and two touchdowns on five-of-seven attempts … Cal U has already recorded 16 interceptions this season, which is just one shy of their total from last year … The teams combined to score 21 points in a span of just under five minutes in the third quarter … The Vulcans allowed a season-high 94 rushing yards on 34 attempts and are now yielding 38.6 rushing yards per game this year
