SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. (Nov. 2) – The Vulcans tied the score with a 21-yard touchdown pass on fourth down with 1:14 left in the fourth quarter before No. 10 Slippery Rock answered with a field goal as time expired to earn a 31-28 victory on Saturday afternoon in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play.

With the loss, the California University of Pennsylvania football team drops to 6-3 this season and now sits third in the divisional standings with a 4-2 record. Meanwhile, Slippery Rock remains undefeated this year at 9-0 overall behind a 6-0 mark in league play. The win also secured a berth for The Rock in the PSAC Championship against Kutztown in two weeks.

Senior running back Nelson Brown (Salisbury, Md./Wicomico) set season highs with 137 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 32 attempts. He now leads the league with 862 rushing yards this season and is tied for third with 10 rushing touchdowns. Brown, who reached the century mark for the fifth time this season, scored three rushing touchdowns for the first time this year after accomplishing the feat five times in 2018.

The Vulcans limited The Rock to a season-low 31 points, including just 10 points in the second half, after Slippery Rock entered the game ranked second in the country in scoring offense at 49.0 points per game. Redshirt freshman linebacker Noah Dillow (Alum Bank, Pa./Chestnut Ridge) led the team with nine tackles (six solo), while senior defensive back Lamont McPhatter II (New Castle, Pa./New Castle) finished with six stops (five solo) and two pass break-ups. Redshirt senior linebacker Julian Cox (New Castle, Pa./New Castle) also tallied six tackles (four solo) and 1.0 TFL in the contest.

Slippery Rock held a 21-14 halftime lead before extending the lead on a 46-yard touchdown pass midway through the third quarter. The Rock then forced a turnover on downs and were threatening to stretch the lead on their ensuing drive. However following a completion around midfield, junior defensive back Jimmy Pierce (Uniontown, Pa./Laurel Highlands) forced a fumble and senior defensive back Aaron Brown (New Oxford, Pa./New Oxford) returned the turnover to the Slippery Rock 28-yard line. Cal U again turned the ball over on downs before holding Slippery Rock to a three-and-out. Sophomore Derrick Caraway (Pittsburgh, Pa./Woodland Hills) then posted a 46-yard punt return to set up a three-yard touchdown run by Nelson Brown to cut the deficit to 28-21 with 1:27 remaining in the quarter.

Early in the fourth quarter, the Vulcans forced a fourth-and-goal before sophomore Derek Lockhart (Liberty, Pa./South Allegheny) blocked a 26-yard field goal. Cal U later registered its second turnover of the half midway through the quarter when sophomore defensive lineman Gerald Brown (Duquesne, Pa./West Mifflin) recovered a fumble near midfield. The Vulcans then converted a fourth-and-one with a four-yard carry by Nelson Brown before he later converted a third-and-four just outside the red zone. Cal U was then facing another fourth down following an incompletion by sophomore quarterback Noah Mitchell (Euclid, Ohio/Euclid), who was forced to leave the field for one play after a visit from the medical staff. Sophomore Josh Dale (Concord, N.C./Jay M. Robinson) entered the game and delivered a 21-yard touchdown pass to redshirt freshman wide receiver JaQuae Jackson (Pittsburgh, Pa./Serra Catholic) to tie the score at 28-28 with 1:14 remaining.

Slippery Rock quarterback Roland Rivers III rushed for a combined 28 yards on back-to-back plays on the ensuing drive before completing an eight-yard pass to the Cal U 41-yard line. Rivers then rushed for another 10 yards before a personal foul on the play advanced The Rock inside the red zone. Slippery Rock then advanced to the seven-yard line before kicker Jake Chapla converted the game-winning, 24-yard field goal as time expired.

In the first quarter, Slippery Rock halted the initial drive of the game with an interception at its own 4-yard line. The Rock then converted the turnover into a touchdown before the Vulcans tied the score at 7-7 with a 19-yard touchdown run by Nelson Brown with 2:43 left in the quarter. Slippery Rock responded with a 16-play drive to reclaim the lead at 14-7 with 10:58 remaining in the second quarter. Nelson Brown then scored his second touchdown of the game with 7:18 left before halftime to tie the score at 14-14. Rivers later connected for a 55-yard touchdown pass at the 2:35-mark to give The Rock a 21-14 lead at halftime.

Cal U closes out divisional play on Saturday, Nov. 9, when it hosts Seton Hill on Senior Day with kickoff at 4 p.m.

Notes:
Mitchell finished with 131 passing yards on 14-of-29 attempts with one interception … Senior wide receiver Jordan Dandridge (Duluth, Ga./Duluth) led the team with six receptions for 44 yards, while Jackson paced the team with a career-high 67 yards on three catches … Slippery Rock has won the last five meetings at home in the series, including the last two by a combined six points … The Vulcans and The Rock combined for 381 rushing yards on 79 carries …Rivers finished with 280 passing yards and four touchdowns, plus posted 135 rushing yards on 18 attempts