CALIFORNIA (Oct. 2) – The Vulcans scored a pair of touchdowns on interception returns and junior quarterback Noah Mitchell (Euclid, Ohio/Euclid) passed for three touchdowns on Saturday afternoon, as the No. 25 Vulcans earned a 37-0 win against Mercyhurst on Homecoming at Adamson Stadium in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West action.

With the win, the California University of Pennsylvania football team improves to 5-0 overall with a 2-0 mark in divisional play. The Vulcans have now posted a victory in 15 of their last 16 games on Homecoming. Meanwhile, the Lakers fall to 1-4 this season behind a 0-2 record in league action.

The Vulcans recorded their third shutout of the season while limiting the Lakers to 106 yards of total offense. Cal U yielded only seven rushing yards on 23 attempts while also posting five sacks. Mercyhurst, which utilized three quarterbacks in the contest, finished with 99 passing yards and crossed midfield on only two drives.

Sophomore linebacker Matt Tobey (Chalfont, Pa./Central Bucks South) led the team with eight tackles (four solo) and added 1.0 TFL, 0.5 sack and one pass break-up. Fellow linebacker Noah Dillow (Alum Bank, Pa./Chestnut Ridge) posted seven stops (three solo), 1.0 TFL and one interception, while junior defensive back Kavon Morman (Pittsburgh, Pa./Montour) tallied four stops (all solo), 1.0 TFL and one interception.

Mitchell recorded his fourth 300-yard game of the year, finishing with 304 passing yards on 24-of-35 attempts with three touchdowns and one interception. He posted 203 passing yards and two scores in the second half and completed passes to eight different players in the victory. Mitchell also surpassed both Kevin Russell (1982-84) and Michael Keir (2013-17) for fourth place all-time in school history with 6,727 passing yards.

Sophomore JaQuae Jackson (Pittsburgh, Pa./Serra Catholic) led the team with seven receptions, plus scored his fourth touchdown of the year. Junior Derek Lockhart (Liberty, Pa./South Allegheny) posted 92 receiving yards on five catches with one touchdown and senior Tyson Hill (New Kensington, Pa./Valley) finished with a team-high 125 yards on four catches.

The Vulcans held a 3-0 lead after the first quarter on a 23-yard field goal by freshman Anthony Beitko (White Oak, Pa./McKeesport). Cal U threatened to add to the lead on the opening play of the second quarter before losing a fumble inside the 10-yard line. Midway through the quarter, Mitchell connected with Jackson for an eight-yard touchdown with 8:09 to stretch the lead to 10-0.

The Vulcans broke the game open late in the first half with a pair of defensive touchdowns in just over one minute. Morman registered a 29-yard interception return for a touchdown with 2:15 left to play before Dillow scored on a 12-yard interception return at the 1:12-mark to stretch the lead to 24-0.

Mercyhurst crossed midfield for the first time on the next possession before turning the ball over on downs with eight seconds remaining following a sack by senior defensive lineman Stephon Brown (Drexel Hill, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara).

Cal U expanded the lead to 30-0 on the initial drive of the second half when Mitchell found Lockhart for a 16-yard touchdown on third down. Earlier in the drive, Mitchell connected with Hill for both a third-down and fourth-down conversion. The Lakers countered with the longest drive of the game – over nine minutes – and advanced inside the red zone before the Vulcans forced a turnover on downs.

The Vulcans scored their final touchdown late in the fourth quarter when Mitchell found freshman tight end Junior McConahy (New Wilmington, Pa./Wilmington) for a one-yard score with 4:18 left to play.

Cal U returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 9, when it travel to face Gannon in Erie, Pennsylvania, at 12 p.m.

Notes:
The Vulcans have opened the year at 5-0 for the first time since the 2016 campaign … Mercyhurst was successful on just 1-of-14 third-down conversions … The teams were whistled for a combined 21 penalties that accounted for 176 yards … Cal U scored its first defensive touchdowns of the season on Saturday … The teams combined for only 62 rushing yards on 49 attempts … The Vulcans have recorded three shutouts in a year for the first time since the 1958 undefeated season (8-0)