SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. (Nov. 6) – Playing on the road against their second nationally-ranked opponent in three weeks, the No. 3 Vulcans suffered a 38-26 loss at No. 15 Slippery Rock on Saturday afternoon to close Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play.

With the loss, the California University of Pennsylvania football team falls to 8-1 overall with a 5-1 mark in divisional action. Meanwhile, The Rock improves to 9-1 this season behind a 6-1 record in league play and will play in next week's PSAC Championship at Kutztown. Cal U and Slippery Rock share the PSAC West title this fall by virtue of each team having one loss in divisional play.

Junior quarterback Noah Mitchell (Euclid, Ohio/Euclid) was limited to 230 passing yards after entering the game ranked second in NCAA Division II in passing yards per game. He finished with two touchdowns and no interceptions while completing 19-of-41 attempts. Mitchell also became the second quarterback in school history to eclipse 8,000 career passing yards, plus set the all-time school mark with 650 completions.

Junior wide receiver Derek Lockhart (Liberty, Pa./South Allegheny) registered his third-straight, 100-yard game on Saturday. He finished with 106 receiving yards and two scores on five catches. Over his last four games, Lockhart has totaled 486 receiving yards and eight touchdowns on 29 catches.

Slippery Rock totaled over 550 yards of total offense, including 466 passing yards, after Cal U entered the weekend ranked fourth in the country in total defense. Sophomore linebacker Noah Dillow (Alum Bank, Pa./Chestnut Ridge) led the team with eight tackles (six solo), while classmate Matt Tobey (Chalfont, Pa./Central Bucks South) finished with seven stops (five solo). Junior defensive back Jermal Martin, Jr. (South Philadelphia, Pa./Academy Park) added six tackles and registered an interception for the fourth-consecutive game.

The Rock raced out to a 21-0 lead with 2:58 left in the first quarter after scoring touchdowns on their initial three drives of the game. Cal U answered with a four-play scoring drive that was capped with a 36-yard touchdown pass from Mitchell to Lockhart with 57 seconds remaining in the quarter, 21-7.

Early in the second quarter, freshman kicker Anthony Beitko (White Oak, Pa./McKeesport) converted a 26-yard field goal to work the deficit down to 21-10 following a 13-play drive. Slippery Rock looked to extend the lead late in the quarter with the ball at the Cal U 1-yard line before redshirt freshman defensive back Dominic Solomon, Jr. (Clairton, Pa./Clairton) intercepted the ball in the end zone. The Rock forced a turnover near midfield before Martin halted the ensuing Slippery Rock drive on the first play with his fourth interception of the year and 27 seconds left before halftime.

Slippery Rock added a field goal early in the third quarter before stretching the lead to 31-10 on a touchdown at the 8:10-mark. The Vulcans responded on the next drive with a 35-yard field goal by Beitko after previously having the ball at The Rock 6-yard line. Slippery Rock followed with a touchdown on the next drive that was setup by a 40-yard completion and a pass interference penalty inside the red zone, 38-13.

In the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, junior running back Isaiah Cameron (Monroeville, Pa./Gateway) posted a two-yard touchdown run to trim the deficit to 38-19. The Vulcans forced a turnover on downs inside their red zone before capping an 88-yard drive with a 25-yard touchdown pass from Mitchell to Lockhart with 2:07 left to play.

Cal U returns to action on Saturday, Nov. 13, when it closes out the regular season by traveling to face Bloomsburg with kickoff set for 12 p.m.

Notes:
The Vulcans claimed a share of the PSAC West title for the first time since winning the league championship in 2016 … Mitchell joins Sam Mannery (1987-90) as the only quarterbacks in school history with at least 8,000 passing yards in a career, plus broke Mannery's school record for completions on Saturday … Cameron led the team with a career-high 62 rushing yards on 15 carries with one touchdown … Slippery Rock will be playing in the PSAC Championship for the seventh time in the last 10 seasons … Martin is the first player since Lamont McPhatter II in 2018 to record an interception in four-consecutive games … The Vulcans have lost the last six meetings at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium … Slippery Rock was issued 15 penalties for 160 yards in the contest