CALIFORNIA (Sept. 11) - Sophomore wide receiver JaQuae Jackson (Pittsburgh, Pa./Serra Catholic) erupted for 219 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns on Saturday afternoon, as the Vulcans rolled to a 59-0 victory over Lock Haven at Adamson Stadium in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Crossover play.
With the win, the California University of Pennsylvania football team improves to 2-0 this season. The Vulcans recorded their first shutout since Week 8 of the 2018 season, while also posting their largest margin of victory since Week 3 of the 2016 campaign. Meanwhile, Lock Haven drops to 1-1 overall under its first-year head coach.
Jackson set a career high with 219 receiving yards and two touchdowns on eight catches. He entered play with 208 yards and two touchdowns on 15 receptions in his career. Jackson is the first player with 200 receiving yards in a game since Tom Greene totaled 202 yards in Week 8 of the 2017 season. The Pittsburgh native posted five receptions for 150 yards in just the first quarter behind a 69-yard score and later added a 47-yard touchdown in the final minute of the first half.
Junior quarterback Noah Mitchell (Euclid, Ohio/Euclid) posted a consecutive 300-yard performance despite playing just two-plus quarters. He finished with 316 passing yards and three touchdowns on 19-of-27 attempts with no interceptions. Mitchell led the Vulcans to points on seven-straight offensive possessions with his last drive coming on the team's initial possession of the second half.
Cal U recorded four turnovers and forced two turnovers on downs in the shutout. Redshirt sophomore linebacker Gabe Miller (Cranberry Twp., Pa./Seneca Valley) led the team with nine tackles (four solo) and added 1.0 sack and one forced fumble. Junior defensive lineman Gerald Brown (Duquesne, Pa./West Mifflin) collected seven stops and 2.0 TFL, while classmate Derick Korboi (Upper Darby, Pa./Upper Darby) set a career high with 3.0 TFL and collected five stops (four solo) and 1.0 sack.
The Vulcans recovered a fumble near the red zone on the initial drive by the Bald Eagles and converted the turnover into a two-yard touchdown run by Brunson. On the opening play of the next Cal U drive, Mitchell connected with Jackson for a 69-yard touchdown with 6:52 left in the first quarter. The Vulcans extended their lead later in the quarter when redshirt freshman Eric McKan III (Washington, D.C./Bullis (Md.)) posted a 14-yard touchdown run, 21-0.
Cal U capped its longest drive of the game - 12 plays, 92 yards - with a one-yard touchdown run by Brunson with 10:44 left in the second quarter. Following a three-and-out, junior Jermal Martin, Jr. (South Philadelphia, Pa./Academy Park) posted a 62-yard punt return for touchdown on his first career return. The Vulcans then recovered a fumble inside the red zone on the next Bald Eagle possession, stretching the lead to 38-0 on a 23-yard field goal with 7:19 left before halftime.
Lock Haven attempted to avoid the shutout late in the first half with a 25-yard field-goal attempt, however, the kick was blocked and Cal U assumed possession with 1:56 remaining before the break. The Vulcans added a last-second score in the first half when Mitchell and Jackson connected for a 47-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 45-0.
Midway through the third quarter, Mitchell found junior tight end Ian Edenfield (Uniontown, Pa./Laurel Highlands) for an eight-yard touchdown to cap an 11-play drive. The teams traded turnovers early in the fourth with the Vulcans recovering a fumble to set up a 30-yard touchdown run by sophomore Richie Sykes (Middletown, Pa./Middletown) with 10:38 left play. Cal U later preserved the shutout with an interception in the end zone on the final Lock Haven drive of the game.
The Vulcans continue league crossover play on Saturday, Sept. 18, when they host Millersville at Adamson Stadium with kickoff set for 1 p.m.
Notes:
Cal U finished with 540 yards of total offense on 65 plays, marking its first game with 500-plus yards of offense since Week 3 of the 2018 season … The Vulcans notched 12.0 TFL and allowed just 112 passing yards in the contest … Lock Haven held a five-plus minute advantage in time of possession despite being shutout … In addition to the punt return, Martin recorded 2.0 TFL and 1.0 sack in the victory … Cal U converted 8-of-12 attempts on third down … The Vulcans played their first game at Adamson Stadium since Nov. 9, 2019
