CALIFORNIA (Dec. 7) – The third-seeded Vulcans were unable to overcome a 21-point halftime deficit on Saturday afternoon while suffering a 31-13 loss to fourth-seeded Slippery Rock at Adamson Stadium in the Super Region One Championship as part of the NCAA Playoffs.

With the loss, the No. 20 California (PA) football team finishes the season with a 10-3 overall record with all three losses being to nationally-ranked teams. The Vulcans advanced to the regional championship of the NCAA Playoffs for the fifth time in program history, all since 2007. Meanwhile, No. 11 The Rock improves to 12-1 this season and travels to face No. 2 Ferris State (Mich.) from Super Region Three in the national semifinals.

Slippery Rock totaled 245 rushing yards on 40 attempts and quarterback Brayden Long, a two-time national finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy, threw three touchdown passes in the victory. Sophomore defensive back Khalil Taylor led the team with 11 tackles (10 solo) with 2.0 TFL, while fellow sophomores Samuel Hobbs and Julien Laventure both tallied six stops on Saturday.

Sophomore running back Bobbie Boyd, Jr. led the team with 99 rushing yards and one touchdown on 13 attempts. He finished the year with 938 rushing yards on 194 carries with seven touchdowns in his first year as a starter. Boyd totaled the most rushing yards this fall since Nelson Brown eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in back-to-back seasons in 2018 and 2019.

The Rock jumped out to a 14-0 lead midway through the first quarter after Long completed touchdown passes on the opening two drives of the game. Cal then mounted its longest drive of the quarter before a strip-sack resulted in Slippery Rock regaining possession at its own 42-yard line.

Midway through the second quarter, the Vulcans advanced to the red zone before turning the ball over following an unsuccessful field goal. Slippery Rock converted a pair of third downs on the ensuing possession before extending the lead to 21-0 on a two-yard touchdown run with 1:12 left before halftime.

The Vulcans opened the third quarter when a four-yard touchdown run by Boyd capped an 11-play drive, 21-7. Slippery Rock responded with a 26-yard field goal on the next drive to stretch the lead to a 24-7 margin at the 3:19-mark.

In the fourth quarter, Slippery Rock mounted a nearly six-minute drive and took a 31-7 lead on a 10-yard touchdown pass after converting a fourth-and-one on the previous play. The Vulcans countered with a 12-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Davis Black to senior wide receiver Omari Hopkins with 7:57 left to play. The Rock then worked over seven minutes off the clock after calling 13-consecutive run plays before turning the ball over on downs at the Cal 24-yard line.

Black, the PSAC West Offensive Athlete of the Year, was limited to 90 passing yards on 14-of-23 attempts with one touchdown and no interceptions. He added 63 rushing yards on 14 carries on Saturday. Black finished the year ranked third in single-season school history with 3,377 yard of total offense and slotted eighth with 2,948 passing yards.

Cal reached double-digit victories for the seventh time in program history in 2024 after earning two wins in the NCAA Playoffs by a combined four points. The Vulcans also posted their 20th-consecutive winning season this fall – the longest active streak in the PSAC.

Notes:
The Vulcans hold a 3-2 record in five regional championship appearances … Junior Eric Willis III posted four receptions for 32 yards on Saturday and finished the year with 1,038 receiving yards, the 10th-most in single-season school history … Senior Anthony Beitko finished his career with 306 career points – the fourth-most points by a kicker in PSAC history … Cal was held to under 100 passing yards for the first time since Week 5 of the 2019 campaign … The Vulcans have avoided a shutout in 230-consecutive games dating back to the final week of the 2003 season … Head coach Gary Dunn holds a 66-24 overall record in eight seasons as a head coach, including a 3-3 mark in NCAA Playoffs … Long finished with 154 passing yards and three touchdowns on 17-of-21 attempts … He will be traveling to Las Vegas next week for the NFF Annual Awards Dinner as a finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy