SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. (Sept. 27) – The No. 8 Vulcans scored 35 points in the first half, highlighted by a 21-point lead, before scoring the game-winning touchdown with 1:00 minute left to play to earn a 45-38 victory at No. 4 Slippery Rock to open Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play on Saturday night.
NOTES
• California (PA) (4-0, 1-0) defeated a top-five team in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Top 25 poll for the second time in program history (No. 2 IUP, 2018).
• The Vulcans have won back-to-back regular-season meetings with The Rock for the first time since 2006-10.
• Cal earned its first victory at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium since 2009, snapping a seven-game road losing streak in the series.
• The Vulcans finished with 237 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 44 attempts.
• Junior
Kendrick Agenor led the team with 103 yards and one score on 12 carries.
• Classmate
Bobbie Boyd, Jr. finished with 16 attempts for 88 yards and one touchdown, while senior quarterback
Roman Purcell tallied 45 rushing yards with one score on 15 carries.
• Purcell posted 233 passing yards and two touchdowns on 13-of-26 attempts with one interception.
• Junior
D'Avay Johnson recorded his fourth career 100-yard receiving game, setting season highs with 134 yards and six receptions with one touchdown.
• Sophomore linebacker
Malachi Thomas led the team with eight tackles (six solo), including 2.5 TFL and 1.0 sack.
• Junior
Alexie Sangster, Jr. added seven stops (four solo) and classmate
Keith Charney finished with six tackles (three solo) and an interception return for a touchdown.
• Slippery Rock suffered its first home loss at night since 2012, snapping a streak of 29-consecutive victories.
• The Vulcans have played a nationally-ranked opponent 12 times since the start of the 2021 season.
RECAP
• Slippery Rock scored on its opening drive of the game before Cal countered with a 34-yard touchdown pass from Purcell to freshman wide receiver
Lloyd Penn with 6:50 left in the first quarter.
• Charney gave the Vulcans a 14-7 lead less than a minute later with a 40-yard interception return for a touchdown.
• The Rock lost a fumble on the ensuing kickoff and Cal converted the turnover into points when Purcell scored on a six-yard run at the 2:46-mark, 21-7.
• Slippery Rock responded with a 33-yard touchdown pass to cut the deficit to 21-14 with 1:44 left in the first quarter.
• Purcell found Johnson for a 23-yard touchdown on the second play of the second quarter.
• Cal stretched its lead to 21 points, 35-14, with 9:03 left in the first half when Boyd posted a seven-yard touchdown run.
• The Rock scored a pair of touchdowns in two minutes after capitalizing on a fumble recovered at the Cal 24-yard line to cut the deficit to 35-28 at halftime.
• In the third quarter, the Vulcans lost a fumble inside its own 20-yard line on its initial drive of the second half.
• Slippery Rock then scored a game-tying touchdown on fourth-and-goal to tie the score at the 9:59-mark.
• The Rock later claimed a 38-35 lead on a 37-yard field goal with 13:26 left in the fourth quarter.
• Cal countered with a 19-yard field goal by sophomore
Harry Radcliffe at the 9:38-mark to tie the score, 38-38.
• Slippery Rock missed a 23-yard field-goal attempt on the next drive that allowed Cal to take over possession at its own 20-yard line with 5:11 left to play.
• The Vulcans worked over four minutes off the clock before Agenor scored the game-winning, 14-yard touchdown run at the 1:00-mark, 45-38.
• The Rock advanced to near midfield on the final drive of the game before a penalty and sack forced them back to the 29-yard line for the final play of the game.
NEXT
• The Vulcans return to action on Saturday, Oct. 4, when they host Seton Hill at Adamson Stadium with kickoff at 12 p.m.
• The Griffins (2-3) suffered a loss against IUP in the opening week of divisional play on Saturday.
