Highlights  |  Postgame Interview

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The seventh-ranked Slippery Rock University football team used a dominant second half to pull away for a 42-21 win over California (Pa.) Saturday on Homecoming, moving The Rock into sole possession of first place in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division.
 
Saturday's game featured two teams that entered the game tied for first place in the PSAC West with unbeaten divisional records. Slippery Rock moves to 8-0 overall and takes over sole possession of first place with a 5-0 divisional record, while Cal slips to 5-2 overall and 4-1 in PSAC West action.
 
The Vulcans led twice in the first half with a 6-0 lead with 5:50 to play in the first quarter and a 13-7 lead with 6:26 to play in the second quarter, but Slippery Rock quickly responded after each of those deficits to retake the lead.
 
The Rock went up 7-6 just 49 seconds after Cal scored the first points of the game when Brayden Long hit Logan Ramper on a perfectly thrown deep ball for a 49-yard touchdown with 4:55 to play in the first. SRU then flipped the second deficit into a 14-13 lead when Chris D'Or snuck in for a six-yard TD run to cap a 78-yard drive with 3:25 to play in the second quarter.
 
That scoring drive would start a 35-0 run in which The Rock dominated the middle portion of the game, headlined by a 21-0 run in the third quarter alone. SRU limited the Cal offense to just four total yards in the third quarter while turning a 14-13 halftime lead into a 35-13 lead heading to the fourth.
 
Long started the third quarter rally with a one-yard TD run after a Kyle Sheets reception was ruled out of bounds at the one. His plunge made it 21-13 with 9:27 to play in the third. The Rock defense got in on the action and added to the lead just over three minutes later when Jalen Dangerfield picked off a pass and returned it 23 yards for the first defensive touchdown since the 2021 season. Isaiah Edwards added to the run and closed the quarter with a 35-yard touchdown run that made it 35-13 with 1:53 to play in the third.
 
The 35-0 scoring run was capped early in the fourth when Khalid Dorsey found the edge and ripped off a 63-yard touchdown run, the longest rush of the season by any SRU player, to make it 42-13 with 14 minutes to play. Cal added a late touchdown with 5:43 to play to cap the scoring in the game.
 
Slippery Rock finished the game with a 532-226 advantage in total offense, more than doubling up a California offense that entered the game ranked first in the PSAC in passing. The Vulcans were averaging more than 290 yards per game through the air, but a stifling SRU defense limited that attack to just seven completions for 102 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions.
 
In addition to Dangerfield's pick six, Josh Stokes pulled down his fifth interception of the year and Savion Harrison picked off a pass in the SRU end zone to stall another drive. Eddie Faulkner IV was all over the field and finished with 2.0 sacks, one forced fumble, a pass breakup and five total tackles. That fumble was recovered by Cottrell Hatchett, who finished with a career-high 10 tackles to go along with a sack of his own. Stokes added seven tackles, while Munchie Johnson and Daniel Tooson each recorded 2.0 tackles for loss and Kyle Kudla added 1.5 tackles for loss. In total, the SRU defense finished with three sacks, 10 tackles for loss and four takeaways.
 
Long completed 21-of-35 passes for 299 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions while also rushing for one score. The one TD toss went to Ramper, who finished with three catches for 56 yards. Cohen Russell led the receivers with six catches for 98 yards and Sheets caught five passes for 50 yards while being double and triple teamed most of the day.
 
D'Or led the team with 139 all-purpose yards after recording 95 rushing yards and one TD to go along with four catches for 44 yards. Dorsey had his third 100-yard game of the season on the ground to finish with 100 yards and one TD on just eight carries, while Edwards added 39 yards and one TD on just three carries.
 
California got all three rushing touchdowns on QB Keepers from Davis Black, who finished with nine net rushing yards and three scores. He completed just 7-of-22 passes for 102 yards with three interceptions. Eric McKann III rushed for 99 yards and Omari Hopkins caught two passes for 68 yards.
 
Slippery Rock will now shift its focus to trying to lock up a fifth straight PSAC West title and the ninth divisional crown in the last 12 seasons. The Rock can achieve those feats with one more win, either next week at home against Clarion, or in week 10 on the road at Edinboro. A win in either of those games will send SRU back to the PSAC Championship game for the fourth time in the last five seasons. The first chance to clinch the division comes next Saturday with a 1 p.m. home game against Clarion.
 
GAME NOTES: Slippery Rock improved to 8-0 for the second time in the last four seasons and just the fourth time in program history (2019, 1939, 1924) … SRU won its sixth straight game in the series against Cal … SRU won its ninth straight Homecoming game against Cal and is now 9-3 on Homecoming all-time when the Vulcans are the opponent … SRU is now 57-26-4 all-time on Homecoming … SRU is now 33-2 against the PSAC West in its last 35 divisional games … SRU is 52-6 in its last 58 home games dating back to 2013 … Shawn Lutz improved to 66-17 as SRU head coach … SRU played its 47th straight game as a ranked team … SRU missed a field goal Saturday (blocked) to remain without a single field goal made on the season (only three attempted) … SRU recorded its first defensive touchdown since Sept. of 2021 against Seton Hill with Jalen Dangerfield's pick six in the third quarter … Brayden Long played another game without turning the ball over and has now thrown only two interceptions on 287 career pass attempts … SRU entered the game ranked No. 2 in Division II in turnover margin and came up with four takeaways to finish +3 in turnovers Saturday … Josh Stokes intercepted his team-leading fifth pass of the season (14th in single-season history at SRU) … Brayden Long moved up to No. 7 in single-season passing TDs at SRU with his 23rd passing TD of the season.
 



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