Slippery Rock University Athletics

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CALIFORNIA, Pa. – The 10th ranked Slippery Rock University football team overcame an early 13-0 deficit to storm back for a 41-26 win at California (Pa.) Saturday in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division opener from Adamson Stadium.
 
The Rock improve to 4-0 overall and 1-0 in PSAC West play and pick up their first regular season win over the Vulcans since 2023. California drops to 2-2 overall and 0-1 in the PSAC.
 
Slippery Rock went three-and-out on each of their first two offensive possessions and Cal jumped out to a quick 10-0 lead early in the first quarter. The Rock then threw an interception in the red zone for the first turnover of the season and Cal marched down the field and kicked another field goal to jump out to a 13-0 lead.
 
SRU threw another first half interception, but this time The Rock defense responded and forced a punt.

QB DaOne Owens shook a handful of tacklers and found a hole before racing 45 yards for a touchdown to put The Rock on the board with 8:53 to play in the second.
 
Cal was marching down the field on offense again, but Teddy Gregory Jr. jumped in front of a pass and picked it off deep in SRU territory before flipping the field with a 61-yard return that set The Rock up in the red zone. One play later, Owens found a wide-open Vincent Berardi for a TD that gave SRU a 14-13 lead with 4:19 to play in the second.
 
The Rock would never relinquish that lead.
 
SRU extended the advantage to 21-13 before halftime with a 53-yard rushing TD from Owens to lead by eight at the break. The Vulcans blocked a field goal attempt in the third quarter and answered with a touchdown drive to cut it to 21-19, but missed a two-point try.
 
Slippery Rock broke the game open with three straight touchdowns in the fourth quarter. After a long pass to John Sabo needed a video review to confirm, JayJay Jordan rushed in for a short TD to make it 27-19 with 14:29 to play.  Hamilton Gates hauled in a 36-yard TD pass from Owens to make it 34-19 with 12:07 to play and Luke McCoy capped the run with a 22-yard touchdown scamper to make it 41-19 with 6:01 to play. It marked the second straight week Cal allowed 21 points in the closing 18 minutes of a game.
 
The Rock finished with a 494-434 advantage in total offense after throwing or 245 yards and rushing for 249 yards. Cal ran for 147 yards and threw for 287 yards.
 
Owens bounced back from his two early interceptions to finish the day 14-of-25 for 245 yards with two TD and two INT. He also ran for 116 yards and two touchdowns, becoming the first SRU QB to run for 100+ yards a game since Roland Rivers III ran for 135 yards against Cal on Nov. 2, 2019.
 
Jordan scored a touchdown for the 10th straight game and finished with 66 rushing yards and one score on the ground and three receptions for 58 yards in the passing game. McCoy ran for 35 yards and one TD. Jahmil Perryman added 28 rushing yards and 90 kick return yards .
 
Sabo caught four passes for 80 yards to lead the receivers. Gates grabbed four passes for 67 yards and one score. Berardi added two catches for 32 yards and one TD.
 
JuJu Johnson and Gregory led the defense with eight total tackles and one interception each. Johnson had a highlight reel interception for his first career pick and Gregory finished with one tackle for loss. Evan Harper and Owen Suah each added six tackles, Tyree Johnson had five stops and 1.5 tackles for loss and Nick Frisco had four tackles and one tackle for loss. Jason Gillespie chipped in two tackles for loss and one sack.
 
Cal QB Eric Gibson Jr. was 21-of-44 for 236 yards with one TD and two INT. Bobbie Boyd Jr. ran for 85 yards and one TD and Tavin Williams caught five passes for 85 yards and one score.
 
After playing three straight road games in the regular season for the first time since 1995, The Rock will return to Mihalik-Thompson Stadium for the next two weeks, first hosting Gannon Oct. 3 at 6 p.m. before hosting Seton Hill Oct. 10 at 6 p.m.
 
 

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