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California (Pa.) (2-0, 0-0 PSAC West) at Edinboro (0-1, 0-0 PSAC West) 
Date:  Saturday, September 15, 2012
Site:  Edinboro, PA
Stadium:  Sox Harrison Stadium
Kickoff: 6:00 p.m.
Next:  September 22 at Lock Haven, 3:00 p.m.
 
The Game Story
-Edinboro opened the season with a 30-14 loss at 19th-ranked Bloomsburg last Saturday, and now face an even more difficult test against a California(Pa.) team that has climbed to sixth in the latest AFCA Division II Top 25.  The contest is the home opener for the Fighting Scots and also signals the beginning of PSAC West action.

-It is Whiteout Night and First Responders Night at Sox Harrison Stadium as the Fighting Scots have a special evening kickoff at 6 p.m.  Edinboro will wear its new white uniforms for the game, with California(Pa.) in dark uniforms.  The annual Whiteout Game will feature t-shirts given out to students plus plenty of other prizes.  In addition, all first responders will be admitted free of charge.

-Edinboro is in its seventh season under head coach Scott Browning.  The former long-time Boro assistant has led the Fighting Scots to a 45-24 record during that period, and tied mentor Tom Hollman for the most wins by a coach in his first six seasons.  A year ago Edinboro finished with a 7-4 record for the second straight season.    

-The Fighting Scots were picked to finish fourth in the PSAC West preseason poll.  California(Pa.) tied Indiana(Pa.) for the role of favorite in the preseason rankings.

-Edinboro looks to snap a seven-game losing streak to California(Pa.).  The Fighting Scots last defeated the Vulcans in 2004 by a 42-28 count.  Cal has won the last three meetings at Sox Harrison Stadium.  Overall, Cal has taken a 41-35-2 lead in the all-time series.

-California (Pa.) underwent a change this summer with highly-successful head coach John Luckhardt announcing his retirement during the summer due to illness.  Luckhardt turned the Vulcans into a Division II power, with five PSAC West championships and five NCAA?playoff appearances.  Mike Kellar takes over after serving as the offensive coordinator and associate head coach for offense last year.  

-The Vulcans have opened the 2012 campaign with wins over a pair of nationally-ranked teams and 2011 conference champions.  They opened with a 30-22 win over 17th-ranked Hillsdale, then last week rallied for a 48-45 win at 11th-ranked Kutztown.

-Edinboro returns six starters on offense and six on defense.  The offense is led by second team All-PSAC quarterback Cody Harris, who begins his third year as a starter.  Senior tight end Shawn Walker was a second team All-PSAC West pick in 2010.  Defensively, junior James Jackson was a 2011 first team All-PSAC West selection at cornerback and senior Branden Williams earned the same honor in 2008 and '09.  Jackson is a third team Beyond Sports Network preseason All-American.     
 
-Edinboro faces an ambitious 2012 schedule.  The PSAC crossover slate has the Fighting Scots facing the top three teams from last year in the Eastern Division in Kutztown, Bloomsburg and LIU Post.  The three combined to go 27-8.  Throw in the usual Western Division rivals such as preseason favorites California(Pa.) and Indiana(Pa.), plus local rivals Gannon and Mercyhurst, and Edinboro has its work cut out in 2012.   
  
On TV/Radio
-The Edinboro-California(Pa.) game will be televised live on the Pittsburgh CW, with Stan Savaran and John Sanders providing the commentary.  The game will also be broadcast on Fox College Sports networks.  The game can be heard live on WFSE FM 88.9, with Jon Pintea providing the play-by-play and Mike Telek providing the color commentary.  In addition, the game will be streamed via WFSE.  Go to the link on www.edinboro.edu.   
 
The All-Time Series        
-California(Pa.) leads 41-35-2
The Vulcans have grabbed the lead in the series on the strength of seven straight wins, including a 34-28 victory a year ago.  Cal has also won the last three meetings at Sox Harrison Stadium.  Edinboro's last win in the series came in 2004, a 42-28 triumph at Sox Harrison Stadium.
 
The Last Meeting            
-2011 -- California (Pa.) 34, Edinboro 28
Edinboro's rally fell just short as the Fighting Scots almost came all the way back from a 34-14 deficit.  With the Vulcans looking to add to their lead late in the game, Cory Hayes blocked a field goal attempt and James Jackson scooped it up and went 70 yards for a touchdown with 2:42 remaining in the game.  Edinboro would recover the ensuing onside kick and proceed to drive 58 yards to close the gap to 34-28 with 1:17 to play.  Cody Harris found David Bostic from 26 yards out for the score.  Unfortunately, Cal recovered the second onside kick and ran out the clock.  Harris enjoyed an outstanding game, completing 23 of 31 passes for 288 yards with 3 TDs and an interception, and was also the leading rusher with 22 yards.  Nick Marino caught 10 passes for 71 yards and a touchdown, and Bostic hauled in 4 passes for 107 yards.  Cal signalcaller Peter Lalich was 21 of 34 for 289 yards with 4 TDs.  Lamont Smith added 18 rushes for 129 yards as Cal totaled 481 yards.  (For complete game statistics see page 4)
           
The Coaches
-Scott Browning (Ohio State '81)  took over as Edinboro's 13th head coach on January 5, 2006, and in his first six seasons he has tied the record for most wins by a coach during that period.  Browning enters his seventh season with a 45-24 record, tying former mentor Tom Hollman for most wins in the first six seasons.  He was certainly no stranger to Fighting Scot football, however, serving as an assistant coach for the previous twenty years. While at Edinboro he has coached the offensive linemen, defensive backs and running backs, along with serving as the offensive coordinator.  Browning became the first head coach at Edinboro to debut with a win since Bill McDonald in 1969 when the Fighting Scots opened the 2006 season with a 28-14 win at West Chester.  He went on to lead Edinboro to a 6-5 finish, the most wins ever by a first-year coach.  That was followed by a 7-4 finish in 2007.  His next two Fighting Scot editions recorded a school-record tying nine wins.  in 2008 Edinboro ended the year at 9-2 and was ranked 20th in the final AFCA Top 25.  The Fighting Scots had a 9-4 record in 2009, making the NCAA playoffs for the first time in his tenure.  Edinboro would end the year 24th in the AFCA poll.  The Boro has posted back-to-back 7-4 finishes in 2010 and 2011. 
 
-Mike Kellar (Fairmont State '96) took over as the head coach at California (Pa.) earlier this summer following the unexpected retirement of highly-successful head coach John Luckhardt.  The Vulcans haven't missed a beat in the early stages of his tenure, winning back-to-back games against ranked opponents.  Kellar served as the Vulcans' offensive coordinator at Cal from 2004-08 and then returned a year ago as the offensive coordinator and associate head coach for offense last year. In 2009-10 Kellar served as the head coach at Concord, leading the Mountain Lions to a 14-8 record, including an 8-3 finish in 2010.     
   
Last Week
-Bloomsburg 30, Edinboro 14  -- the Fighting Scots opened the 2012 campaign against one of the top teams in the PSAC East, losing at Bloomsburg.  The Huskies piled up 319 yards rushing on their way to 410 yards in offense.  The Fighting Scots did not pick up their initial first down until the 5:21 mark of the second quarter, but after that Edinboro's new-look, no-huddle offense put together several long drives.  Iowa transfer Willie Lowe accounted for Edinboro's first touchdown with a four-yard run, and Cody Harris hooked up with Devin Ghafoor on an eight-yard scoring pass late in the game.  It marked Ghafoor's first career touchdown reception.        
 
-California (Pa.)48, Kutztown 45  -- the Vulcans scored the first 27 points of the game, only to have to rally twice in the fourth quarter for the high-scoring road win.  Peter Lalich keyed the comeback as the senior quarterback registered his fifth career 300-yard game, completing 30 of a school-record 59 passes for 398 yards, the fifth-highest single-game total at Cal.  He tossed the game-winning touchdown pass with 1:02 remaining, a 39-yarder to Kowan Scott.  It was his second touchdown pass of the game, along with a touchdown rushing.  Lamont Smith added 109 yards on 19 carries with a touchdown for his 13th career 100-yard effort.
     
Browning Comments ... on the Fighting Scots
“I was really impressed with Bloomsburg as a football team.  They have not dropped off one bit.  Looking back on it opening the season with a team of that caliber and not having played a game, and they had, was not a great situation for our football team.  I think we grew and improved as the game went on.  I saw a lot of good things.”
 
Browning Comments ... on the Vulcans
“It doesn't get any easier.  Cal is an extremely athletic, well-coached football team.  They found a way to win last week trailing late.  It says a lot about them.  We obviously will have our hands full in all three passes -- offense, defense and special teams.”