CALIFORNIA(PA) Vulcans (7-2, 4-2 PSAC West) at EDINBORO Fighting Scots (6-3, 4-2 PSAC West)
Date: Saturday, November 4, 2017
Site: Edinboro, Pa.
Stadium: Sox Harrison Stadium (6,000)
Kickoff: 12 noon
Live Stats: Click Here
Live Video: ESPN 3
Radio: WFSE 88.9
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Edinboro Game Notes
California(Pa.) Game Notes
Scouting the Teams
On Radio and TV
The Edinboro-California(Pa.) game is the third of three Edinboro games on the SPORTSfever Television Network Game of the Week. The contest can be seen live on ESPN and ESPN College Extra, along with several other outlets listed below. Geoff Arnold will provide the play-by-play, with Phil Schoener on color commentary. Danielle Podlaski will be handling the sideline reporting duties. As always, the Edinboro-California(Pa.) game can be heard live on WFSE FM 88.9, with Gabe Hypes and Jared Wayman handling the call of all the action. The WFSE stream can be heard at www.edinboronow.com.
The All-Time Series
California(Pa.) leads 46-35-2
California(Pa.) holds a 46-35-2 lead in the all-time series with Edinboro thanks to winning the last 12 meetings. Three of the last four meetings took place at Adamson Stadium, including last year when Cal prevailed 52-7. The last time Edinboro defeated Cal was 2004, a 42-28 win at Sox Harrison Stadium.
The Last Meeting
2016 -- California(Pa.) 52, Edinboro 7
Penalties and a turnovers proved too much to overcome against a Califiornia(Pa.) team which came in ranked sixth in Division II. Edinboro debuted in the AFCA rankings in 24th place, and for nearly a half the Scots battled the Vulcans with a potential spot in the PSAC Championship game on the line. Cal took a quick 7-0 lead, but Edinboro answered with a four-play, 44-yard drive following Aaron Rogers' interception. Jake Sisson's four-yard TD run tied the score at 7-7 with 11:59 left in the second quarter. Cal would intercept a tipped ball and return it to the Boro 2, and with just over nine minutes in the half, the Vulcans took a 14-7 lead. That would begin a stretch of 45 straight points for Cal. The Vulcans took a 21-7 lead with 17 seconds left in the half to cap a 63-yard drive that was aided by two Edinboro penalties that resulted in first downs. Cal scored two more touchdowns in the third quarter, and added 17 fourth-quarter points. Edinboro was limited to a season-low 231 yards, while the Vulcans finished with 415 yards. Edinboro entered as one of the least-penalized teams in the PSAC, but the Scots were guilty of 10 penalties for 90 yards. Cal picked up six first downs due to penalties. Sisson was held without a touchdown passing for the only time in the season. He completed 18 of 46 passes for 145 yards with 2 INTs. Cal's Michael Keir was 20-of-28 for 254 yards with 4 TDs.
The Coaches
Wayne Bradford (Salisbury St. '90) was named Edinboro's 15th head coach on March 29, 2017. Bradford worked under four different head coaches and was an assistant at Edinboro for 18 years before taking over as the interim head coach. He has spent a majority of his time as the Fighting Scots' defensive coordinator. Bradford has master-minded some brilliant defensive performances over the years in a day and age when offense has taken over. For instance, in 2011 the Fighting Scots ranked eighth in Division II in scoring defense (17.0 ppg.), 11th in pass efficiency defense, and 18th in total defense (292.6 ypg.). Edinboro gave up fewer than 20 points in seven of its 11 games. A year ago, his Edinboro defense finished first in the PSAC and fourth in Division II in tackles for losses, and second in the PSAC and sixth in the country in sacks. Edinboro finished the 2016 campaign with a 9-2 record, marking the fifth time an Edinboro team with Bradford on the staff tied the school record for victories (9). Three of Edinboro's teams during his tenure have reached the NCAA playoffs, including the 2009 team, which finished at 9-4 and reached the Super Region One semifinals. All told, he has been a part of 115 wins.
Gary Dunn (California, Pa. '95) is in his second season as the head coach at California(Pa.). He has an 18-3 record after leading Cal to an 11-1 finish a year ago. A former four-year starter for the Vulcans and a veteran offensive coordinator at the FCS level, Dunn spent the previous six seasons as the offensive coordinator at Duquesne following a 13-year stint at Morehead State (Ky.), where he spent the last 11 seasons as offensive coordinator. He played at Cal from 1991-94 before starting his coaching career as a graduate assistant with the Vulcans. In 2015, the Dukes finished with an 8-4 overall record and made the program's first appearance in the FCS Playoffs. Dunn helped Duquesne post a winning season five times in his six years with the program, while earning at least a share of three NEC titles (2011, 2013, 2015). While at Morehead State, Dunn served as the offensive coordinator for 11 seasons after spending two seasons as the offensive line and tight ends coach.
Last Week
Edinboro 69, Seton Hill 20
The Edinboro offense enjoyed a record-breaking day after the Fighting Scots found themselves in a shootout early in the second quarter. With the score tied at 20-20 early in the second quarter, Edinboro ran off the final 49 points. The Fighting Scots would finish with a school-record 826 yards, just two yards shy of the PSAC record. Jake Sisson completed 29-of-40 passes for 465 yards, the third-highest single-game total, with 5 TDs. Three of those touchdowns went to James Clark, who set school records for receptions (17) and yards receiving (289). Ta'Nauz Gregory added two touchdowns receiving while catching 7 passes for 137 yards, including an 82-yard TD catch. Walter Fletcher got it all started with a 65-yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage. By the time it was all said and done, he had his second straight 200-yard game, finishing with 238 yards, the seventh-highest single-game total, with 4 TDs on 29 carries. The final score was the first for a pair of redshirt freshmen, as Andrew Tomko three a 12-yard TD pass to Koran Williams.
California(Pa.) 31, Mercyhurst 21
The Vulcans rallied from a 21-13 deficit with 18 fourth-quarter points over the final nine minutes. The rally got going with a pair of safeties on an intentional grounding call in the end zone, followed by a blocked punt in the end zone. That cut the deficit to 21-17 with just over three minutes to play. Michael Keir gave the Vulcans their first lead of the game with 1:26 remaining at 24-21 on a seven-yard run. Todd Coles, Jr. then sealed the win with a 32-yard interception return for a touchdown with 57 seconds to play. Keir completed 24-of-43 passes for 208 yards with a touchdown passing and rushing. Tom Greene caught 5 passes for 104 yards and a touchdown. Jalen Bell led the ground game with a career-high 92 yards on 22 carries. The Cal defense held Mercyhurst to 321 yards.
The Game Stories
- It's Senior Day for the Fighting Scots as Edinboro will recognize seven seniors playing their final home game of 2017. The seven seniors include: Forrest Christmann (DL), Jon Girvin (DE), Brenndan Green (DL), DeVon Groves (FS), R.J. Hughes (OL), Jake Sisson (QB), and Ryan Stratton (TE).
- Edinboro looks to extend its three-game winning streak. The Fighting Scots made it three in a row with a record-setting 69-20 win at Seton Hill last Saturday. That boosted the Fighting Scots to 6-3 overall and 4-2 in the PSAC West, tied with California(Pa.) and Slippery Rock for second in the division. With the victory,Edinboro will finish with back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2011, when the Fighting Scots capped a stretch of nine straight winning seasons.
- A win over California(Pa.) would give Edinboro its first undefeated season at home since 2005, when the Fighting Scots went 6-0 at home. Edinboro is 5-0 at home this season and has outscored its opponents 169-80. Last week's win over Seton Hill was the first road victory for Edinboro after three losses.
- The Fighting Scots were picked to finish fourth in the PSAC West. Edinboro opened the season with back-to-back wins at Sox Harrison Stadium, defeating Lake Erie (30-3) and Lock Haven (20-3). Their next two games came on the road against the two preseason favorites in the PSAC. Edinboro suffered a 62-28 loss at West Chester, the Eastern Division favorite, followed by a 38-7 setback at then sixth-ranked and PSAC West preseason favorite Indiana(Pa.) in the PSAC West opener. They snapped their two-game losing skid with a 45-10 win over Clarion to end September, but began October with a 47-25 loss at Gannon. Edinboro celebrated Homecoming with a 28-25 win over Mercyhurst on October 14, and make it back-to-back wins with a 49-39 upset of 17th-ranked Slippery Rock on October 21.
- California(Pa.) was picked to finish second in the PSAC Western Division after finishing at 11-1 a year ago. The Vulcans defeated Kutztown, 49-7, in the PSAC Championships game, then handed IUP a 44-23 defeat in the second round of the NCAA playoffs, before suffering a 41-30 loss to Shepherd in the third round. The Vulcans come in with a 7-2 overall record and 4-2 in the PSAC West. They are among "others receiving votes" in the AFCA Division II Top 25, and are ranked 24th in the D2Football.com Top 25. More importantly, Cal is ranked tenth in the latest NCAA Atlantic Region rankings, with the top seven teams making the playoffs at the end of the season. Cal ran off four straight wins to open the season before dropping a 47-44 overtime decision at 18th-ranked Slippery Rock, followed by a 26-10 loss at fourth-ranked IUP. Cal has righted itself since then with three straight wins, 21-19 over Clarion, 38-35 over Gannon, and 31-21 over Mercyhurst.
- California(Pa.) has dominated the series with Edinboro in recent years. The Vulcans have won the last 12 meetings. The last time Edinboro defeated Cal was 2004, a 42-28 win at Sox Harrison Stadium.
- The Edinboro-California(Pa.) game features two of the top passers in Division II. Jake Sisson of Edinboro has 7,994 career yards and 78 TDs. He ranks 11th among active Division II passers and is currently fourth in the PSAC and 19th in Division II in passing yards per game at 261.8 ypg., and third and 16th, respectively, in passing touchdowns with 20. California(Pa.)'s Michael Keir has 5,785 career passing yards with 57 TDs. He ranks third in the PSAC and 17th in Division II in passing yards per game (273.3).
- Wayne Bradford is in his first season as Edinboro's interim head coach. He was on the Edinboro staff for 18 years, most of that as the defensive coordinator, before assuming the head coach responsibilities.
- Bradford took over for Justin Lustig, who was Edinboro's head coach for just a year. Lustig moved on to an assistant coaching position at Syracuse. He enjoyed a monumental one season as head coach, as Edinboro recorded the largest turnaround in NCAA Division II history. The Fighting Scots went 9-2 in 2016, tying the school record for wins in a season, after finishing 0-11 in 2015.
- After a slow start, Edinbioro's offense has picked up steam behind three of the most dynamic performers in Division II. In addition to quarterback Jake Sisson, Walter Fletcher has moved up to second in the PSAC and Division II in rushing yards with 1,437, with 19 total TDs. James Clark has moved up to first in the PSAC and third nationally in receptions per game (9.1) and receiving yards (1,101), and has scored 11 TDs. Defensively, Zuril Hendrick is first in the PSAC and second nationally with seven interceptions.
- After finishing 9-2 finish in 2016, Edinboro was ranked in several preseason polls. The summer began with the Fighting Scots picked 16th in the Street and Smith's Division II Preseason Top 25 Poll. Next came a ranking of 30th in the College Football America 2017 Yearbook Division II Preseason Top 30. The AFCA released its 2017 AFCA Division II Preseason Coaches' Top 25 Poll on August 14, with defending national champion Northwest Missouri State ranked number one. While failing to land a spot in the top 25, Edinboro was one of the top teams among "others receiving votes". The Fighting Scots received 57 votes after ending the 2016 season among "others receiving votes", as well.
