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CALIFORNIA (Nov. 19) – Junior running back
Lamont Smith (Penn Hills, Pa./Central Catholic) and senior wide receiver
Thomas Mayo (Reston, Va./South Lakes) each scored three touchdowns and the defense registered a shutout on Saturday afternoon, as the No. 17 Vulcans cruised to a 44-0 victory over Elizabeth City State (N.C.) in the first round of NCAA Playoffs at Adamson Stadium.
With the win, the California University of Pennsylvania football team improves to 10-2 overall, marking its fifth-straight season with at least 10 victories. The Vulcans will now travel to face No. 3 Winston-Salem State (N.C.), who is undefeated (11-0), in the second round of the NCAA Playoffs on Saturday, Nov. 26, at 1 p.m. Meanwhile, the Vikings finish the year with an 8-4 record with all four losses coming against nationally-ranked opponents.
Redshirt junior quarterback
Peter Lalich (Springfield, Va./West Springfield) posted his third 300-yard game of the season, finishing with 357 passing yards on 26-of-34 attempts with three touchdowns and no interceptions. He became only the third 3,000-yard quarterback in school history and now ranks second with 3,344 yards this season. Lalich is also only one touchdown shy of becoming the third quarterback with 30 touchdown passes in a single-season.
Mayo set a season high with three touchdown receptions (3, 12, 15) on eight catches for 89 yards. He now ranks second in single-season school history with 1,230 receiving yards and his 73 receptions rank as third-highest total in school history. Mayo also is now tied for 12th all-time in NCAA Division II history with 44 receiving touchdowns, including a career-high 16 this year.
Smith finished with 83 rushing yards on 11 attempts (7.5 yards/attempt) and three touchdowns (36, 5, 1) after posting only two rushing scores in the regular season. With his performance, he surpassed the 1,000-yard mark (1,078) and is one of four running backs in school history with 1,000-plus yards in back-to-back seasons.
The Vulcans posted their first shutout of the season on Saturday after holding the Vikings to only 197 yards of total offense. Cal U limited ECSU junior running back Daronte McNeill to a season-low 67 rushing yards on 20 carries (3.3 yards/attempt) after he entered the game ranked sixth in the country with 143.6 rushing yards/game and third with 22 rushing touchdowns. The Vulcans also forced the Vikings into four turnovers after ECSU entered the game ranked ninth in the nation in turnover margin (+13).
Senior defensive lineman
Thomas Mulabah (Sterling, Va./Parkview) tied his career high and led the team with nine tackles (two solo) with 2.0 sacks and one pass break-up. Redshirt freshman linebacker
Spencer Lynn (Belle Vernon, Pa./Belle Vernon) posted eight tackles, while the trio of junior defensive back
Greg Cochrane (Chandler, Ariz./Chandler), sophomore linebacker
Brian Justice (Cape Coral, Fla. /Cape Coral) and junior defensive back
Rontez Miles (Braddock, Pa./Woodland Hills) each finished with six stops. Miles, the 2011 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West Defensive Player of the Year, registered his team-leading fifth interception and also blocked a field goal on Saturday.
With the Vikings near midfield on the game's opening possession, Cochrane posted his first career interception. Cal U quickly converted the turnover into points, as Smith scampered 36 yards for a touchdown with 11:22 left in the first quarter. ECSU looked to trim the deficit late in the first quarter before Miles blocked a 33-yard field-goal attempt with 3:18 remaining.
On their first drive of the second quarter, the Vulcans capped an 11-play, 88-yard drive with a five-yard touchdown run by Smith with 8:00 left before halftime. During the drive, Lalich converted a pair of passes to senior wide receivers
Chedrick Cherry (Cincinnati, Ohio/Moeller) and
Mario Washington (Boiling Springs, N.C./Crest).
Washington finished the game with a career-high 165 yards on eight receptions. Cherry posted three catches for 33 yards to become only the sixth player in school history with 2,000 receiving yards in a career (2,000).
Cal U increased its lead to 21-0 with 3:24 remaining in the second quarter on a three-yard pass from Lalich to Mayo. On the ensuing possession, the Vulcans forced a three-and-out and the Vikings had an errant snap on the punt that resulted in a safety to stretch the lead to 23-0 with 1:47 left before halftime. Following the free kick, Cal U added to its lead with a 12-yard touchdown pass from Lalich to Mayo with 36 seconds remaining, 30-0.
After halftime, the Vulcans held the Vikings to a scant 92 yards of total offense and allowed only one drive to last more than five plays. Cal U added scores on back-to-back drives in the second half, beginning with a 15-yard touchdown strike from Lalich to Mayo with 1:57 left in the third quarter. On the ensuing ECSU possession, Miles posted an interception and nearly returned it to the red zone. The Vulcans again converted the turnover into points when Smith had a 1-yard touchdown dive with 11:53 remaining in the game.
Cal U will now face Winston-Salem State, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Champion, on Saturday, Nov. 26. The Vulcans are now 3-0 all-time against CIAA teams, including post-season victories against Fayetteville State (2009) and Elizabeth City State (2011).
Notes:
The Vulcans amassed nearly 500 yards of total offense, finishing with 497 yards on 70 plays … Cal U converted 7-of-13 third-downs … Head coach John Luckhardt now holds a 21-15 career record in the NCAA Playoffs while at Washington & Jefferson and Cal U … The Vulcans held a three-minute edge in time of possession (31:30-28:30) despite the Vikings using over 10 minutes in the first quarter
