Vulcans win PSAC West opener at Slippery Rock

Kendrick Agenor scored the game-winning TD with one minute left to play.

For the MVI

No. 8 California (Pa.) built a big early lead, then held on late to claim a statement victory Saturday, defeating No. 4 Slippery Rock 45–38 in the PSAC West opener.

The Vulcans (4–0, 1–0) erupted for 35 points in the first half, building a 21-point cushion midway through the second quarter. Freshman quarterback Roman Purcell sparked the early surge with a 34-yard touchdown strike to Lloyd Penn and a 6-yard rushing score, while linebacker Keith Charney delivered a 40-yard interception return for a touchdown.

Bobbie Boyd added a 7-yard touchdown run to make it 35–14, the Vulcans’ largest lead of the night.

Slippery Rock (3–1, 0–1) clawed back just before halftime, capitalizing on a fumble deep in Cal territory. Quarterback DaOne Owens threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Latrell Sutton, then scored on an 8-yard keeper to cut the deficit to 35–28 at the break. The Rock tied the game midway through the third quarter on a fourthand-goal touchdown pass to Jayjay Jordan following another Cal turnover.

After trading scores in the fourth quarter, Slippery Rock got a 37-yard field goal by Kevin Roberts to go ahead 38–35. The Vulcans responded with a 19-yard field goal from Harry Radcliffe to tie the score, then mounted the decisive drive in the final minutes.

With just 1:00 left on the clock, junior running back Kendrick Agenor powered in from 14 yards out to give California the lead for good. The Vulcans’ defense held firm on the last drive, forcing a sack and penalty to snuff out Slippery Rock’s comeback hopes.

Purcell finished with 233 passing yards and two touchdowns on 13-of-26 attempts, adding 45 rushing yards and a score. Agenor led the rushing attack with 103 yards on 12 carries, while Boyd chipped in 88 yards and a touchdown. Wideout D’Avay Johnson had a career night, hauling in six passes for 134 yards and a score.

Defensively, Malachi Thomas paced Cal with eight tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and a sack, while Charney added six stops and his pick-six.

The victory was a historic one for California, marking its first road win at Slippery Rock since 2009 and just its second victory over a topfive opponent in program history. The Rock suffered its first home loss under the lights since 2012, snapping a 29-game winning streak in night games.

California will return home Saturday to face Seton Hill at Adamson Stadium in a PSAC West showdown.

This story was written using OpenAI’s ChatGPT.