Game 6 // Clarion Golden Eagles (4-1, 2-0 PSAC West) vs. California (Pa.) Vulcans (3-2, 2-0 PSAC West)
Saturday, October 6 // 2 p.m. // Clarion, Pa. // Memorial Stadium (5,000)

Radio: WCCR 92.7 FM / WKQW 96.3 FM

Live Stats | Live Video | Live Audio

Game Notes

The Lead
The Clarion Golden Eagles will look to extend their longest winning streak in three years to five games, when they close out the week of Autumn Leaf Festival with a homecoming clash against California (Pa.).  Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. at Memorial Stadium.

Mike Kalinowski and Joe Lodanosky will have the radio call for the game on 92.9 WCCR-FM and  96.3 WKQW-FM an hour before kickoff.  Live audio streaming will be available via the C93 website and linked on the schedule at ClarionGoldenEagles.com.

Scouting the Vulcans
California enters the week tied with Clarion atop the PSAC West standings, boasting a 3-2 record overall and a perfect 2-0 mark in divisional play.  The Vulcans opened the year with a tough slate and dropped their first two games of the season before rattling off three straight wins, including a 36-24 win over #2 IUP on Sept. 29.

Averaging a healthy 37.4 points per game, the Vulcans boast a potent aerial attack, ranking first in the league in passing offense at 325.0 yards per game.  Quarterback Noah Mitchell leads the league in passing yards and ranks third in touchdown passes, while receivers Jordan Dandridge and Tyson Hill rank second and fourth, respectively, in receiving yards.  Nelson Brown is one of only three backs in the conference to average better than 100 yards rushing per game, clocking in at 108.8 per contest, and has a PSAC-high 11 rushing scores.

Series History
This will be the 88th meeting between the Golden Eagles and the Vulcans, with California owning a 46-38-3 advantage in the all-time series.  One needs to go all the way back to 2004 to find the last time the Golden Eagles beat the Vulcans, a 35-34 decision at Memorial Stadium in which Joe Farkas caught a 47-yard touchdown pass as time expired to hold off a Vulcan rally.

Last year's meeting very nearly broke that streak, however, as Clarion scored three second-half touchdowns and shut out the Vulcans before falling 21-19.  The Golden Eagles trailed 21-0 at the break but scored three times in the second half to pull within a score of California, but the Vulcans blocked a point-after kick and stopped a two-point conversion with 29 seconds left to steal the win.  Mylique McGriff totaled 142 rushing and receiving yards and a touchdown.

About the Coach
Chris Weibel is in his fourth season as the program's head coach after spending many of the previous years as an assistant.  Weibel has an overall record of 16-22 at Clarion, including a 10-13 record in PSAC West play.  A 2010 inductee into the Clarion Sports Hall of Fame, Weibel graduated with every major Clarion passing record to his credit.

Last Week
The Golden Eagles won their second straight road game thanks to strong defense and timely scoring, defeating Seton Hill 19-16 at Offutt Field on Sept. 29.  With the win, Clarion improved to 4-1 on the season, 2-0 in PSAC play, and 2-0 in road games.
 
Clarion scored 19 unanswered points after starting down 7-0, taking the lead for good in the second quarter after a 10-point effort and never relinquishing it to the Griffins again.  The Golden Eagles once again shut down the opposing running attack, holding the Griffins to 58 yards on the ground. 
 
Jeff Clemens got the start under center, completing 15-of-28 passes for 268 yards for a touchdown while also rushing for another.  Included in that passing total was a 45-yard pass to Dana Jackson in the second quarter to put Clarion ahead 16-7.  James Metzgar added a pair of field goals, including the game-winner in the fourth quarter.
 
Defensively, Chris Gildea and Corey Wells each added interceptions to quash Griffin drives, as well as two defended passes each.  Gildea also added a blocked punt in the second quarter, the second blocked kick for Clarion in as many games.

Clarion Picked Seventh in Preseason Poll
In a coaches' poll before the start of the year, Clarion was predicted to finish seventh in the PSAC West division in 2017.  

PSAC West (# of 1st place votes)
1) IUP (7)
2) California (1)
3) Slippery Rock
4) Edinboro
5) Gannon
6) Mercyhurst
7) Clarion
8) Seton Hill

PSAC East (# of 1st place votes)
1) West Chester (6)
2) Shippensburg
3) Kutztown (1)
4) Bloomsburg
5) East Stroudsburg
6) Millersville
7) Lock Haven

Controlling the Skies
Chris Gildea and Corey Wells each recorded interceptions against Seton Hill on Sept. 29, continuing the trend of the Golden Eagles playing havoc with opposing teams' passing offenses.  With those interceptions Clarion has now picked off 12 passes this year, tying them for second in NCAA Division II and the PSAC behind only Edinboro.

> Last year, the Golden Eagles recorded just 13 total interceptions as a team, and only two players with picks last year - Sam Fareri and Gus Schmitt - returned to the team this year.

> With Wells' pick on Saturday, there are now four Golden Eagles with two or more interceptions, led by Sam Fareri's three picks.  Seven different players have intercepted passes this year.

Swallowed Up
Through five games this year, the Golden Eagle defense hasn't just been one of the best in the conference at stopping the run, they have also been one of the very best in the country.  Clarion ranks third in the nation and second in the PSAC in rushing defense, allowing opposing teams an average of just  63.0 yards per game.  Since giving up 299 yards rushing over the first two games, the Golden Eagles have allowed just 32 rushing yards over the last three.  

> Clarion has allowed just two rushing touchdowns all season long, and none since Week 2 against Lock Haven.  The Golden Eagles have not allowed a 100-yard rusher this year.

Missing the Point(s)
In addition to the other laudables for the Golden Eagle defense, they've been adept at keeping opposing teams off the scoreboard.  Since allowing a season-high 35 points to Shippensburg in the opener, Clarion has allowed an average of just 13.3 points per game.  The Golden Eagles rank third in the conference in scoring defense at 17.6 points per game for the season.

From Way Downtown
Junior kicker James Metzgar is the league leader in field goal percentage, ranking 10th in the nation and first in the PSAC with an 85.7 percent mark on the year.  He ranks 23rd in NCAA Division II and first in the conference with an average of 1.2 field goals per game, having made 6-of-7 this year.

Ball Hawk
Now in his third season, Sam Fareri has been a major factor in creating turnovers throughout his college career.  Coming into this season he had two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and five interceptions, including four picks last season.  This year he has already three more picks, giving him eight in his career, and another forced fumble.

> Fareri was named the PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Week for Sept. 10, coming on the heels of a performance where the junior safety forced three turnovers in a Golden Eagle victory.  He picked off two passes and forced another fumble in Clarion's 30-21 win at Lock Haven.
 
Action Jackson
Dana Jackson has provided key scores in close games in each of the last two weeks, contributing long touchdown catches against Gannon and Seton Hill.  His 34-yard touchdown reception against the Golden Knights was the game-winning score, putting Clarion ahead 14-9, while his 45-yard score against the Griffins last week increased the Golden Eagles' lead to 16-7.  Both games came down to a single score by the conclusion.

The Real McCoy
Marcus McCoy had a breakout game in Clarion's win over Lock Haven, catching four passes for 53 yards and two touchdowns.  It marked the first multiple-touchdown game in McCoy's career, and single-handedly tripled his career touchdown reception total.  He followed that up with five catches for 44 yards and another score against Lincoln.

> Last year McCoy finished the season with five receptions for 83 yards and a touchdown.  This year he has already recorded 15 catches for 217 yards and three scores.

Sestercentennial Man
With a 10-tackle performance against Gannon on Sept. 22, senior linebacker Layne Skundrich broke the 250-tackle mark for his career at Clarion.  With six games remaining, he could break into the top-10 all-time in program history, starting with Bo Busch's 292 career stops.  With 45 more tackles, Skundrich can become just the ninth player in program history to record 300 tackles in a career.

All Facets
Alec Heldreth had a whale of a game against Gannon on Sept. 22, contributing to the victory in preventing the Golden Knights from scoring, as well as lighting up the scoreboard himself.  The senior defensive tackle scored on a strip-sack of quarterback Jason Dambach in the second quarter, ripping the ball loose and recovering it in the end zone to tie the game at 7-7.  Later, he sacked Dambach on fourth down to halt Gannon's final offensive drive, preserving Clarion's win.

> Heldreth is tied for the team lead with 32 total stops, and ranks among the league leaders in tackles for loss (7.5 - 4th) and sacks (4.5 - T-3rd).

Do Not Pass Go
The Clarion defensive line has made headlines this year, starting with its two returning all-conference players in Alec Heldreth and Brandon Vocco.  Vocco ranks third on the team in tackles, and his other numbers - 3.0 tackles for loss and one sack - do not paint an accurate picture of how dominant he is on the interior.

The work of the defensive ends has been impressive, as well.  Senior Tyrone Archie ranks second on the team with 6.0 tackles for loss and has two sacks to his credit, while Saif Khan is second on the team with 2.5 sacks and 4.0 tackles for loss.  Vaughn Wallace is also a key part of the rotation with 13 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss and a sack.

Stepping Up
Converted defensive lineman Paul Blendinger has made the transition to linebacker, and the redshirt junior has provided a little bit of everything this year.  Defensively he is fourth on the team with 27 tackles and also boasts two interceptions and a fumble recovery.  He's also made his mark on special teams, blocking a field goal attempt against Gannon on Sept. 22.

Home Cookin'
Clarion fans will be pleased to know that the Golden Eagles have an extended home slate in 2018, playing six home games over the final nine weeks of the season.  The Golden Eagles will not go two weeks without a game in the friendly confines of Memorial Stadium for the remainder of the year.

Lights, Camera, Action!
Clarion University will continue its fruitful partnership with the Pennsylvania Sports Fever Television Network in 2018, with two contests – 9/1 vs. Shippensburg and 11/10 vs. East Stroudsburg – airing live on affiliates across the state of Pennsylvania and made available to millions in the Keystone State.  The selected games will also be streamed on ESPN3 via the Watch ESPN app. 

Eagle Media to Stream Clarion Home Games
In a joint venture between Eagle Media Productions and the athletic department, all Clarion home football games in 2018 will be available via free video streaming.  Viewers will be able to access the streams a number of different ways...

Computer - Via the Clarion portal on Stretch Internet, linked on the schedule page
Streaming Device - Via Roku / Apple TV / Android TV / Amazon Fire TV devices with the Clarion Golden Eagle Vision app
 
What's Next
The Golden Eagles will face a stiff road test when they travel to Indiana to face IUP on Oct. 13.  The game is scheduled for a noon kickoff.