November 22nd, 2025 4:00pm
RICHMOND, Va. (Nov. 22) – The Vulcans scored two touchdowns off turnovers early in the first quarter on Saturday afternoon while claiming a 27-24 victory at third-seeded Virginia Union in the first round of the NCAA Playoffs at Hovey Field.
With the win, the California (PA) football team improves to 9-3 this season and advances to face Frostburg State of the Mountain East Conference (MEC) on Saturday, Nov. 29. The Vulcans advance to the second round of the NCAA Playoffs for the seventh time in nine post-season trips. Meanwhile, No. 17 VUU finishes the year with a 9-3 overall record after reaching the NCAA Playoffs for the fourth-consecutive season.
The Vulcans held senior Curtis Allen, the nation's leading rusher, to 128 rushing yards and one touchdown on 21 attempts. He entered the game averaging 205.3 rushing yards per game and 8.3 rushing yards per attempt. His 128 yards mark his second-lowest total of the season and Cal prevented him from scoring multiple touchdowns for just the second time this year.
Junior defensive backs Keith Charney and Khalil Taylor tied for the team lead with 11 tackles. Sophomore linebacker Malachi Thomas added nine stops, while junior defensive back Alexie Sangster, Jr. and senior defensive lineman Josh Hough both finished with seven tackles in the victory. Junior defensive back Amory Thompson registered a pair of interceptions against the Panthers.
Overall, VUU was limited to 277 yards of total offense with only 85 passing yards. The Panthers entered the post-season ranked among the top 10 nationally with 467.5 yards of total offense and 40.5 points per game. Cal forced three turnovers (two interceptions, fumble) while not committing a turnover for only the second time this fall.