Sep 24, 2016 4 min read

GREENSBURG – If bloodlines mean anything, then the running game for California University’s football team is in good hands.

Jalen Bell, a 6-0, 205-pound sophomore from Columbus, Ohio, has climbed the depth chart at running back to where he is the 1-A choice to junior Nick Grissom. It shouldn’t surprise anyone as Bell is the cousin of Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell.

Jalen Bell might not have reached the heights of his cousin but he had a strong game Saturday, rushing for 48 yards on eight carries and catching an 8-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Mike Keir in the Vulcans’ 59-17 rout of Seton Hill in a PSAC West Division game.

Cal (1-0, 3-0) remains unbeaten heading into the two biggest games of the season – at home against Slippery Rock Saturday and Indiana the following week. The Griffins fell to 0-1, 3-1.

Bell will make sure to send videos of his performance to his famous cousin so he can get some pointers. And who better to get them from than one of the most versatile backs in the National Football League, one who was named the Co-Offensive Player of the Year in 2014.

“He hasn’t gotten to see me play yet, but he said he’s coming to see me play,” said Bell. “I want him to come. I talk to him a lot during the week. He sends me clips and I try to learn from them. I send clips to him and he gets back to me on what I need to correct. He shows me that it’s about hard work and patience. He’s one of the most patient backs in the league.”

Bell was recruited to Cal by wide receiver Garry Brown. The two attended the same Columbus high school, Westerville South. Bell quickly jumped up the depth chart.

With the return of Grissom, who missed last year with an injury, the backfield is crowded.

“I have four first-time running backs,” said Cal first-year head coach Gary Dunn, who is undefeated in his college career. “I’ve got a luxury that most coaches would like. I’m sure we have guys who are unhappy with the amount of carries they get, but I feel good about running the football.”

Meanwhile, Keir tied a school record with six touchdown passes. Keir, who completed 19 of 31 attempts for 311 yards, joins three other quarterbacks. Sam Mannery had six against Fairmont State in 1998; Todd Hirt got six against Shippensburg in 1994; and Kevin Russell threw six against Frostburg State in 1983. The PSAC record is nine, set by Zach Zulli of Shippensburg against Kutztown in 2012.

Keir’s first touchdown pass was a 1-yard flip to Brown that gave Cal a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. Keir found Luke Smorey for two, a 24-yarder in the second quarter and an 18-yard with 12:23 to play before the reserves took over.

In between, he found Bell from eight yards that gave Cal a 38-3 halftime lead and a 10-yarder to Paul Butler in the third.

“I didn’t even know about it,” said Keir. “That’s pretty cool. I didn’t even realize how many I had. I’m just glad I got the win.”

If there was one problem area for Cal, it was penalties. The Vulcans committed 12 of them for 109 yards, most five-yarders for offside and illegal procedure

The Griffins were worse, committing 15 penalties for 116 yards. The 27 combined penalties were nine below the NCAA record of 36, set by San Jose State and Fresno State in 1986.

“That’s uncharacteristic of our team,” said Seton Hill head coach Isaac Collins. “Penalty-wise, we’ve been pretty good in our first three games. I don’t know what happened (in this game).”

Grissom had a pair of three-yard touchdown runs and finished with 48 yards on 15 carries. Jimmy Wheeler came in late and amassed 55 rushing yards on seven attempts. … Seton Hill quarterback Christian Strong completed 31 of 55 passes for 355 yards and a touchdown. … Cal had 532 yards, 221 on the ground, and the Griffins had 435, only 51 rushing on 21 tries.