Sep 10, 2016 2 min read

CHEYNEY – The Gary Dunn Era at California University got off to a high-powered and impressive start.

California scored 72 points in the first 2 1/2 quarters and cruised to a 79-3 victory over Cheyney in a PSAC crossover game Saturday afternoon.

The win was the first for California (1-0) under Dunn, its new head coach. Dunn, a former offensive lineman for the Vulcans, replaced Mike Keller, who took the head coaching job at Lenoire-Rhyne in North Carolina.

The Vulcans led 21-0 after one quarter, 42-3 at halftime and 72-3 in the third quarter.

Junior quarterback Michael Keir, who was Cal’s punter last year, completed nine of 11 passes for 211 yards and five touchdowns in his first collegiate start. Keir threw touchdown passes of 72 and 27 yards to Garry Brown to give Cal a 14-0 lead less than seven minutes into the game. Following a two-yard scoring run by Cal’s Jalen Brown and a Cheyney field goal, Keir threw an 18-yard TD pass to Ryan McCauley and a 29-yarder to Tom Greene to gives the Vulcans a 35-3 lead in the second quarter.

Keir’s final touchdown pass covered four yards and went to Jordan Dandridge, in the final minute of the first half.

Cal poured it on the third quarter, returning the second-half kickoff inside the Cheyney five-yard line to set up a touchdown and scoring 30 points in less than six minutes. The Vulcans’ Luke Hrapchak and Brendan Blair each returned an interception for a touchdown and the Vulcans also had a safety. Dandridge scored his second touchdown when he recovered a fumble in the end zone.

Cheyney (1-1) had ended a 42-game losing streak last week when it defeated Lincoln, 21-20, last week but the Wolves were held to 182 total yards by the Cal defense.

California will play its home opener next Saturday against Millersville.