Cal survives last surge for win

California University’s football team ran up a three-touchdown lead in the first half, then hung on as Clarion rallied in the final 30 minutes to take a 21-19 victory from the Eagles in a PSAC West Division game.
Cal was forced to stop a 2-point conversion pass with 29 seconds to play in order to win the game.
The win snaps a two-game losing streak for Cal and sets the record at 5-2, 2-2 in the conference. Clarion fell to 1-6, 1-3 in the conference.
The Vulcans built a 21-0 lead at halftime when Luke Smorey caught a 27-yard pass from Michael Keir to make it 7-0, then Keir went in from 10 yards out to cap a seven-play, 47-yard drive, and Brendan Edwards returned an interception 31 yards for a TD.
The three scores came within a 7-minute span.
Clarion roared back in the second half, scoring three times. Mylique McGriff cut Cal’s lead to 21-7 on a 7-yard run midway through the third quarter. The Golden Eagles cut it to 21-14 when Mason Standard caught a 19-yard pass from Jeff Clemens with 3:11 to play.
Clarion got the ball back with 2:02 to go and got within two points when Kyle Evans scored from 5 yards out. The 2-point conversion pass failed.