Oct 26, 2019 2 min read

CALIFORNIA – Backup quarterback Josh Dale came off the bench and threw two touchdown passes late in the third quarter, sparking California to a 27-15 victory over Mercyhurst in a PSAC West Division game at Adamson Stadium on Saturday.

Mercyhurst (1-4, 3-5) had taken an 8-7 lead in the third quarter when Doug Altavilla threw an eight-yard TD pass to Jason Armstrong and Garrett Owens ran in a two-point conversion.

A little more than two minutes later, Dale connected with running back Nelson Brown on a 74-yard touchdown pass that put Cal (4-1, 6-2) back in the lead for good at 13-8. Dale, who replaced Cal starter Noah Mitchell after the latter was knocked out of the game by a hard hit, completed five of seven passes for 140 yards and two touchdowns.

Dale threw a 56-yard scoring pass to Tyson Hill in the final minute of the third quarter that made it 20-8. Hill caught six passes for 102 yards.

Brown, who had a game-high 119 rushing yards, stretched the Vulcans’ lead to 27-8 in the fourth quarter with a 31-yard touchdown.

Mitchell opened the scoring in the first quarter, throwing a five-yard TD pass to Derrick Caraway. The Vulcans held the 7-0 lead until the third quarter.

Cal has a key PSAC West game next weekend at division leader Slippery Rock (5-0, 8-0).