Aug 30, 2017 5 min read

The way Nick Grissom figures it, California University’s football team heads into this season as the hunters, not the hunted.

Even though the Vulcans are the defending PSAC champion.

And even though they defeated rival Indiana twice, once in the regular season and again in the postseason.

What makes Grissom feel this way?

The preseason rankings released earlier this month showed IUP – not Cal – at No. 1 in the West Division. “You have to say we’re the underdogs,” said Grissom. “IUP was first and we were second.”

The subject was most assuredly discussed in the locker room, and head coach Gary Dunn is sure to use it as a motivation tool when the Vulcans kick off the season against Ohio Dominican at Adamson Stadium today (6 p.m.).

The Vulcans have a major chunk of players returning from last year’s team that went 11-1 in Dunn’s first season as head coach. And Grissom is one of those players, coming off a 1,015-yard performance and ready to push that number higher this season.

”I get better the more touches I get,” said Grissom, a 5-10, 195-pound senior who spearheads a three-pronged running attack with Jalen Bell, a 6-0, 205-pound junior who is the cousin of Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell; and Jimmy Wheeler, a 5-7, 175-pound junior from West Mifflin.

The trio amassed a combined 1,634 yards and 14 touchdowns last year.

”Nick will probably start but everyone is going to play,” Dunn said. “Jalen is very versatile and does a lot of good things. Nick was coming off a knee injury (in 2015) so we really limited him last year in the spring. In the fall, he was just getting back in game shape. Now, he is in better shape and worked really hard. He’s stronger. … and just more mature.”

The running game will take on more importance this season because of the loss of wide receiver Garry Brown, who wrapped up a spectacular career with 91 receptions for 1,475 yards and 22 touchdowns. His 26 total touchdowns led NCAA Division II and made him a finalist for the Harlon Hill Award, given to the top player in Division II. Those numbers also got him into the Oakland Raiders camp as a free-agent signee.

Brown’s departure means opportunity for others.

”I think we should lean on the running game a little more,” Grissom said. “We have a good group coming back.”

Cal is not about to abandon the passing game, especially with Micheal Keir returning. The 6-2, 215-pound senior passed for 3,222 yards and 41 TD last season and has three of his four starting wide receivers – Tommy Greene, Luke Smorey and Jordan Dandridge – returning.

”We’re not going to change who we are,” said Dunn.

In Ohio Dominican, Cal finds a team that received votes but did not crack the AFCA Division II Top 25 Poll. Cal is ranked eighth, IUP ninth.

The Panthers return 45 lettermen, including all five starters on the offensive line. Old Dominican, located in Columbus, went 7-4 in its final season in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The Panther now play in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.

”At the end of the day, it’s still football,” second-year head coach Kelly Cummings told the Columbus Dispatch. ”We’re excited about the new league. This is a challenge to play at the same level. The great thing is that we don’t have to make that 15-hour trip to Northern Michigan (University) anymore. Saginaw (Valley State) was only eight hours.”

Since 2006, ODU has an overall record of 86-35 (.711 win percentage). The Panthers are 40-10 in their last 50 games.

After missing the last two years with an injury, running back Brandon Schoen, ODU’s all-time rushing leader, enters the season ranked second among all active Division II running backs in career rushing yardage (3,271 yards) and eighth in rushing touchdowns (31). Schoen needed just 24 career games to break ODU’s previous career mark of 2,714 yards, and he has 16 career 100-yard rushing games.