by Dave Mackall , Pittsburgh Tribune Review

The two Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference schools will square off for the second time in three weeks at Shippensburg in the second round of the NCAA Division II football playoffs following California's 42-13 first-round victory over Fayetteville State on Saturday.

California and Shippensburg will meet at noon this Saturday in a rematch of Shippensburg's seven-point victory in the PSAC Championship on Nov. 7.

"We took that loss pretty personal," California linebacker and McKeesport High School product Dontey Brown said. "We know we've got to come out this time and do our assignments well."

Josh Portis completed 13 of 21 passes for 196 yards, one touchdown to A.J. Jackson and no interceptions; Windell Brown rushed for 79 yards; and Freddie Bacco scored three rushing touchdowns to lead California's latest winning effort at Adamson Stadium.

The Vulcans (9-3), the PSAC Western Division champion and the third-seeded team in Super Region One of Division II, built a 42-0 lead after three quarters, overwhelming Fayetteville State (8-4), champion of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association.

"The way I look at it, it's one-and-done," said Windell Brown, who attended the former Duquesne High School.

Jackson, a senior who had eight receptions for 111 yards, including one of five yards for a touchdown, set a school record for receptions in a season with 82. He broke the old mark of 80, set last season by his cousin, wide receiver Marcel Pestano, who played one year at California after transferring from Pitt.

The two players attended the same Florida high school. Jackson, originally had committed to Michigan State, but wound up in the junior college ranks because of academic difficulties before transferring to California before the start of the 2008 season.

"A.J. has had a tremendous impact on this program," California coach John Luckhardt said of the 6-foot-6, 240-pound Jackson. "He's an unusual character in that he's as big as an offensive tackle, but he's fast and his skills are exceptional at receiver. We're fortunate he chose to come with us. He's not let us down."

Jackson also is within reach of eclipsing Pestano's mark for most receiving yards in a year at Cal. He needs 39 to overtake Pestano's total of 1,176 in 2008, when California made its second consecutive appearance in the Division II semifinals, losing to eventual champion Minnesota-Duluth.

Bacco, a senior from Baldwin, rushed for a career-high three touchdowns and finished with 59 yards for Cal, scoring on runs of 1, 11 and 3 yards.

The Cal defense limited sixth-seeded Fayetteville State to 217 yards of total offense, recording three sacks and two interceptions.

"This was one of our better efforts on defense," Luckhardt said.

Fayetteville State coach Kenny Phillips, too, was impressed with the Vulcans.

"We've been a good defensive team all year, but we ran into a pretty balanced team," he said.

Fayetteville State quarterback Benjamin Williams led the Broncos with 136 yards passing and one touchdown and Richard Medlin rushed for 85 yards. Williams was harassed by the Cal defense throughout.

"Everything they did, we worked on in practice," he said, "They just played hard than us and we got down."

Shawn Johnson's 1-yard touchdown run in the first quarter preceded Portis' touchdown pass to Jackson, giving California a 14-0 lead.

Johnson, who carried just five times for six yards, scored on another 1-yard run to put California up at halftime, 21-0.

Bacco's three rushing touchdowns in succession for Cal in the third quarter put the game out of reach for Fayetteville State, which scored all its points in the fourth quarter.

Williams fired a 12-yard scoring strike to B.J. Washington and rushed 15 yards for another score for the Broncos, who were playing in their first postseason game since 2004.

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