With a total-team effort, the University of Redlands football team finished out the 2014 campaign with a bang, firing off a 54-28 win over Occidental College on Senior Day in Ted Runner Stadium. After celebrating their 20 contributing seniors in a pregame ceremony, the Bulldogs uncorked 26 unanswered points through the end of the first half to secure a sizeable lead and plenty of momentum in the final Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) game of the season.
Redlands set the tone on its opening drive by converting a fake punt on fourth and 10. With the right factors in place, the Bulldogs took advantage of opportunity to turn a punt formation into a run play, allowing sophomore running back Tyrone Sauls Jr. (El Cajon, CA) to nab the first down. He was hit after a few yards but stayed on his feet to stretch the carry to a 14-yard gain. With the ball on the Oxy 46-yard line, junior quarterback Kevin Russell (Lacey, WA) connected with one of his top targets, senior wide receiver Sam Angelo (Woodinville, WA), for a 32-yard touchdown reception.
Although the Tigers answered back with a scoring drive, the knotted count lasted less than two minutes, as junior kicker Sean Murray (Phoenix, AZ) split the uprights on 39-yarder for the Bulldogs' 10-7 advantage.
After the Maroon and Gray defense forced Occidental to punt on its ensuing possession, Redlands marched the ball 76 yards on 14 plays for another touchdown. Senior running back Bobby Brown (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA) and sophomore running back Devin Appleton (San Jose, CA) teamed up for positive yards on the ground, while Russell led the drive with his 11-yard carry. Brown rushed for the final two yards to the promise land for his first of two touchdowns in the opening half.
The Bulldog defense stayed hot, as the squad forced a fumble to set up a two-yard scamper into the Oxy end zone by Russell, which extended the home team's advantage by a score of 24-7. With excellent pass coverage by senior defensive back Stephen Reyes (Kingsburg, CA) and sophomore defensive back Aaron Mandell (Seattle, WA), Redlands forced the Tigers' quarterback to run, which set up the fumble-forcing hit by sophomore defensive lineman Brian Keyser (Medford, NJ).
Another Brown rushing touchdown and a 35-yard field goal by Murray capped off the solid first half for the Maroon and Gray.
Redlands tacked on another three touchdowns during the third quarter, without a doubt securing the season-finale win. Russell sprinkled his passes throughout the field, finding junior wide receiver Stephen Rodriguez (Brentwood, CA) on a huge 58-yard strike before connecting with sophomore tight end Ted Parker (Seattle, WA) on an eight-yard pass to the house. Russell completed the offensive outburst with an athletic six-yard carry with just over a minute to go in the frame.
The Bulldogs amassed 587 yards of total offense, thanks in part to the stellar senior members of the offensive line, including Aaron Hinkle (Lodi, CA), Mason Marino (Reno, NV), Zachary Alford (Redding, CA), and Denver Rogers (Idyllwild, CA). Redlands out-rushed the opponents by a four-yard margin but recorded 125 more passing yards as a result of the team's effort up front. Senior wide receiver James Ramirez (La Verne, CA) hauled in a few amazing catches, which resulted in a 149-yard, seven-reception showing. Appleton served as the team's top ball-carrier, earning 76 yards on six rushes.
In addition to his field goals, Murray provided quality boots on his kickoffs, pinning the Oxy offense deep in their own territory. He mustered 575 yards on nine attempts for four touchbacks.
Defensively, Mandell, sophomore defensive back Connor Hoffman (Tustin, CA), and senior linebacker Michael Tootle (Las Vegas, NV) led the Bulldogs with seven tackles apiece, while junior linebacker Griffin Lord (Upland, CA) provided quality pressure on the Occidental quarterback.
Redlands completed the season with a 6-3 overall mark and a 6-1 record in SCIAC to take sole possession of second place in the standings.