Sat., Sept. 14, at 7:05 p.m.
Ted Runner Stadium
University of Redlands
LIVE STATS ♦ VIDEO ♦ RADIO AUDIO
The University of Redlands football team squares off against the University of Puget Sound (WA) in a non-conference battle for the second year in a row. This time, the Bulldogs play host to the Loggers on Saturday, September 14, at 7:05 p.m. in Ted Runner Stadium.
Redlands enters the second week of the 2019 season with a solid 35-19 win on the road over the George Fox University (OR) Bruins. The Bulldogs came out firing and scored three touchdowns on their first four drives. In addition, the defense held the Bruins off the scoreboard in two quarters and ultimately limited their rushing game to only 43 yards.
This week, Redlands holds high hopes for building upon its first win of the season with another balanced attack. A week ago, the Bulldogs racked up 200+ yards on the ground and 200+ through the air. Among the highlights, the team utilized multiple receivers in a vibrant display of its talent, as junior wide receiver Khory Day (Fresno, CA) impressed in his Bulldog debut with six catches. Junior quarterback Nathan Martinez (Redlands, CA) took care of the ball and executed the offense in an efficient way while making excellent reads and decisions. Sophomore running back Kai Thompson (Murrieta, CA) served as the team's top ball-carrier, earning tough yardage in important situations.
"We are pleased with our team. We played hard and were able to execute well, especially in the second half," commented Maynard.
The Bulldogs strive for depth on defense while rotating multiple linebackers, including sophomore Joe Bennett (San Diego, CA), and juniors Jeramiah Calhoun Jr. (Oceanside, CA), Matthew Betancourt (San Bernardino, CA), and Jacob Harrold (Lake Havasu City, AZ).
Redlands faces a hungry Logger team that stunned the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges Stags in an impressive 21-17 decision in Tacoma, Washington, on September 7. UPS faced an early deficit but quickly made the necessary adjustments to stall CMS' offense to only three points in the final three quarters.
UPS Head Coach Jeff Thomas enters his 10th season with the Loggers. He arrived in Tacoma as a former offensive coordinator at Redlands and as a Bulldog All-America defensive back. With the unique connection to Redlands, Thomas boasts a more familiar understanding of what to expect in Ted Runner Stadium.
The Loggers count on an aerial attack with five wide receivers, including senior All-American AJ Jackson. They had 286 passing yards but gave up four interceptions.
Regardless, making on-the-fly adjustments to coverage will be critical to the Maroon and Gray's defense.
"We'll have to play well, especially on defense, if we were going to have the kind of success we're looking for," Maynard stated.
In addition, UPS senior free safety Keanu Songcuan is a dual-threat in the kicking game and on defense. His multi-faceted abilities force the Bulldogs to take notice of him. Last week, senior linebackers Dwight Jackson and Michael Zabran co-led the Loggers with seven tackles each. Overall, UPS allowed CMS to earn only 73 rushing yards.
Furthermore, Redlands looks forward to debuting a new, state-of-the-art, Daktronics videoboard on Saturday. This new addition to Ted Runner Stadium resulted from the continuing success of the Campaign of Bulldog Athletics.
The Bulldogs selected Harrold, sophomore defensive back Jake Geisbauer (Canyon Country, CA), senior wide receiver David Molina (Laguna Hills, CA), and senior offensive lineman Joey Caffaro (Jackson Hole, WY) as this week's captains. Junior offensive lineman Calhoun Helmberger (Tacoma, WA), Bennett, and senior tight end Blake Roy (Camas, WA) were chosen as the team's flag bearers for pregame.
