After facing a tough loss against No. 22 Occidental College last weekend, the University of Redlands football team rebounded with a convincing 53-14 romping of Whittier College in Whittier on Oct. 18.

The collective stars of the contest were the members of the Bulldog defense. Creating havoc for the Whittier offense, the team caused six interceptions and held the Poets’ bread and butter rushing offense to 69 yards on the afternoon.

After 11 minutes of scoreless action, junior quarterback Steve Smith (Lake Oswego, OR) connected with junior wide receiver Brenden Barkate (Bakersfield, CA), giving the Bulldogs a 7-0 advantage after a successful extra-point kick by sophomore kicker Joe MacMillan (Pasadena, CA).

On the next offensive Whittier drive, freshman defensive back Josh Herrera (Vista, CA) intercepted the first pass of the game when he picked off Taylor Fallon at the Redlands 45.

After the Bulldogs squandered a possession on a turnover, senior linebacker Eddie Stamm (Portland, OR) got the ball back for the maroon and gray by means of an interception, putting the team at midfield for the start of its next offensive drive.

In the waning seconds of the first quarter, senior running back Zach Schafer (Saugus, CA) followed his blockers and marched into the endzone for the second score of the game, putting Redlands up on top 14-0 at the end of the first quarter.

The second quarter was marked largely by punts until Whittier took advantage of a recovered fumble and scored with 2:16 left in the half. Fallon found Shawn Briggs open and threaded the pass in, which resulted in a touchdown.

Senior running back Tom Romaine (Ahwatukee, AZ) gave the Bulldogs prime field position on the kickoff return, setting up a seven-play, 47-yard drive that resulted in a Smith-to-Barkate connection again for a touchdown. The coaching staff decided to roll the dice and go for a two-point conversion, which ultimately fell just short as senior running back Jeff Stewart (Newark, CA) was dropped short of the endzone.

Following the halftime intermission, where the score was locked in at 20-7, Redlands forced the Poets to a three-and-out drive, and Smith marched the team down field for a five-play, 65-yard touchdown drive. Smith completed his third touchdown pass of the afternoon on a short pass to sophomore wide receiver Mike Davis (Valencia, CA). After a failed two-point conversion, the score favored the Bulldogs, 26-7.

A drive that drained five minutes off of the clock ultimately led to a Poet touchdown as Fallon tossed a pass to Anthony Pomponio, bringing Whittier closer to the defending Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) co-champions, 26-14.

Both Smith and Stewart engineered the ensuing drive, which resulted in yet another Bulldog score. Stewart steamrolled into the endzone for his first touchdown of the tilt, scoring from four yards out.

Senior defensive back Conor Drake (Jackson, CA) notched an interception from the Whittier 24 and ran it back for a touchdown on the next Poet drive, giving the maroon and gray a 39-14 advantage. Two plays later, Fallon tossed another interception, this time to sophomore defensive back Mike Nicolini (Novato, CA). Redlands turned the ball over in the red zone, but Drake struck again at the Whittier 24 and took his second pick of the afternoon for another six points, effectively ending Fallon’s afternoon under center for the Poets.

After trading two three-and-out possessions, the Bulldogs took yet another interception to the endzone for a touchdown. The new Poet quarterback, Mike Hachadoria, threw an errant pass in the direction of freshman defensive back Chris Yeakey (St. Helena, CA), and Yeakey picked it off and ran it in for six points. Following the extra-point attempt, Redlands set the score at 53-14, which would end up being the game’s final score.

Smith played his third game of the season as the starting quarterback and completed 13 of 23 passes for 180 yards and three touchdowns.

The trademark ground game worked well for the Bulldogs as Schafer rushed 15 times for 92 yards. Stewart carried the ball nine times for 42 yards while sophomore running back Daylan Swedlow (Lake Arrowhead, CA) came in late in the game to pick up 34 yards on six carries.

Leading all Bulldog receivers was Romaine who caught three passes for 35 yards. Stewart caught two passes for 29 yards while Barkate reeled in five catches for 22 yards and two touchdowns.

Freshman punter/kicker Wes Norris (San Jose, CA) took the punting duties again and punted three times, averaging 33.7 yards per attempt.

On defense, Stamm and Herrera led the way with eight total tackles apiece, and both caught an interception pass on the afternoon. Nicolini and senior defensive lineman Brock Arndt (Valencia, CA) also helped bring down Poet offensive players, recording seven total tackles apiece. Notably, Drake tallied four total tackles and returned two interceptions for touchdowns.

Redlands (4-1, 2-1 SCIAC) returns to Ted Runner Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 25 for its Homecoming game against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges. Tickets are $5 for adults, $2 for non-Redlands students and seniors (55 years of age and older) and free of charge for children younger than 12 years old and Redlands students, faculty and staff with a valid identification card. Kickoff is slated for 7:00 p.m.