The No. 25 University of Redlands football team celebrated Homecoming tonight with a 44-13 dismantling of Whittier College in front of 2,307 fans at Ted Runner Stadium. Along with the traditional festivities of Homecoming, the Bulldogs honored various football alumni during halftime as part of the salute to “100 Years of Pride and Tradition.”

The Maroon and Gray enjoyed an impressive 23-for-32 performance by senior quarterback Dan Selway (Villa Park, CA), who racked up 272 passing yards and no interceptions. He connected with seven different receivers but remained consistent with the past two weeks by making senior wide receiver Brian Putman (Bakersfield, CA) his favorite target. With 10 catches and 137 yards, Putman scored three touchdowns and boasted a game-high reception of 57 yards for the Bulldogs’ third touchdown mid-way through the second quarter.

During the second quarter, Redlands poured on 34 points to put the game out of reach for the Poets. Aside from Putman’s long-distance strike, Selway found him on completions of seven and 20 yards, while also connecting with senior wide receiver Evan Reuter (Cameron Park, CA) on a 2-yard route and sophomore wide receiver Tyler Aubrey (San Diego, CA) on a 14-yard score.

Junior kicker Joe MacMillan (Pasadena, CA) hit a 43-yard field goal with 10:40 to play in the third quarter to put the Bulldogs up 44-7.

However, Whittier rallied for its second touchdown of the night late in the third stanza and attempted the two-point conversion on a pass play but missed the mark.

With the game well in hand, Redlands took advantage of the lopsided score to play a variety of reserves, including senior quarterbacks Kyle Ochoa (Van Nuys, CA) and Steve Smith (Lake Oswego, OR).

Neither team scored in the final quarter, resulting in the 44-13 victory for the Bulldogs.

On defense, Redlands penetrated the Whittier line, racking up 12 tackles for a loss of 48 yards, which included six sacks. Senior defensive lineman Josh Cunningham (Phoenix, AZ) led the barrage with three tackles for a loss of nine yards. Sophomore linebacker Ian Sluss (Vista, CA) posted a game-high of 12 tackles, including two for a loss of nine yards.

Next week, the Bulldogs (4-1, 2-1 SCIAC) head to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges for a 1 p.m. kickoff against the Stags.