Amidst the excitement of Take a Kid to the Game Night, the University of Redlands football team captured the third-annual Smudge Pot Trophy with an emphatic 59-27 win over the visiting Kingsmen of Cal Lutheran University on Saturday night in Ted Runner Stadium. Playing for the recently-established honor that celebrates the heritage and history of the citrus industries in Ventura and San Bernardino counties, the Bulldogs jumped out to a 14-0 lead and proceeded to shut out the visitors in two quarters before officially winning the Smudge Pot Trophy for the second year in a row.
Starting at their own 26-yard line, the Bulldogs marched downfield for an opening-drive score, with junior quarterback Kevin Russell (Lacey, WA) finding senior wide receiver Sam Angelo (Woodinville, WA) on a 36-yard play to highlight the drive. Russell carried the ball into the CLU end zone on a seven-yard jaunt to complete the nine-play series.
After the Bulldog defense forced a three-and-out drive by the Kingsmen, Redlands took advantage of its next possession with another seven points. The Bulldogs continued to establish the run attack during this drive, with junior running back Curtis Tanquary (San Jose, CA), sophomore running back Tyrone Sauls Jr. (El Cajon, CA), and sophomore running back Devin Appleton (San Jose, CA) all getting in on the action. Tanquary produced a 27-yard carry before finding the end zone on a two-yard scamper to headline the drive.
Redlands' defense continued to impress by halting the Kingsmen to conclude a shutout quarter that resulted in less than three minutes of possession for the visitors.
During the second frame, both teams put up 21 points in an exciting turn of events. The momentum-changer for Redlands came off freshman wide receiver Alex Andrighetto (Portola Valley, CA), who returned a kickoff for 98 yards to the promise land.
Leading 35-14 at the end of the first half, the Bulldogs appeared to be in control but knew they had to continue to score while pressuring the Kingsmen quarterback.
The third quarter began much like the second had ended for the Maroon and Gray, as special teams once again came up with the seven-point play. This time, senior wide receiver James Ramirez (La Verne, CA) found space to return a Cal Lutheran punt from the Bulldog 29-yard line all the way to the house on a remarkable run.
Watch Ramirez's return (with audio).
With a 42-21 advantage, Redlands continued to take care of business en route to the meaningful and total-team victory. As a team, the Bulldogs converted 10 out of 13 third-down opportunities, and were seven-for-seven in red-zone chances.
Late in the game, the Maroon and Gray successfully pressured the CLU quarterback, forcing him into making four interceptions. Junior defensive back DJ Dawson Jr. (Atwater, CA) hauled in two picks, while freshman defensive back Oliver Brown (Alta Loma, CA) and sophomore linebacker Alex Lowes (Redlands, CA) each snagged one for the Bulldogs.
Throughout the night, Redlands gained impressive plays by the Bulldog defense, including a 13-tackle performance by sophomore defensive back Aaron Mandell (Seattle, WA). In addition, freshman linebacker Mitch Shepherd (Seattle, WA) contributed six tackles, including two sacks for a loss of 14 yards.
Offensively, Tanquary busted out a career-high 209 yards on 30 carries for a pair of touchdowns.
Russell added great options both on the ground and through the air, amassing 81 rushing yards on 13 carries for three scores to go along with a 14-for-20 performance under center for 192 yards and a touchdown.
Russell's top target was Angelo with an efficient 86 yards on just three catches.
Redlands (2-2, 2-0 SCIAC) next takes on Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges on Saturday, October 18, in the Bulldogs' Homecoming tilt at 7 p.m. in Ted Runner Stadium.