In a showdown of two undefeated Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) football teams, Saturday's game between the University of Redlands Bulldogs and the Chapman University Panthers provided a high-quality battle in Ted Runner Stadium. However, in a tale of two halves, Chapman earned the slight advantage with a stronger performance in the second to garner a 31-27 decision that resulted in the Maroon and Gray's first loss since September 20.
The Bulldogs jumped out to an early 10-0 lead through the opening quarter.
The Maroon and Gray's second drive of the game included seven plays for 84 yards, including a one-yard scoring run by junior running back Devin Appleton (San Jose, CA). This opportunity was set up by effective ball movement from the Bulldog offense as highlighted by senior running back Bobby Brown's (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA) back-to-back carries of 18 and 34 yards, respectively. Brown finished the night with a team-high 141 yards on 19 carries.
On Redlands' next drive, the team covered 74 yards on six plays all the way to the Chapman one-yard line but settled for the 19-yard field goal by junior kicker Sean Murray (Phoenix, AZ).
Leading by a score of 10-0, the Redlands defense came up with a big play to halt the visiting team in the red zone. Facing third and three at the Bulldogs' 34-yard line, Panther quarterback Michael Lahey tossed up a long pass toward the end zone but sophomore defensive back Aaron Mandell (Seattle, WA) pulled in his third interception in as many games.
Chapman got on the board during its fourth possession of the game, but the Bulldogs answered right back in their ensuing drive to make it, 17-7. Junior quarterback Kevin Russell (Lacey, WA) connected with senior wide receiver Sam Angelo (Woodinville, WA) on a 27-yard scoring strike. This tandem initiated the series with a 38-yard catch, which propelled Angelo to a four-reception, 128-yard night.
Although the Panthers came storming back with a clock-eating drive that included 11 plays for 70 yards, the Maroon and Gray made the most of the final three minutes of the first half. After moving the ball 61 yards on nine plays, the Bulldogs gained a 32-yard field goal by Murray to stretch their advantage to 20-14 as time expired.
However, Chapman entered the second half with great enthusiasm to quickly shift the momentum on a 55-yard carry to the house by Jeremiah McKibbins on the first play from the line of scrimmage in the third quarter.
From here, the Panthers controlled the clock and the lead, resulting in the heartbreaking loss for the Maroon and Gray.
The Bulldogs refused to go away and mustered one more touchdown early in the fourth quarter but struggled to keep the Chapman offense off the field. McKibbins led an effective running game for the Panthers, as he amassed 206 yards on 31 carries for three touchdowns.
Defensively, Redlands' sophomore defensive back Connor Hoffman (Tustin, CA) led all players with 14 total tackles, while senior defensive lineman Jordan Bixler (Redlands, CA) successfully pressured the Panther quarterback with his three hurries to go along with eight tackles. Sophomore defensive back Jalen DeVine (Richland, WA) added 10 tackles for the Bulldogs.
Redlands (5-3, 5-1 SCIAC) looks to rebound on Saturday when it hosts Occidental College for Senior Day at 1 p.m.