Sat., Nov. 2, at 7:05 p.m.
William Rolland Stadium
Cal Lutheran University
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Following a solid victory against the University of La Verne last week, the No. 23 University of Redlands football team heads to Thousand Oaks on Saturday night for an important showdown against the Kingsmen of Cal Lutheran University. The teams will be playing for the coveted Smudge Pot for the eighth time, with the Bulldogs hoping to secure it for the seventh-straight year.
Last Saturday, the Bulldogs scored early and often en route to a season-high 65 points in a lopsided win over La Verne to now hold a 3-1 mark in Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) play and a 6-1 overall record. On Redlands' first drive, junior quarterback Nathan Martinez (Redlands, CA) found senior tight end Blake Roy (Camas, WA) for two receptions and a combined 36 yards. A couple rushes later, Martinez located junior wide receiver Kai Kang (Sammamish, WA) in the endzone for Redlands' first score of the night.
"Our success depends on the effort up front from our offensive linemen: seniors Will Soares (Gilroy, CA), Joey Caffaro (Jackson Hole, WY), and Brandyn Alvarez (Grand Terrace, CA); juniors Matt Oss (Sammamish, WA) and Calhoun Helmberger (Tacoma, WA); and sophomores Cody Paul (Castaic, CA) and Anthony Vargas (Grand Terrace, CA) all do a great job making blocks and creating space," commented Head Coach Mike Maynard.
Senior quarterback Eric Kump (Huntington Beach, CA) added to the firepower by completing 7 of his 11 passes for 71 yards. He also threw one touchdown and rushed twice, once to get a key first down.
"Eric is a great student of the game. He works hard and is always prepared for his opportunities," stated Maynard.
In total, five different Bulldogs scored while 18 players got their hands on the ball. The Maroon and Gray now leads the SCIAC in touchdowns (37), points (286), and points per game (40.9).
The Kingsmen (3-4, 2-2 SCIAC) are coming off a 6-44 loss at Chapman University. Cal Lutheran football held its ground in the first half, but the Panthers scored 21 unanswered points in the second. A bright spot on the night for the Kingsmen was wide receiver James Holland's five receptions for 106 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown. He has recorded 100-plus receiving yards in three of the six games he has played in.
Redlands holds the upper hand over Cal Lutheran in the time-of-possession battle, with an average of 32 minutes, compared to the Kingsmen's 29. The Bulldogs plan to maintain that edge in Saturday's matchup.
Although Cal Lutheran relies on an air attack, which has resulted in leading the SCIAC in multiple passing categories. The Bulldog defense hopes to stymie the Kingsmen's plans with its SCIAC-leading 14 interceptions and 10 fumble recoveries. A big reason for that is senior defensive back Jeff Hector (Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA), who swiped two interceptions for a pair of pick-sixes last weekend, including one for a 58-yard return. His stellar performance earned him SCIAC Defensive Athlete of the Week honors for the second time this season.
Maynard added, "Jeff Hector is tough, athletic, has great timing, and competes hard."
Nationally, Redlands ranks first in turnover margin at plus-19. On the ground, the defense has allowed a stingy 64.3 rushing yards per game.
Junior wide receiver Khory Day (Fresno, CA) strives to have a repeat performance of his 65-yard punt return for a touchdown that led him to be named SCIAC Specialist of the Week. He and the whole special teams unit work to counter CLU's return crew, which currently leads the SCIAC in total return yards.
Emotions run high with the coveted Smudge Pot on the line. The annual trophy honors the mutual orange industry history in Redlands and Thousand Oaks. The Bulldogs won the last six victories against CLU.
"Our focus has been to improve our performance every week. We need to be at our best because Cal Lutheran is a very strong team," commented Maynard.
This weekend's captains include Roy, Caffaro, senior defensive lineman Elias Hackney (Santa Monica, CA), and senior defensive back Vincent Vanhorne (Henderson, NV).