REDLANDS, Calif. – The University of Redlands football team demolished Whittier, 65-7, last weekend on the road and secured at least a share of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) title and more importantly an automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Football Championships.

This weekend's game will be senior day for the Bulldogs and will be the annual Smudge Pot Trophy game. The challenger, the Cal Lutheran Kingsmen are coming off a bye week with their previous game being a home matchup against Whittier College, who they beat 45-8.  They are currently in a tie with Chapman University for third place in the SCIAC Standings at 5-2, 3-2 SCIAC.

The Kingsmen have posted different stats in both their wins and losses. In their five wins they average 36.8 points per game (PPG), while only allowing 15.6 PPG, 290.6 total yards, and 119.2 rush yards.  They have also forced seven turnovers and recorded 11 sacks. In their two losses they have averaged only 6.5 PPG and allowing 34.5 PPG, 435 total yards, 241.5 rushing yards, while forcing just two turnovers and earning one sack.

Series History

The Bulldogs have won the previous seven meetings by an average of 13.3 PPG. Their last loss coming in 2012 when they fell 45-35 at home against CLU. Prior to the current seven-game win streak for the Bulldogs, the Kingsmen had won the previous five match-ups.  

 Game Links

Audio | Live Stream | Live Stats | Spectator Policy 

Below is where Redlands and Cal Lutheran rank within the SCIAC and nationally in the team and individual categories.

Redlands

Team Stats Rankings (SCIAC | National)

• Scoring offense: 36.8 PPG (1^st | T-33^rd)
• Total offense: 407.6 yards (2^nd | T-61^st)
• Passing offense: 216.1 yards (5^th | T-103^rd)
• Rushing offense: 191.5 yards (2^nd | 48^th)
• 3rd down conversion %: 50.5% (1^st | 16^th)
• Red zone offense: 86.84% (3^rd | 23^rd)
• Scoring defense: 18.8 PPG allowed (2^nd | 56^th)
• Kickoff returns: 25.8 yards (1^st | 13^th)
• Punt returns: 13.9 yards (2^nd | T-31^st)
• Punting
  • Average: 39.8 (SCIAC: 2^nd)
  • Net: 36.63 yards (National: 21^st)
• Red zone defense: 87.5% (Nat.: T-220^th)
• Turnovers: 7 (1^st | T-11^th)
• Penalty yards: 58 yards (6^th | T131^st)
• Turnovers forced: 19 (1^st | T-40^th)
• Turnover margin: +12 (Nat.: T-8^th)
• Time of possession (TOP): 33:22 (2^nd | 13^th)

Team Stats Rankings (SCIAC | National)

• Passing: Nathan Martinez (GR, Redlands, Calif.), QB, 189.3 yards (3^rd | 103^rd)
• Rushing: Kai Thompson (Sr, Murrieta, Calif.), RB, 63.9 yards (3^rd | 143^rd)
• Receiving: Kai Kang (GR, Sammamish, Wash.), WR, 45.1 yards (7^th)
• Kicking: Vicente Garcia (So., Fontana, Calif.), K/P, 36 points, 4-6 XPA, 24-25 XPA
• All-purpose: Thompson, 74.9 yards (8^th)
• Scoring: Garcia, 36 points (T-9^th)
• Total tackles: Jace Tessaro (Sr., Modesto, Calif.), DB, 55 total tackles (5^th)
• Sacks: Brandon Serrano (GR, Chino, Calif.), DL, 4 sacks (T-3^rd)
• Tackles for loss (TFL): Serrano, 8 TFL (T-2^nd)
• Interceptions: Scott Tinsley (Jr., Capitola, Calif.), DB, 4 INTs (T-3^rd | T-25^th)
• Pass break-ups (PBU): Jadin Michaels (Sr., Palm Springs, Calif.), DB, 6 PBUs (T-6^th)

Cal Lutheran

Team Stats Rankings (SCIAC | National)

• Scoring offense: 28.1 PPG (5^th | 106^th)
• Total offense: 359.4 yards (6^th | 117^th)
• Passing offense: 217.3 yards (4^th | 99^th)
• Rushing offense: 142.1 yards (4^th | 107^th)
• 3^rd conversion %: 45.3% (4^th | 45^th)
• Red zone offense: 73.9% (6^th | 142^nd)
• Scoring defense: 21 PPG allowed (3^rd | 74^th)
• Kickoff returns: 14.4 yards (6^th | 227^th)
• Punt returns: 12.4 yards (3^rd | 33^rd)
• Punting: 36 yards (T-4^th)
• Red zone defense: 65% (Nat.: 38^th)
• Penalty yards: 51.6 yards (5^th | 85^th)
• Turnovers: 7 turnovers (1^st| T-11^th)
• Turnovers forced: 8 (228^th)
• Turnover margin: +1 (98^th)
• TOP: 29:06 (5^th | 151^st)

Team Stats Rankings (SCIAC | National)

• Passing: Nick Lasher, QB, 195.9 yards (2^nd | 93^rd)
• Rushing: Jackson Taylor, RB, 68.6 yards (2^nd | T-118^th)
• Receiving: Cameron Jones, WR, 53.1 yards (5^th)
• Kicking
  • Matthew Myers, K/P, 16 points, 1-2 FGA, 14-15 XPA
  • Daniel Burgos, K/P, 15 points, 2-3 FGA, 9-9 XPA
• All-purpose: Taylor, 94.7 yards (5^th | 183^rd)
• Scoring: Taylor, 42 points (T-5^th)
• Total tackles
  •  Zion Brown, DB, 54 total tackles (T-6^th)
  • Connor McDermott, LB, 54 total tackles
• Sacks:
  • Brown, 2 sacks (T-11^th)
  • Caleb Casimere, DL, 2 sacks
  • Hector Palacios, DE, 2 sacks
• TFL:
  • Brown, 5 TFLs (T-9^th)
  • Casimere, 5 TFLs
• Interceptions: Brown, 1 INT (T-12^th) three others with 1 INT as well
• Pass breakups: JD Lang, DB, 10 PBUs (1^st | 10^th)

What's at stake

With a win, the Bulldogs will win the 2021 SCIAC Championship outright over Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS). They can also win the SCIAC Title with a CMS loss to Pomona-Pitzer. A win would make them undefeated at 6-0 in conference play for the first time since 2016 when they went 7-0. It would also secure their eighth win for the third consecutive season. If the Bulldogs can hold the Kingsmen to 29 points or fewer they will have their fourth consecutive regular-season allowing fewer than 20 ppg.