Author: Chris Nelson
Occidental Football extended its regular season win streak to 30 games by defeating the University of Redlands 28-21 last Friday, October 5 in the Tigers’ home opener. The injury-plagued Tigers managed to enjoy victory despite only having 299 total yards opposed to Redlands’ 539.
Oxy started the game firing on all offensive cylinders. On their first possession, the Tigers found the end zone on a 16-yard touchdown pass from Justin Goltz (junior) to Chris Washington (sophomore). The touchdown was made possible by a converted fourth and one earlier in the drive.
Redlands responded on their next possession. After an unfortunate roughing, the passer call negated a Tiger interception and the Bulldogs scored on their very next play: an eight-yard quarterback draw by Dan Selway. After a successful extra point, the game was tied 7-7.
Washington got the next possession and started off with an impressive 40-yard kickoff return to midfield. Oxy took advantage of their field position by engineering another drive, which was capped by Jason Haller’s (senior) touchdown run. Occidental took a 14-7 lead they would never relinquish.
The Tigers began the second quarter with another drive. Two 15-yard pass plays took Oxy into Bulldog territory. The drive was capped by a 27-yard touchdown strike from Goltz to Joey Coverson (senior), giving the Tigers a 21-7 lead.
Before halftime, the Bulldogs responded with a drive of their own. Starting with good field position on the Tigers’ 45-yard line, Redlands quickly marched down the field. The Oxy defense forced the Bulldogs into a third and 10, but Selway connected on a 34-yard touchdown pass with Redlands wide receiver Kyle Godfrey, putting the score at 21-14 heading into halftime.
The second half started well for Occidental when Ryan Nastor (first-year) returned the opening kickoff all the way to the Bulldog 46-yard line, but the offense stalled with a three and out. The Bulldog offense got their first shot of the second half after an impressive Tiger punt pinned Redlands on their own one-yard line. The Bulldogs began to drive down the field, gaining three first downs, but the drive ended when Tiger defensive back Dan Tromello (senior) intercepted Selway.
The Bulldogs’ next possession ended in a similar fashion. After gaining two first downs, Selway was once again picked off by Tromello, who returned the interception 74 yards to the Bulldog one-yard line. On the very next play, Haller found the end zone on a handoff for his second score of the game putting the Tigers up 28-14.
Redlands responded quickly on their next possession. After gaining two first downs after a 14-yard pass and an 18-yard pass, Selway threw a 44-yard touchdown strike to wideout Brian Puttman. After a successful extra point, the score stood at 28-21.
On the next Oxy possession, an unfortunate turnover then occurred when Goltz was picked off, thereby providing the Bulldogs with excellent field possession on their 47-yard line. Redlands quickly threatened to level the score. However, their drive was virtually ended when Oxy linebacker Tommy Andre (sophomore) sacked Selway for a loss of 11 yards. The sack made a field goal attempt impossible and forced Redlands to punt.
After another Oxy punt, Redlands was threatening the end zone again. After gaining two first downs, the Bulldogs found themselves in Oxy territory, but Redlands ended their own chances after being called for untimely offensive pass interference and chop blocking penalties. The Bulldogs subsequently turned the ball over on downs and never threatened to score again.
The Tigers’ 28-21 victory over Redlands proves the team can shine in the face of adversity. Oxy Football has fallen victim to injuries of late, losing All-Americans Matt Andersen, Alex Wertheimer and Anthony Ostland for the season. These injuries have forced younger players to replace injured upperclassmen. Moreover, some players, such as Haller, have had to switch positions in order to fill holes. Nevertheless, the Tigers overcame these difficulties and defeated Redlands, a team hungry to end Oxy’s consecutive SCIAC victory streak and claim conference supremacy. Thanks to big plays on defense in the second half and efficient offensive production in the first, Redlands will have to wait until next year for another shot.
“This is a big win for us,” Head Coach Dale Widolff, who gained his 150th career victory with this win, said. “Our kids believe in themselves and their abilities. Tonight they went out and showed that.”
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