Blocked Kick Saves SCIAC Opener for CLU
Despite forcing four turnovers the No. 23 Cal Lutheran football
team needed a clutch blocked field goal with 16 seconds left to
preserve a 24-22 victory over Redlands in the conference opening
contest for both teams. The Kingsmen squandered a 12-point halftime
lead but a Jackson Damron field goal early in the fourth quarter
stood as the game-winning score, the only second half points for
CLU.
Jacob Norlock was credited with the field goal block of the 40-yard
attempt that sealed the important SCIAC win.
Junior running back Deme'Trek Chambers scored all three of CLU's
touchdowns, all on the ground and all in the first half.
A pair of third-quarter interceptions thrown by Kingsmen signal
caller Jake Laudenslayer led directly to 13 Redlands points as one
was returned for a touchdown and the other was brought back to the
CLU seven yard line and led to a touchdown pass.
After a three-and-out for CLU on its first possession the punt on
fourth down was blocked and Redlands took over at the Kingsmen 26
yard line. The CLU defense stifled the UR offense and forced a
40-yard field goal that gave the Bulldogs an early 3-0 lead.
The Kingsmen came back after surrendering the field goal with an
8-play, 78-yard touchdown scoring drive that featured a lot of
Chambers. The junior running back had five carries on the drive for
25 yards including a 14-yard scoring run. He added a 19-yard screen
pass reception.
Chambers finished with 194 all-purpose yards. The sophomore
tallied 93 rush yards on 28 carries, 30 receiving yards on two
catches and added a pair of kick returns for 71 yards.
The Kingsmen offense was unable to make anything of a fumble
recovery by sophomore defensive tackle Rian Younker and Redlands
came back with an 8-play, 70-yard drive, capped by a touchdown pass
from backup quarterback Bobby Brown to wide out Taylor Aubrey.
Redlands tried to catch CLU off guard with a two-point conversion
attempt but the play was snuffed out by the Kingsmen defense
leaving the Bulldogs up 9-7.
CLU junior quarterback Jake Laudenslayer completed passes of 18,
11 and 21 yards on the next possession and Chambers finished the
drive with a seven-yard touchdown rush, his second of the game to
put the Kingsmen up 14-9 midway through the second quarter.
Laudenslayer finished the game 13 completions on 23 attempts for
156 yards and the two interceptions.
With Redlands trying to put together a drive late in the second
quarter, CLU sophomore J.D. Austin intercepted Selway and returned
it 43 yards to the UR two-yard line setting up the third touchdown
run for Chambers that put CLU up 21-9 at the half.
The CLU defense kept the senior preseason all-American quarterback
Selway relatively quiet throughout the game, holding him to 16
completions on 42 attempts for 154 yards. He threw one touchdown
and was intercepted once.
On the Bulldogs first play of the second half, CLU forced a fumble
and senior defensive end Jeff Miller came up with the recovery at
the Redlands 28 yard line. After senior wide out Victor Lara caught
a 21-yard pass to convert a third-and-seven, Redlands came up with
a goal line stand halting the Kingsmen on four consecutive plays
from inside the five yard line, including back-to-back stops of
Chambers from one yard out.
Midway through the third, Laudenslayer was intercepted by
All-SCIAC defensive back Mike Nicolini, who returned it 61 yards
for a touchdown. After another failed two-point conversion, the CLU
lead was cut to 21-15.
On CLU's next possession Laudenslayer was intercepted again and
Josh Herrera returned it 43 yards to the CLU seven yard line.
Selway capitalized with a touchdown pass on the first play, finding
tight end Corey Sanchez in the end zone. With the extra point, the
Bulldogs led 22-21 late in the third.
The Kingsmen came back with eight consecutive run plays that ended
with a fourth-and-one at the Redlands 18 yard line, where Damron's
35-yard field goal from the left hash mark was good, giving CLU a
24-22 lead with 11:48 to play in the game.
With 8:20 to play in the game, Redlands took over with a short
field at the CLU 38 yard line and seemed it would take advantage of
the field position, picking up a first-and-goal at the seven yard
line. The Kingsmen came up with a big play on that first down,
forcing another fumble and Erik Chavez came up with the recovery at
the CLU nine yard line with 4:48 left in the game.
As CLU tried to work on the clock deep in its own territory
Laudenslayer found sophomore wide out Eric Rogers for a first down
on a crucial third-and-10 with an 11-yard pass. Two plays later
Laudenslayer hit Darryl Carter on a screen pass that went for 15
yards and another first down.
Redlands eventually forced a CLU punt and Nicolini returned the
kick to the Redlands 40 yard line, where the Bulldogs took over
with 2:24 to play, trailing by two. Facing a fourth-and-four,
Selway ran up the middle for five yards, giving UR a first down
with 51 seconds left.
The Bulldogs took three shots to the end zone with all three
falling incomplete, setting up a game-winning 40-yard field goal
opportunity for Redlands that was blocked.
Cal Lutheran (2-1, 1-0 SCIAC) will be on the road again next week
as it travels to Whittier for another conference matchup, set to
kickoff at 7 p.m.
