No. 14 Bulldog Football Opens Season with Loss to No. 13 North Central
Competing for the first time this season, the No. 14 University of Redlands football team fell short of the repeat upset over No. 13 North Central College (IL) in Saturday's rematch of a year ago. Despite surpassing their opponents with 19 first downs and 318 yards of offense, the Bulldogs suffered a tough 16-42 road-loss to the Cardinals in Naperville, IL.
After North Central initiated the scoring on its opening drive, the Maroon and Gray answered with a touchdown with 4:44 remaining in the first stanza. Senior quarterback Chad Hurst (Dixon, CA) moved the Bulldogs 72 yards on 13 plays, with senior running back Brad Crisanty (Granite Bay, CA) book-ending the drive with effective carries. Crisanty's final one-yard scamper broke into the end zone and junior kicker Kevin Grady (Seattle, WA) split the uprights on his point-after try to even the score at seven apiece.
However, the second quarter saw a prolific Cardinal offense take advantage of opportunity by converting three scores in the final nine minutes of the half. Unfortunately, the deficit proved to be too big for the Bulldogs.
During the fourth frame, Redlands benefited from an intentional grounding call that led to a team safety after junior defensive lineman Steven Locke Jr. (Barstow, CA) successfully pressured the North Central quarterback.
The Bulldogs' final drive of the game included a pair of bright spots in freshman running back Curtis Tanquary (San Jose, CA) and junior quarterback Will King (Scottsdale, AZ). The back-up play-caller completed four of his five passes for 38 yards, while Tanquary capped off the team's 12-play, 95-yard effort with a six-yard scoring run.
Overall, Tanquary served as the team's top ball carrier with 79 yards on nine attempts for an average of 8.8 yards per rush. While the two-headed quarterback system connected with eight different receivers, senior wide receiver Peter Adams (Laguna Niguel, CA) led the Bulldogs with five receptions for 55 yards.
After making the move from tight end to linebacker, senior Greyson Alman (Fontana, CA) performed admirably with a team-high five tackles on the night.
Redlands (0-1) looks to rebound on Saturday, September 15, when it hosts Pacific Lutheran University (WA) in a clash of regional foes at 7 p.m. in Ted Runner Stadium. Fans are invited to attend the annual "Rah Rah Redlands" pre-game event that includes food trucks, music and more, beginning at 4:30 p.m.
