Following a slow start, the University of Redlands football team broke it open late in the game to capture a 23-7 victory over the visiting Pirates of Whitworth University (WA) in tonight's home opener at Ted Runner Stadium.
The only score of the first half for either team came on a 37-yard field goal by Bulldog senior kicker Joe MacMillan (Pasadena, CA).
Redlands extended its lead to nine after a 21-yard strike by graduate student Evan Reuter (Cameron Park, CA) from senior quarterback Dan Selway (Villa Park, CA) with 6:26 remaining in the third quarter. The Bulldogs attempted to rush for two but came up short.
On the ensuing Whitworth possession, the Redlands defense looked to senior defensive back Rudy Vidales (Los Angeles, CA) to block a punt, which led to a junior defensive back Josh Herrera (Vista, CA) recovery at the Pirate's 25-yard line. Three plays later, Selway found graduate student wide receiver Peter Tobiason Jr. (New Canaan, CT) on a three-yard pass into the end zone. Attempting their second two-point conversion, the Bulldogs succeeded in fine fashion, as Selway reverted back to his receiving years and caught a nice fade to the far left corner by freshman quarterback Bobby Brown (Laderea Ranch, CA).
Following the celebration, Redlands somewhat unraveled with a fumble and two costly penalties, giving Whitworth excellent scoring position. The Pirates eventually converted their only red-zone opportunity of the night with a touchdown on an 11-yard reception by sophomore wide receiver John Ingman (Olympia, WA) from sophomore quarterback Taylor Eglet (Spokane, WA), cutting the lead to ten points.
The Bulldogs settled down and responded with a score of their own just over two minutes later. Selway connected with sophomore wide receiver David Metcalf (Northridge, CA) on an eight-yard pass to take a 23-7 lead with 1:59 left to play.
Late in the game, sophomore defensive back Scott Payton (Sammamish, WA) flattened the Pirate quarterback, forcing a fumble on a tackle for a loss of three yards.
Although forced to punt on the next possession, Redlands halted any last efforts by Whitworth with a Herrera interception, which led to the final ticks of the game and the 23-7 victory for the Bulldogs.
Selway racked up 214 passing yards on 23 completions in 35 attempts. He distributed the ball well, finding nine different receivers, including Rueter and Metcalf on six occasions each.
Sophomore captain linebacker Jordan Garcia (Carlsbad, CA) led the Bulldog defense with 13 total hits, including seven solo tackles. Senior defensive back Mike Nicolini (Novato, CA) continued his impressive play of past seasons with nine total tackles, including one for a loss of four yards. He also returned his only kick-off for a long of 53 yards.
Senior running back Daylan Swedlow (Lake Arrowhead, CA) carried the ball 20 times for a gain of 101 yards, including a long of 15.
Whitworth (1-2) used three quarterbacks but only totaled 203 yards of total offense, compared to Redlands' mark of 339. Defensively, senior linebacker Layton Brown (Kennewick, WA) led the Pirates with 11 total tackles.
Redlands (2-0) enjoys a bye before hosting Cal Lutheran University in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) opener on Oct. 2 at 7 p.m. during Take a Kid to the Game Night.