THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – After a tight defensive game, Cal Lutheran football's shot at taking home the Smudge Pot Trophy all came down to a two-minute drill. Down 17-9 with 2:23 left, QB Jaden Casey and the offense marched 80 yards to the end zone, but the Kingsmen failed to convert the two-point conversion to force overtime in a heartbreaking loss to Redlands on Saturday evening.

At the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Kingsmen (1-5, 1-3 SCIAC) trailed by 11 points, 17-6. Needing a score, the Kingsmen grinded out a 14-play 70-yard drive that ate up more than six minutes of clock. But, they were unable to score a touchdown, settling for a field goal in the redzone to make it an eight-point game. Redzone struggles were a common theme that would come back to haunt the Kingsmen, as they made four trips into Bulldog territory but could only convert one into a touchdown, settling for three field goals in the game. 

The Bulldogs (2-4, 2-2 SCIAC) got the ball back up 17-9 and kept it on the ground to run the clock out, but for the second week in a row, the Kingsmen defense put on a great performance. They forced two Bulldog three-and-outs to give the offense a chance to tie the game in crunch time. 

The Kingsmen took the field with 2:23 to go needing a score and a two-point conversion to tie the game up. On fourth and five, Casey, who finished 28-50 with 250 passing yards, completed a huge pass over the middle to WR Cade Cadam to keep the drive alive. Casey found Desmond Thompson, CJ Zackery, and Cadam twice more as they marched down the field while the crowd roared with every yard gained. 

With no timeouts, and less than a minute remaining, Casey heaved a deep ball to Cadam, who made a spectacular acrobatic catch, jumping over two Bulldogs in double coverage to make the grab at the one-yard line and send the crowd into a frenzy. Cadam caught 11 passes for 135 yards, marking another 100+ yard receiving game for the senior. 

With 0:21 showing on the clock, RB Gabe Landless powered his way into the end zone. Now, the Smudge Pot Trophy would come down to a two-yard two-point conversion. 

Needing one more successful play to complete the magical comeback, Casey dropped back and surveyed his options. The Bulldogs got to him in the backfield, forcing Casey to scramble out of the pocket. Rolling to his right, he threw on the run trying to find his running back out of the backfield, but the pass fell to the turf incomplete. 

The Bulldogs held on to keep the Smudge Pot Trophy in Redlands, where it's resided since 2012, the last time the Kingsmen claimed a win in the rivalry. 

Little mistakes throughout the contest were the downfall for the Kingsmen in a very winnable game. Along with their redzone woes, the Kingsmen missed two field goals and lost a muffed punt at the 3:35 mark of the fourth quarter. 

The Kingsmen's defense was a bright spot, holding the Bulldogs to just 37 passing yards in the game and 2-12 on third-down conversions. Jackson White and Max Juarez both posted six tackles and sack, Arthur Orta had an interception, and Diego Serrano led the team with 11 tackles. Agenhart Ellis IV had seven tackles, Hunter Hall had six, Jake Frey had five, and John Moore had four. 

CLU will look to regroup as they remain at home next week. They get another crack at Chapman on Saturday, Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. at William Rolland Stadium.