THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Cal Lutheran football made history Saturday night, defeating the University of Redlands, 40-14, at William Rolland Stadium to open SCIAC play with a statement win and keep the Smudge Pot Trophy in Thousand Oaks for another year.
The Kingsmen (2-1, 1-0 SCIAC) erased an early deficit and closed the game with 26 unanswered points, pulling away in the second half to earn their first Smudge Pot victory at home since the trophy was established in 2012. After bringing the trophy back to Thousand Oaks with a road win at Redlands last season, Cal Lutheran successfully defended it on its home turf.
Redlands opened the scoring with a touchdown midway through the first quarter, but the Kingsmen quickly answered as
Brandon Treggs broke loose for an 11-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 7-7.
Cal Lutheran took its first lead early in the second quarter when
Joe Farley punched in a four-yard touchdown run, capping a 55-yard drive to put the Kingsmen ahead, 14-7.
The Bulldogs had opportunities to respond before halftime, but the Kingsmen defense came up with the stops when it mattered most. Redlands missed a pair of field-goal attempts in the second quarter, allowing Cal Lutheran to carry its 14-7 advantage into the break.
Redlands battled back with a long 18-play drive to open the second half, eventually tying the game at 14-14 with a three-yard touchdown pass with 5:57 remaining in the third quarter.
The tie did not last long, however, as Farley connected with
Tyler Woodworth for a 35-yard touchdown with just 1:33 remaining in the third to put the Kingsmen back in front, 20-14.
The score marked the beginning of a dominant finish for Cal Lutheran.
Farley struck again early in the fourth quarter, finding
TeNorris Merkel for a 32-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 26-14. The Kingsmen defense then delivered the play of the night.
With just over three minutes remaining,
Blake Hurley scooped up a Redlands fumble and raced 85 yards to the end zone, sending Rolland Stadium into a frenzy and pushing the lead to 33-14.
The Kingsmen were not finished. After
Josiah Allen intercepted a Redlands pass, Cal Lutheran drove 34 yards and turned to
John Gilbert, who capped the drive with a three-yard touchdown run to complete the 40-14 victory.
The Kingsmen finished with 326 yards of total offense, including 260 through the air. Farley completed 16 of 26 passes for 260 yards and two touchdowns, while Woodworth hauled in five passes for 117 yards and a score. Merkel added four receptions for 53 yards and a touchdown.
Gilbert led the Kingsmen on the ground with 46 rushing yards and a touchdown, while Farley and Treggs each added a rushing score.
Defensively, Cal Lutheran forced three Redlands turnovers, including two fumbles and an interception. Hurley's 85-yard fumble recovery touchdown provided the exclamation point, while Allen's interception helped set up the Kingsmen's final touchdown.
With the victory, Cal Lutheran opens SCIAC play 1-0 and keeps the Smudge Pot right where it belongs: in Thousand Oaks.
The Kingsmen hit the road next Saturday, October 3, traveling to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps for a 1 p.m. SCIAC matchup at John Zinda Field. CMS enters the contest following a 22-10 road victory over Sixth Street rival Pomona-Pitzer. Cal Lutheran leads the all-time series, 17-13, and has won the last two meetings.
