The University of Redlands football team celebrated its 25 seniors with an exciting, come-from-behind win against non-conference foe Chapman University earlier today in its final regular-season contest at Ted Runner Stadium. On the heels of a 70-yard, 12-play drive in the final minutes of the game, the Bulldogs battled back for the 21-17 victory over the Panthers.
Down by three with less than six minutes to play, the Bulldogs marched their way down field for the eventual winning touchdown. Senior quarterback Dan Selway (Villa Park, CA) found freshman wide receiver Taylor Irwin (Rocklin, CA) on back-to-back plays for 11 total yards before hitting graduate student Evan Reuter (Cameron Park, CA) on a three-yard strike. Selway found space on the ensuing play, running the ball 11 yards for the first down.
After an incomplete pass that garnered a 15-yard penalty gain for the Bulldogs, Selway suffered his second sack of the game for a loss of eight yards. He missed the target on third and 12 and then suffered a delay of game penalty to face a seemingly hopeless fourth and 17 with time running out.
However, Selway stepped up to find Irwin on a risky yet effective completion over the middle for a 22-yard gain for the first down.
Following a three-yard rush by senior running back Daylan Swedlow (Lake Arrowhead, CA) and a Bulldog timeout, Selway carried the ball for another 11 yards and then made it to the promise land on a one-yard shuffle into the end zone. After freshman kicker Kevin Grady (Seattle, WA) split the uprights for his third point-after conversion of the game, Redlands nabbed a 21-17 lead with 1:32 remaining.
The Bulldog defense stepped up once again and forced Chapman play-caller Bret Visciglia to toss four incomplete passes en route to the turnover on downs.
Redlands ran out on the clock and celebrated the victory in front of 1,261 fans in its regular-season finale.
Earlier in the game, sophomore running back Brad Crisanty (Granite Bay, CA) initiated the scoring on the Bulldogs' opening drive of 65 yards on 12 plays. On third and two at the Chapman 16-yard line, he juked the oncoming defenders to create a thoroughfare to the goal line.
After a Redlands fumble that led to a Panther touchback, Chapman finally answered with a 38-yard field goal early in the second quarter, cutting the Maroon and Gray lead to four.
During the Bulldogs' final drive of the half, Jake Fey intercepted a Selway pass in the Panther end zone for a second touchback of the game.
On the opening possession of the third quarter, Chapman charged ahead with a 33-yard scoring run by Chad Milburn for a 10-7 lead.
But Redlands' junior wide receiver Tyler Aubrey (San Diego, CA) quickly erased that play on an 83-yard kickoff return into the Panther end zone, making it a 14-10 ball game.
Nonetheless, Chapman responded with a 13-play, 76-yard drive that resulted in another touchdown while also taking nearly seven-and-a-half minutes off the clock.
But the Bulldogs found a way to muster one more score, earning the exciting 21-17 victory in the final minutes.
Overall, Selway went 21-for-31 for 176 yards but scampered in for his first rushing touchdown of the season. He found Irwin for 71 yards and Reuter for 60 yards on seven catches apiece. Crisanty, Swedlow and Selway shared the primary ball-carrying duties, mustering just over 30 yards each.
Sophomore linebacker Jordan Garcia (Carlsbad, CA) posted a game-high 10 total tackles, while senior defensive back Mike Nicolini (Novato, CA) added eight.
Grady, who recently took over the PAT responsibilities for Redlands, nailed all three attempts. Senior kicker Joe MacMillan (Pasadena, CA) recorded more than 60 yards per kickoff for the Bulldogs.
Redlands (8-1) now must await Sunday's announcement about a possible at-large bid to the NCAA Championships. With Cal Lutheran University's win over Occidental College, the Kingsmen finish first in the standings and gain the conference's automatic berth. The Bulldogs own second place with a 5-1 showing.