During the 2015 campaign, the University of Redlands football team squared off against an impressive slate of opponents, earning a 4-5 overall record and a tied-for-third-place showing in the parity-full Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) with a 4-3 mark. With three, one-score losses on the year, the Bulldogs endured a challenging yet fruitful test of their mental toughness and extreme desire that led to significant steps toward a bright future.
Among the many highlights of the season, Redlands now ranks first in all of NCAA Division III for red-zone offense with a 94.3% conversion rate. Of their 35 opportunities in the red zone, the Bulldogs registered 19 rushing scores, 10 receiving touchdowns, and four field-goals. Spearheading the Bulldog offense, senior quarterbackKevin Russell (Seattle, WA) amassed 1,411 yards through the air for 10 touchdowns while carrying the ball six times into the promise land to lead the squad. Sophomore wide receiver Cole Blackburn (Sammamish, WA) served as his top target with 39 receptions for 373 yards. But sophomore wide receiver Alex Andrighetto (Portola Valley, CA) certainly made his mark in the end zone with three receiving touchdowns for the Maroon and Gary. In addition, junior wide receiver Yoshio Hasegawa (Seattle, WA) impressed in his first year with the team by hauling in 20 catches for 339 yards, which equated to 17 yards per reception.
The Maroon and Gray began the season with a demanding, two-game swing to the Pacific Northwest, facing George Fox University and then-No. 3 Linfield College in back-to-back weeks. Despite coming home without a win, Redlands benefitted from the tough competition, which set the team ablaze for its home opener on October 3 against Pomona-Pitzer Colleges. While rattling off 38 unanswered points, the Bulldogs came alive in front of the "Rah Rah Redlands" crowd in Ted Runner Stadium. During this game, the Maroon and Gray defense shined with three interceptions, as sophomore linebacker Mitch Shepherd (Seattle, WA), junior defensive back Ernesto Ruiz (Sylmar, CA), and junior defensive back Aaron Mandell (Seattle, WA) registered one pick each. In addition, Redlands gained big plays from senior linebacker Griffon Lord (Upland, CA), who recovered a fumble that led to a Bulldog touchdown before sacking the Sagehen quarterback for a loss off 11 yards on third down. Offensively, senior running back Devin Appleton (San Jose, CA) notched a career-high 139 yards on the ground for an average of 8.7 yards per carry.
A week later, the Bulldogs traveled to Thousand Oaks for the annual Smudge Pot Trophy game against Cal Lutheran University. Amidst a defensive battle, the outcome came down to senior kicker Sean Murray's (Phoenix, AZ) 17-yard field-goal with two seconds left in the game for the Bulldogs' 13-10 victory. He also notched a 47-yarder to initiate the scoring, before senior running back Curtis Tanquary (San Jose, CA) found space on a one-yard scamper into the end zone for the Bulldogs' 10-7 lead. Tanquary went on to finish his final season at Redlands with five touchdowns and 464 rushing yards.
Over the next two conference games, Redlands faced a pair of formidable foes in Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges and the University of La Verne. Despite battling until the very end, the Bulldogs missed out on the victories by one score in each contest. During Homecoming, the Bulldogs out-gained the Leopards on offense and rallied back from 14 points down not once but twice amidst a gritty and physical competition. Despite leaving it all on the field, Redlands came up just shy in a 42-49 decision.
With a total-team effort, the Bulldogs rebounded on October 31 with a dominant, 59-7 win over Whittier College during Senior Day. While displaying depth and diversity in all facets of the game, the Bulldogs benefitted from a pick-six, a record-setting field-goal, a punt return for a touchdown, and the opportunity to utilize most of their roster. Mandell set the tone early with his pick-six on Whittier's third play from scrimmage. He snagged the misfired pass and ran it 31 yards to the house for the opening score. Murray closed out the first half for the Bulldogs with a school-record, 54-yard field-goal to put his team up by a score of 38-7. He exceeded the previous mark by four yards, which had most recently been set in 2005 by Sean Conway. Late in the third quarter, senior defensive back Colin Spencer (Olivet, MI) added to the Bulldogs' scoring arsenal by returning a Poet punt 47 yards to the house on a creative run that included impressive blocking near the goal line. Furthermore, Redlands dominated nearly every statistical category, including first downs, total offense, return yards, third-down efficiency, average gain per play, and tackles-for-a-loss.
Redlands finished out the season on the road with games against Chapman University and Occidental College. First, the Bulldogs squared off against the Panthers in a SCIAC contest between the previous two champions of the league. Although the Maroon and Gray produced more yards of total offense, the visitors struggled to maintain possession in an uncharacteristic showing, and lost by a score of 13-27.
With another total-team effort, Bulldog football capped off the regular season with a resounding 41-14 victory over Occidental College on November14. After Spencer uncorked a 75-yard punt return for six points, the Bulldogs relied on a stellar run game that produced 5.8 yards per carry en route to five Bulldog touchdowns. Freshman running backJacob Guglielmana (Lake Elsinore, CA) enjoyed a breakout day with 108 yards on only eight carries for two scores. Freshman running backs Josiah Alvira (Danville, CA) andNathaniel Nguyen-Barkus (Novato, CA) joined the ground-game explosion by notching the first scores of their young careers. With an outstanding performance, this trio of ball-carriers provided a small glimpse into the Bulldogs' exciting future.
Although the wins and losses were not up to the program's standards, Redlands produced some solid individual achievements along the way. With two punt-return touchdowns on the season, Spencer now ranks second in all of Division III. Beyond leading the team with 474 rushing yards, Appleton played a key role on Special Teams by amassing 438 return yards, which places him eighth in the nation with an average of 29.2 yards per attempt.
Furthermore, the Maroon and Gray collected 12 different honors for 10 individuals with an even split on the All-SCIAC First Team and Second Team. Highlighting the Bulldogs' honors, Murray and Spencer each received two awards for their multi-faceted contributions to the team's success. Murray twice landed on the First Team in his final campaign, earning the distinction as a kicker and a punter. Spencer collected a First-Team nod as a defensive back and then garnered Second-Team accolades for special teams as a punt returner. In addition, sophomore offensive lineman Matthew Schallert (Canyon Lake, CA), sophomore defensive lineman Tristan Corwin (Wildomar, CA), and Shepherd each gained First-Team accolades, while Blackburn, senior defensive lineman Jack Rulon (Huntington Beach, CA), junior linebacker Justin Lantz (Corona, CA), junior defensive back Jalen DeVine (Richland, WA), and Mandell represented Redlands on the Second Team.
Finally, the accolades continued to roll in for Murray, who represented the University of Redlands football program on the 2015 D3football.com All-West Region Teams, earning two awards for his strong contributions throughout the season. He landed on the First Team for Defense as a punter and also garnered a spot on the Offense's Third Team as a kicker. His school-record field-goal of 54 yards topped the charts for Division III this season as well.
Although saying goodbye to a small yet mighty class of seniors creates noticeable voids, Redlands looks forward to reaping the benefits of playing young talent throughout the 2015 campaign. Equipped with hard-earned minutes on the field, the returning core of competitors strives to keep the Bulldogs focused on their return to the top of the SCIAC. With talent, determination, and great leadership from Head Coach Mike Maynard and his staff, Redlands looks forward to capitalizing on the lessons learned throughout 2015 to create a bountiful future for Bulldog football.