With precision, tenacity, and unwavering belief, the University of Redlands football team orchestrated a season to remember in 2016, as highlighted by an 8-2 overall record and a perfect 7-0 mark in Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) competition for the program's 30th overall title. In addition, the Bulldogs finished the year among the best in the nation with a final American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) ranking of No. 25 while also landing in the NCAA's top 30 for multiple statistical categories. Finally, Redlands collected multiple awards, including the SCIAC Defensive Athlete of the Year in junior linebacker Mitch Shepherd (Seattle, WA).
After a disappointing loss to Trinity University (TX) on September 3, the Bulldogs quickly regrouped to fire off eight-straight wins for an incredible run through the regular season. The stage was set against George Fox University (OR) on September 17, when Redlands came up with a huge stop against a late two-point conversion in the third quarter, which propelled the team to the 31-22 win. Led by junior defensive back Dustin Nascimento (Aiea, HI), the Bulldog defense also dissuaded any chance of a George Fox comeback by halting the Bruins' opening drive of the fourth quarter. Nascimento finished the game with 13 tackles and two pass break-ups.
The Maroon and Gray jumped right into SCIAC competition with a big 63-29 victory over the visiting Tigers of Occidental College. While racking up the second-most rushing yards in a single game in Redlands' history, the Bulldogs scored seven of their nine touchdowns on the ground in an impressive display. Junior running back Alex Andrighetto (Portola Valley, CA) led the charge with 144 yards on just 14 carries for a career night. Junior quarterback Mitch Kidd (Salinas, CA) was incredibly efficient by converting six of seven passes into 141 yards.
Redlands continued to roll by knocking off the 2015 conference champions from the University of La Verne in a solid 49-14 showing on October 8. After building an impressive 22-0 lead through the first four drives, the Bulldogs relied on their stingy defense to hold the Leopards scoreless in the second half to secure the quality win. Junior defensive back Daniel Gonzales (Mentone, CA) got things started for the Maroon and Gray by forcing a fumble at the ULV 39-yard line, which inspired an eight-play drive to the house for the Bulldogs' early lead. For the second game in a row, Redlands looked to its depth to gain experience on the field late in the game, especially in the running-back position. Sophomore Jacob Guglielmana (Lake Elsinore, CA) took full advantage of opportunity with a 26-yard scoring run early in the fourth frame. Through the air, junior wide receiver Cole Blackburn (Sammamish, WA) produced a career day with nine catches for 147 yards and one touchdown.
Against Chapman University, the Bulldogs utilized another well-balanced and effective offensive attack that resulted in 420 yards and 21 first downs in the 31-13 victory. Senior running back Devin Appleton (San Jose, CA) provided his bests performance of the season by grinding out 10 carries for an impressive 118 yards and one touchdown. Furthermore, the Redlands defense limited the Panthers to just 209 yards of offense in a stellar on-field effort. Highlighting this tenacious group of contributors, sophomore defensive back DJ Hollingshead (Citrus Heights, CA) appeared to be everywhere, tallying 11 tackles, including one for a loss of five yards. He also recorded two quarterback hurries and one pass break-up.
Redlands battled to win in its next two contests, as the squad held off a late push against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges on Homecoming, before edging the also-undefeated Sagehens of Pomona-Pitzer Colleges on October 29. Against the Stags, the Bulldogs jumped out to a 23-3 lead while relying on the consistent foot of freshman kicker Alex Raya (Jamul, CA) to hit field-goals of 30, 21, and 38 yards. Although CMS eked out a pair of late touchdowns, Redlands remained steadfast in its clock management and ability to move the chains to end the game on its final possession. Kidd found senior wide receiver Jack Peterson (Seattle, WA) on a 14-yard strike for a key first down, before sophomore running back Conner Kennedy powered through the Stag defense for 11 yards and another first down.
Redlands' 70-16 blowout of Whittier College began with a blocked punt by sophomore Daniel Stabile (Rancho Mirage, CA) and an immediate touchdown by freshman defensive back Zac Archer (Temecula, CA). The Bulldogs fired off four more touchdowns before the end of the first half and never looked back en route to the win that clinched at least a share of the conference title. Senior wide receiver Kevin Johnson (Discovery Bay, CA), freshman wide receiver David Molina (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA), and senior wide receiver Stephen Rodriguez (Brentwood, CA) were among those to score touchdowns for the Bulldogs.
This propelled the Maroon and Gray into the fifth-annual Smudge Pot game against the Cal Lutheran University Kingsmen on November 12. With a 34-30 decision, the Bulldogs maintained the Smudge Pot for the fourth-consecutive year, resulting in their seniors' undefeated run against the rivals from Thousand Oaks. In addition, the result gave Redlands sole possession of the 2016 SCIAC title and the automatic bid to the NCAA Championships. Among the impressive plays, junior wide receiver Christian Guzman hauled in a 98-yard, game-winning catch on Redlands' final scoring drive to finish the night with 220 receiving yards on just four catches. In addition, sophomore kicker Nathan Hierlihy (Redondo Beach, CA) impressed with a pair of field-goals for 45+ yards. A huge defensive effort provided the necessary push for the Bulldogs late in the game as well, with senior linebacker Justin Lantz (Corona, CA), senior defensive back Aaron Mandell (Seattle, WA), and Shepherd setting the tone.
With the automatic bid in hand, the Bulldogs excitedly anticipated their next opponent when the NCAA announcement was released. In a slightly surprising result, they packed their bags for Belton, TX, to square off against the top-ranked University of Mary Hardin-Baylor for the fifth time in the schools' history. With everything going right in the first half, the Maroon and Gray put together its best showing against the Cru en route to a 21-14 advantage at the intermission. Unfortunately, the eventual national champions answered the call and handed Redlands a 28-50 loss. Despite the result, Redlands put up the most points of all opponents this season against UMHB.
Following the season, Redlands received multiple honors, including seven All-SCIAC nods. Shepherd headlined the group with his SCIAC Defensive Athlete of the Year award, while junior defensive lineman Tristan Corwin (Wildomar, CA), senior defensive back Connor Hoffman (Tustin, CA), and junior offensive lineman Matt Schallert (Canyon Lake, CA) joined him on the First Team. Sophomore offensive lineman Tommy Garcia (La Mirada, CA), Blackburn, and Nascimento represented the Bulldogs on the Second Team.
Furthermore, Shepherd collected his inaugural All-Region accolade with a spot on the D3football.com Third Team.
Statistically, the Bulldogs left their mark among the best in the nation by ranking among the top 30 in multiple categories. Highlighting these standards, Redlands finished second in kickoff returns (29.22) and fourth in net punting (39.00).
Amidst a memorable campaign that included milestones, achievements, and plenty of wins, the Bulldog football team put together one of the best in Head Coach Mike Maynard's impressive tenure. Redlands captured the 12th conference title and advanced to the NCAAs for the eighth time under his direction. The senior class has bookended its career with conference championships, which in turn will create additional motivation and momentum for the future of Bulldog football. Despite the obvious void of the graduating student-athletes, Redlands looks forward to going even further in the years to come.