Defense again paces Chapman victory
CLAREMONT, Calif. - For the second straight game, the Chapman University defense did not allow an offensive touchdown and the Panthers defeated host Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges 21-7 at Zinda Field on Saturday afternoon. Chapman improved to 3-1 on the road this season and is now one win from clinching back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 1994-96.
The Panthers' defense was again solid, capitalizing on four Claremont turnovers - three of which were turned into points for Chapman (4-3). The Panthers limited the Stags to just 135 yards of total offense and six first downs in the game and never got deeper into Chapman territory than the Panthers' 32 yard line. Senior LB Wes Pinkston led the charge for Chapman with three tackles for loss, including a QB sack.
Chapman got a huge break near the end of the first half in a scoreless tie. After a Claremont interception gave the Stags the ball on their own 5 yard line, the Stags fumbled two plays later and Pinkston recovered the ball in the end zone for the Panthers' first touchdown with 1:07 left in the half. Sophomore PK Jimmy Adranly's PAT gave Chapman a 7-0 halftime lead.
To start the second half, Chapman's defense again set the tone. Claremont's second play from scrimmage was a pass intercepted by senior LB Dan Hartigan, the first of his career, and returned 20 yards to the Stags' 20 yard line. Adranly soon followed with a 27-yard field goal to make the score 10-0. It was the first of two field goals in the quarter by Adranly, a career-high for one game.
Claremont's lone highlight came on an 88-yard kick return for a touchdown by junior Mike Hirokawa with 10:13 remaining in the third quarter.
Leading 13-7 in the fourth, Chapman maintained possession for most of the quarter. Three times the Stags moved the ball into Panther territory, but twice the Chapman defense came up with fourth down stops and another Claremont drive ended with a turnover - an interception by Chapman senior DB Garrett Earls.
Chapman's final drive put the game out of reach as the Panthers traveled 53 yards on three plays, thanks to a 35-yard pass from senior QB Eric Marty to junior WR Dan Delahoussaye and a 21-yard run by senior RB Kyle Floyd. Floyd then capped the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run with 4:05 left in the game. Marty connected with junior WR Kaleo Perez on the two-point conversion to give the Panthers' their winning margin, 21-7.
The Panthers' offense struggled to move the ball with less than 250 yards of total offense for the second week in a row. Claremont - who ranks in the top-20 in Division III in tackles for loss and pass sacks - put pressure on the Panthers' offense all game with 13 tackles for loss, including four QB sacks.
The loss was the third straight for Claremont (2-5).