Football stays unbeaten in SCIAC with 59-21 win over Oxy

ORANGE, Calif. – The Chapman University football team remained undefeated in SCIAC play, handing visiting Occidental College a 59-21 loss at Ernie Chapman Stadium on Saturday night. The Panthers and defending conference champion University of Redlands sit tied atop the SCIAC standings at 3-0 after both teams won on Saturday.

Chapman (4-1 overall, 3-0 SCIAC) compiled 566 yards of total offense (356 on the ground) and has outscored the opposition 117-21 over the past two weeks at home.

The Panthers were fast-paced and efficient from the opening drive, marching eight plays (five first downs) and 73 yards in just over two minutes. The drive was capped by a 3-yard touchdown run by junior RB Jeremiah McKibbins to put Chapman up 7-0 early. Following a three-and-out by Occidental (3-2 overall, 2-1 SCIAC), the Panthers traveled another 55 yards on eight plays for a 14-0 lead when senior QB Michael Lahey tossed a 1-yard scoring pass to junior TE Louis Volk, his first career touchdown.

Leading 14-7 late in the first, Chapman again went 75 yards in just over two minutes off the clock and scored on a 2-yard touchdown run by senior RB Cody Chapple to go up 21-7 and it was all Panthers from there.

Chapman put an exclamation point on the first half with a hurry-up drive in the closing 85 seconds before the intermission. Lahey led the Panthers on an 80-yard drive in 1:12 and connected with senior WR Sean Myers on a 24-yard touchdown pass to give Chapman a 38-7 advantage with three seconds left on the clock.

The Panthers would score three more touchdowns in the second half, including a second from Chapple, who scampered 64 yards in their opening drive of the half. Chapple finished with 91 yards on seven carries, and 31 receiving yards for 122 all-purpose.

Meanwhile McKibbins led Chapman with 103 yards on the ground. It was his second 100-yard game in the past three weeks. Lahey completed 15 of 22 passes for 194 yards and two touchdowns.

Chapman, which came into the game ranked No. 7 in Division III in red zone efficiency, went 6-for-6 inside the 20 with five touchdowns and a 30-yard field goal by senior K Markus Trujillo, his third of the season.

The Panthers will face their first big test of the conference schedule next Saturday when they go on the road to face perennial SCIAC power Cal Lutheran University. Chapman defeated the Kingsmen 37-27 in the 2013 season finale in Orange, but the last time the two teams met in Thousand Oaks, Cal Lu handed the Panthers a 38-28 defeat to earn its fourth consecutive conference title in 2012.

by Doug Aiken
Sports Information Director

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