Football overcomes lightning and Redlands for first SCIAC win
ORANGE, Calif. – A pair of lengthy lightning delays and a fair amount of rain wasn't enough to put a damper on the Chapman University football team as the Panthers defeated visiting Redlands 38-28 on Saturday. A super charged Chapman passing game resulted in three different players hauling in over-100 receiving yards.
The lightning struck around 6:30 p.m. and delayed kickoff to nearly 8 p.m. Lightning crept back into the Orange, Calif. area at halftime and delayed the game again. When the clock literally struck midnight, the Panthers had just put the finishing touches on a much-needed victory.
Nathaniel Espinoza passed for 405 yards in the win and ran for 41 more. He hit Spencer Corona 11 times for 157 yards and a touchdown. Wyatt Hardin caught five passes for 130 yards and two TDs, including a 75-yard touchdown late in the third quarter. John Krall hauled in six catches for 114 yards and a touchdown.
The Panthers jumped out to the early lead with a field goal, followed by a three-and-out on defense, and then a six-play touchdown drive. Redlands answered with back-to-back TDs and an interception in between to take a 14-10 lead. Andrew Kellstrom, who racked up 147 yards on 16 carries, gave Redlands its only lead of the night when he broke away for a 50-yard touchdown run.
Chapman answered when Espinoza hit Corona for a 14-yard touchdown with 28 seconds before halftime to go up 17-14.
With halftime came another delay but the Panthers came out ready to strike with a bolt of their own. Chapman scored 21 points in the third quarter to pull away for the win. Espinoza found Hardin for a 41-yard TD strike on Chapman's first drive. Marcos Reyes ran in a 10-yard score to make it 31-14.
After Redlands found paydirt to make it a 10-point game, Espinoza found Hardin all alone behind the Bulldog defense on the first play of the next drive to go up 38-21 with just 21 seconds left in the third.
A pick six for Scott Tinsley in the fourth quarter accounting for the only score in the last quarter as Chapman picked up its first conference win.
The Panthers outgained the Bulldogs 540-330, holding Redlands to just 124 yards through the air on 11-of-24 passing from Myles Herrera. Three different Panthers also sacked Herrera with Julien Auldridge getting to him twice for one and a half sacks.
Collin Keefe and Alexander Terriquez led the defense with seven tackles. Kyle Sieben grabbed an interception after Renick Martin swatted away a pass in the fourth quarter to put the Panthers into victory formation.
Chapman heads to Whittier next week for a 3 p.m. kickoff before the Panthers bye week on Oct. 29. Chapman returns home for Senior Day on Nov. 5 against Cal Lutheran at 7 p.m.
By Steven Olveda
Sports Information Director
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