ORANGE, Calif. - The Whittier College football team got back on track on Saturday evening with a 21-6 win over Chapman University at Ernie Chapman Stadium in front of a standing room only crowd of 4,496.

The Poets' (2-2) defense shinned as it allowed just 40 yards on the ground. Chapman rushed the ball 23 times and averaged a mere 1.7 yards per attempt. The pass defense was just as impressive holding the Panthers to 11-of-28 passes (39 percent) and one interception.

Eddy Newton, who made the move to the defensive side of the ball after starting the season at wide receiver, came down with the game clinching interception with 40 seconds left in the game.

Offensively the Poets found its grove early and finished with 442 yards and a 6.7 yard per play average. Whittier ran for 285 yards and was an efficient 14-of-18 throwing for 157 yards. The three scoring drives lasted just 4:58 and took 11 plays.

WC drove 76 yards on 12 plays on its opening possession but came up empty as the purple and gold lost its first of three fumbles on the evening at the four yardline. The defense forced a quick three-and-out and three plays later the Poets had a lead it would not relinquish.

Paul Schilling capped the 37-yard drive with a seven-yard scoring run with 2:11 to play in the first quarter.

Chapman got on the board with 36 seconds left until halftime on a 23-yard field goal to make the score 7-3 at the break.

The Poets opened the second half with the ball but fumbled it away on its third play from scrimmage. The Panthers turned the Whittier miscue into another three points but that would prove to be the last Chapman score of the night.

Whittier put together another lengthy drive (12 plays, 50 yards) but came up empty as a blocked field goal ended WC's scoring threat. The defense put the ball back in the offense's hands just 1:33 later and the Poets needed only two plays and 57 seconds to take a 14-6 lead.

Alesana Sausau connected with Josh Ollison on a seven-yard slant that turned into a 50-yard scoring play.

Ollison caught four passes for a team-high 72 yards and had the one touchdown catch.

Sausau put the game away late in the fourth quarter with a 27-yard scoring run. He finished the game with 52 yards on the ground. The Poets were led by Rodrigo Muratalla who finished with 106 yards on nine carries.

The Poets held the ball for over 22 minutes in the second half and held the advantage in the game, 38:20 to 21:40.

The win ends Chapman's two-game win streak over the Poets and is only the third ever win for Whittier over the Panthers.

WC returns to action next Saturday night against No. 24 Redlands at 7 pm.