Orange, Calif. – Whittier went on the road and headed to Orange to take on Chapman University. The Poets showed their potential in the first quarter, but the Panthers pulled away from then on with a final score of 57-10.
The first drive of the game belonged to Chapman, but the Poets quickly got the ball in their hands with an interception from
Jarren David. Whittier was unable to capitalize on the turnover, going three-and-out.
After a 52-yard punt return, the Panthers set up on Whittier's 20. A rushing touchdown gave Chapman the first score of the game, 7-0.
The response from the Poets kept Chapman on their heels. Quarterback
James Mertz completed passes to
Marco Joseph,
Brandon Solaita,
Eddie Don and
Alex Cobbs, while Aston Keyes chimed in with a 14-yard run. A 16-play, 73-yard drive was capped off by a 34-yard field goal from
Preston Yado.
Moments later, the Panthers returned the ensuing kickoff 83 yards to the Whittier 15. After a penalty on the Poets moved the ball closer to the end zone, Chapman scored one play later to take a 14-3 lead.
The Poets forced a turnover on downs early in the second quarter, setting the offense up with great field position at their own 38. Whittier drove inside the Panthers' 30, but came up short on fourth-and-six.
Before halftime, Chapman scored three more times and started to create separation. Seventeen unanswered points sent the Poets to the locker room trailing 31-3.
Coming out of the half, the Panthers extended the lead to 38-3 and then 44-3, but Whittier put together a productive late-quarter possession in the third. Keyes put together three tough runs, picking up 11 and 13 yards before breaking free for a 43-yard touchdown run. Yado's extra point made it 44-10.
Whittier also made its presence felt on special teams when
Atlas Bailey came off the edge and blocked a Chapman PAT in the third quarter.
Chapman found the end zone two more times in the fourth quarter to reach the 57-10 final.
Keyes finished with 119 yards on the ground and a touchdown. Joseph had five catches for 51 yards, while Cobbs recorded six receptions for 40 yards as the duo led the way through the air.
On the defensive side,
Jordan Barber led the team with six tackles.
Gavyn France added four tackles and a pass breakup, while David hauled in the interception and recorded a tackle.
The Whittier College Poets will return home this Saturday, Oct. 10, at 1 p.m. against the Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens at Memorial Stadium. Catch all the action on
FloCollege.
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