LOS ANGELES, Calif. (Nov. 1, 2008) – The weather was an indication of how things went today on the gridiron. In a game that saw two safeties, four interceptions, eight punts and 574 total offensive yards combined, the # 18 Occidental College Tigers battled back from a 21-16 halftime deficit to defeat the California Lutheran University Kingsmen, 24-21 in a game that will be remembered for years to come.

After a devastating 43-25 loss in 2007, which snapped the Tigers' 32-game regular season win streak, Oxy tasted sweet revenge today as the team travelled back to Thousand Oaks, claiming a victory reminiscent of the meeting these two teams shared in 2006, when the Tigers came from behind to defeat the Kingsmen, 28-27.

When a downpour started falling from the grey, cloud laden sky moments after kickoff, the stage was set.

The drive chart was ugly at the beginning as the game began: fumble, interception, punt, interception, punt, punt, interception, but the Tigers made the most of it getting on the board first.

Occidental freshmen jumped right into the rivalry, making an early statement. Ten minutes into the game Nate Sullivan picked off CLU quarterback Jericho Toilolo at the CLU49 yard line and ran back 33 yards to set up the first score of the game.

A two week hiatus allowed junior running back Jason Haller to rest an injured hamstring, which proved instrumental in today's victory, as he rushed the final 16 yards, scoring the first touchdown of the game. He accumulated 154 yards on the ground and 180 all purpose yards, against a CLU defense that is nationally ranked, to lead the pack.

Trailing in 21-9, Haller would add a 41 yard touchdown run in which he bounced off, spun away from and hurdled six different defenders, breaking away from everyone pulling the Tigers back into the game five minutes before the teams would retreat to the locker rooms at the mid-way point of the game.

In one of the best defensive games the Tigers have played this season the defensive line dominated CLU's offensive line allowing 30 rushes for just 34 yards. Of the 105 yards that the Tigers gave up on the ground, 48 came on one play when Bobby Rodrigues ran for a touchdown half way through the second quarter.

Defensive captain junior defensive lineman Alex Wertheimer, who missed last season with a knee injury, was a nuisance for the Kingsmen all day, recording 2.5 sacks and 7.0 total tackles, with 4.5 of those for a loss of a combined 22 yards.

Another first year player to make an impact was Kevin May who was responsible for a pair of sacks, pushing CLU back seven yards, with five total tackles.  Jesse Fischer was all over the place as well with a sack for a loss of nine yards coupled with a forced fumble and a fumble recovery, while breaking up a play.  Also effective on defense was Jim Hildensperger who accounted for half a sack, a forced fumble and  5.0 total tackles.

While it is rare to see a team safety, there were two today, both in favor of the Tigers. The first at the end of the first quarter and the second coming with 13:22 to play in regulation to knot the game at 21-21.

The Tigers would call upon junior kicker Neil Martin for a pair of field-goals. The first was a 32-yard chance which represented the only scoring in the third quarter to pull the Tigers within a pair at 21-19 with 11:29 to play in the quarter. His second was the ultimate game-winner as he nailed a 27-yard kick to put Oxy back up with just 2:10 to play.

After CLU gained four first-downs they had a chance to tie the game as time expired but Jackson Damron's kick from 30 yards out was wide, sending the Oxy sideline into a frenzy.

The field conditions were sloppy and the Tigers and Kingsmen combined for five fumbles, recovering two and one, respectively.

Junior pre-season All-American candidate Alex Groh punted five times for 45.6 yards per punt with two landing inside the 20-yard line. His longest of the game was 61-yards, matching a season long that was recorded last week against La Verne. Freshman Joshua Mun was again instrumental kicking off deep five times.

Again the Tigers looked to a freshman for two huge returns in Nick Saraceni. He returned four kickoffs for a total of 95 yards with his longest return at 35 yards. Also playing a pivotal role was Chris Washington who gained 91 yards on six punt returns and two kick returns. Washington added two receptions, including a 42 yard pass from Justin Goltz (14-for-26), to total 138 all purpose yards.

Cal Lutheran's defense was led by Ian Freeman who had 11 total tackles with a sack while Roland Jenkins and Eric Lopes each finished with 10. Sawyer Merril was the other Kingsmen player to sack Goltz while adding a 34-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown. CLU's Victor Edwards was a thorn in Goltz's side today, picking off the senior QB three times, but returning the ball just one yard.

The Tigers held possession of the ball for just under 37 minutes of the game, including 11:11 in the fourth quarter. Oxy was able to convert six third-down conversions and were 1-for-2 on fourth-down conversion chances. Although the Tigers struggled in the Red Zone (3-for-6) the defense was able to hold CLU scoreless in their only Red Zone opportunity.

Today marks the fifth win in the last six meetings between these two teams. The Tigers will look to build on this win as they head into the final two-weeks of season play, hoping for a post-season berth to represent the SCIAC in the NCAA Division III Tournament.

Occidental (7-0, 4-0) will return to D.W. Patterson Field for the first time in a month on Saturday, Nov. 8 when they host the Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens in the Battle for the Drum, one of the longest collegiate football rivalries in the nation, beginning at 7:00 p.m.