CLAREMONT, Calif. (Oct. 3, 2009) – The Tigers scored five touchdowns for 35 second half points as senior quarterback Scott Saunders connected with the receiving duo of Jason Lehman and Jordan Inabnit for four TDs while Jason Haller rushed for a pair in the Tigers' Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opener today. Occidental College took control of the game in the second half en route to a 42-14 victory on the John Zinda Field at Fritz B. Burns Stadium on the campus of Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.

On the opening drive of the game CMS picked off Saunders and scored less than a minute into the game. Two possessions later Haller rushed for his longest gain of the season, a 38-yard run, before rushing the final three yards of the drive to put the Tigers back in the game. Neil Martin, who missed a 31-yard field goal attempt, by inches, nailed the PAT to knot the game at 7-7. The score would remain the same throughout the second quarter.

After halftime the Tigers took off. Although CMS again scored first, Occidental quickly tied the game again when Saunders hit Inabnit for a 21-yard score to spark three consecutive TDs.

On the next drive CMS fumbled and the ball was recovered by senior defensive lineman Alex Wertheimer. Starting the drive at the CMS 33-yard line, Saunders hit senior Chris Washington for 14 yards before capping off the drive with a 19-yard completion to Lehman, putting the Tigers up 21-14.

Again the Tigers forced a Stags turnover when Jim Hildensperger rushed CMS quarterback Scott Yingling and Dillon Tucker picked off the pass, putting Occidental at the Claremont 18 yard line. Saunders rushed 14 yards and Haller finished it off with a four yard TD run for a 28-14 lead.

CMS worked a 12-play possession that lasted more than five minutes and covered 60-yards, ending in the Stags' final score of the game.

Occidental added to their lead in the fourth quarter with a pair of Saunders-Lehman touchdowns. The first was a 30-yard completion with the second, and final TD of the game, at 24-yards.

The final highlight of the game came as Occidental freshman Robert Michel earned his first collegiate interception and returned the ball 29 yards. Classmate Wesley McDaniel rushed for 12 yards and quarterback Kyle Kazarian added a five yard rush for the final play of the game.

Overall in the game Saunders was 20-for-29 for 252 yards and four touchdowns. Lehman and C. Washington caught five passes apiece for 90 and 55 yards, respectively. The offensive line did a good job making holes for Haller today as he carried the ball 166 yards, including two TDs.

Jordan Washington caught three passes and also ran back a kickoff 76 yards, adding two punt returns for 26 yards.. Nick Saraceni ran back two kicks for 38 yards.

Occidental punter Alex Groh put the Stags on their own one yard line as time wound down in the first quarter before adding a 56-yard punt, his second longest of the season,  in the second quarter.

The defense was led by Josh Beck and Zac Perkins who had 8.0 tackles apiece. Among Beck's tackles were two for a loss of 11 yards. Kyle Spaulding and Greg Holsworth finished with six apiece. Spaulding and Wertheimer combined for a sack while Hildensperger added a sack, pushing the Stags back eight yards. To go along with the offense he produced today, Inabnit also blocked a punt out of bounds for the Tigers.

Overall the Tigers picked up 25 first downs to the Stags' 14 and finished with 445 total yards of offense while CMS finished with 267. Occidental was 5-for-10 on third down conversions and scored on three of five red zone chances.  

Occidental (2-1, 1-0 SCIAC) will return to Patterson Field next Saturday, Oct. 10 to host the first of four consecutive home games. The Tigers welcome the University of Redlands (3-0, 1-0) who are coming off a 51-24 SCIAC victory over the University of La Verne. Teams are set to kick off at 7:00 p.m.