ATHERTON, Calif. (Sept. 5, 2009) – After limited practices in the extreme heat through the last week in Eagle, Rock, a 75 degree cloud laden morning sky was welcomed with open arms as the No. 23 Occidental College football team took to the field for the first time in 2009. Despite a number of injuries, sidelining numerous potential starters, the Tigers were able to recover from a slow start to earn a 17-0 victory over Menlo College this afternoon.

“We did a great job controlling the clock,” said head coach Dale Widolff who enters his 28^th season at the helm of the Tigers. “We were able to limit penalties and had no turnovers today. Our guys executed on both sides of the ball and our special teams were solid all afternoon.”

The perseverance of the black and orange led to a rewarding victory to kick off the season.

A shaky first possession did not discourage the Tigers as they settled down and got in a rhythm. At the end of the first quarter, however, the game was scoreless. The second quarter proved much the same, with the offense unable to score, but timely defensive stops kept the Oaks off the board as Menlo never got into the red zone. Oxy drove the ball  downfield, from their own 11 yard line, before senior Neil Martin's 28-yard field goal kick, with just over three minutes to go in the half, soared through the upright, giving the Tigers a 3-0 lead.

The second half was entirely different for Occidental who used the intermission to make adjustments and alter their game plan.

With 12:30 to play in the third quarter the Tigers got the spark they needed when senior defensive back Aaron Stanton picked off the Oaks' quarterback. The interception set up a 53-yard completion from senior quarterback Scott Saunders to sophomore wide receiver Jordan Washington who picked up where he left off a year ago. J. Washington made the touchdown possible by avoiding defenders, spinning out of the way of potential tackles and using his elusive footwork to battle past the defense and cruise into the end zone.

Late in the third quarter the Oaks moved the ball closer to their end zone in almost déjà vu fashion, Stanton earned his second pick of the game. An errant throw by Menlo's quarterback ended up in Stanton's hands once again. This time he ran the ball back 70-yards for the Tigers' second TD of the game with 3:02 remaining in regulation. Martin finished off both plays to give Occidental a 17-0 lead, and ultimately the win.

The defensive unit was solid all day, limiting the Oaks to 217 total yards. Along with Stanton, sophomore Ayrton Bates nabbed a fourth quarter interception, squashing Menlo's hopes of putting any points on the board.

The junior combination of  Cory Suess and Dillon Tucker recorded six tackles apiece. Suess earned five solo tackles while breaking up another play and Tucker made three solo stops with three assists.

The defensive line was active with the senior duo of Alex Wertheimer and Jesse Fischer and junior Greg Fryan making things happen all game long. Wertheimer was a nuisance for Menlo quarterback, Nick Ruhl (a two-year member of the Stanford Cardinal football team), bringing pressure and taking him out of his groove. Fischer tallied four tackles, adding a QB hurry while junior Greg Fryan recorded the only Tigers' sack of the day.

Special teams also contributed to the success on the field today, with pre-season All-American candidate Alex Groh punting the ball nine times with two 50-yard punts (his longest at 52-yards). Six punts were inside the 20 yard line. Sophomore Josh Mun sent the Occidental kickoffs deep into Menlo territory all afternoon.

In his first start under center, junior Nick Danielson, Saunders was 19-for-26 with no interceptions. Saunders added 54 yards on the ground, including a adding his swift feet to earn a number of first downs for the Tigers. Saunders spread out the passing game with six players catching at least one pass. Chris Washington and Trevor Deussen finished with seven and six catches, respectively. Saunders connected with Tyler Naftz for a 25-yard completion.

C. Washington was effective on both sides of the ball (with a pair of tackles on defense) as well as on special teams.

Plenty of new faces got out on the field today for the first time. Another first in Division III football, on the West coast, occurred today as well when a pair of female referees took the field as part of the officiating crew.

Occidental will enjoy a bye week to rest injuries and prepare for the much anticipated contest with Linfield College, which is scheduled as the Tigers' first home game of the season on Saturday, Sept. 19 at Patterson Field. Kickoff is slated for 7:00 p.m. following a “Meet the Coaches” event hosted by the Tiger Club on the turn of the Bill Henry Track form 5:00-6:45 p.m.

Article: Tracy Maple