Redlands Dominates Azusa Pacific 44-9 for First Win of Season

By David James Heiss

Redlands News Collective

Photo by Mariah Sanford

Junior Taylor Bowie has a good chance to surpass last year’s 236 rushing yards, having racked up 192 already this season in just four games.

By David James Heiss

Redlands News Collective

AZUSA — The University of Redlands football team ended a three-game losing streak to open the season in dominant fashion Saturday evening, routing Azusa Pacific University 44-9 in the first meeting between the programs since 2000.

The blowout victory marked the Bulldogs’ (1-3, 1-1 SCIAC) first win over the Cougars since 1994, powered by a 243-yard rushing assault and a defense that allowed just 143 total yards.

After Redlands went three-and-out on its opening drive, freshman return man Q McGahan (Simi Valley) set the early tone by returning a Cougar punt 43 yards to the APU 38-yard line. The drive set up a 29-yard field goal from junior kicker Dominic Ozeta (Riverside) after senior quarterback Tobey Schmidt (Tustin) converted on 4th-and-4 with a 10-yard strike to senior wideout Nathaniel Barnes (Seattle).

Azusa Pacific (APU) answered with a field goal on its next drive to knot the game 3-3, but Redlands took total control of the contest from there.

Early in the second quarter, Schmidt capped a drive by converting on 4th-and-6, launching a 34-yard touchdown pass to junior Carter Leibham (Hartford, Wis.). On the very next possession, Schmidt found the end zone on fourth down again, connecting with senior Roshawn Lacy (Yorba Linda) for a 2-yard touchdown pass to make it 17-3.

The Bulldogs pushed the advantage to 24-3 before halftime after junior running back Taylor Bowie (Rancho Santa Margarita) picked up third-down conversions of 11 and 14 yards, clearing the way for Schmidt to score on a short quarterback keeper.

Photo by Isaiah Noriega

Senior defensive lineman Adrian Silva (No. 4) leads the Bulldogs with 3.0 sacks through four games, already topping his entire 2025 season total while adding four tackles behind the line of scrimmage.

Redlands picked up right where it left off in the second half. Senior defensive lineman Adrian Silva (Bell Gardens) stalled APU’s opening drive with a sack, forcing a punt. Sophomore quarterback Keenan Jackson (Compton) then came in to break off a 33-yard dynamic run, setting up a 2-yard touchdown plunge by Bowie.

The defense continued to harass APU throughout the second half. Junior Zaveon Jones (Edmond, Wash.) recorded 1.5 sacks and four tackles for loss (TFL), freshman Jorge Mejia (Hesperia) added a half-sack, and sophomore Jeremiah Blackmon (Los Angeles) logged a tackle for loss to force a 4th-and-30.

On the following drive, sophomore running back Mark Mitchell III (Fontana) ripped off 31 rushing yards before Bowie punched in his second 2-yard touchdown of the night for a 37-3 lead. Redlands added its final touchdown on an 18-yard burst up the gut by senior running back Jakai Torres (Baltimore).

APU added a late score against the Redlands reserves, but the Bulldogs finished with a 427-143 edge in total yardage and went a perfect 5-for-5 in the red zone. Mitchell led all rushers with 76 yards on the ground, while Bowie added 75 yards and two scores. Schmidt finished 16-of-26 passing for 146 yards and two touchdowns, with senior Julian Borrayo (Covina) pulling in 63 receiving yards.

Defensively, Jones racked up seven total tackles alongside his 1.5 sacks. Silva finished with six tackles and two sacks, while Blackmon added five tackles. Defensive contributions from sophomore Kenneth Crews III (Colton), senior Anthony Hall (Seattle), and Mejia helped Redlands total 10 tackles for loss on the night.

The breakthrough performance came as a welcome relief for the Bulldogs, who struggled through three consecutive non-conference and conference losses to open the campaign.

Previous Weeks: Early Season Roadblocks

Sept. 27: Cal Lutheran 40, Redlands 14

In the annual Smudge Pot Trophy rivalry game in Thousand Oaks, Redlands dropped a 40-14 decision to California Lutheran University despite outgaining the Kingsmen in first downs and net rushing yards.

Bowie opened the scoring with an early touchdown run, and Lacy caught a 3-yard touchdown pass from Schmidt to cap an 18-play, 75-yard drive that tied the game 14-14 in the third quarter. However, missed opportunities proved costly: the Bulldogs missed two field goals and turned the ball over twice in the red zone during the second half, including an 85-yard fumble recovery returned for a touchdown that sealed the game for CLU.

Borrayo hauled in critical catches of 15, 18, and 21 yards from Schmidt during comeback attempts, while senior Andrew Placido (Hayward) intercepted a CLU pass just before halftime.

Sept. 19: Whitworth 33, Redlands 14

In their home opener at Ted Runner Stadium following a bye week, the Bulldogs carried a 14-10 lead into the halftime locker room against Whitworth University before the Pirates scored 23 unanswered points in the second half.

Schmidt connected with Lacy on a 48-yard touchdown pass early in the second quarter and later tossed a 15-yard touchdown strike to Bowie with under two minutes left in the half. Mitchell highlighted the offense with 84 rushing yards on 11 carries, while Lacy logged seven receptions for 89 yards.

Senior Nolan Staricka (San Bernardino) paced the defense with seven total tackles, while Aleks Wojcik (San Diego), Mosese Afemui (Maui, Hawaii), and Silva each recorded a sack. Additional tackles for loss were logged by Placido, Enrique Ybanez III (Ontario), Hall, and Crews III.

Sept. 6: George Fox 27, Redlands 0

Redlands opened its 2026 campaign in Newberg, Ore., falling 27-0 to George Fox University after a minus-two turnover differential and stalled red-zone opportunities kept the Bulldogs off the scoreboard.

The Bruins jumped out to a 20-0 halftime lead. Redlands mounted two extended drives — a 51-yard march highlighted by a 22-yard run from Mitchell that ended in a missed 46-yard field goal, and a 13-play third-quarter drive that reached the GFU 9-yard line behind passes from Schmidt to Jack Ryan (San Diego) and Lacy before stalling on downs.

Schmidt finished 10-of-26 passing for 105 yards, while Mitchell led the ground attack with 48 yards. Defensively, Ybanez and Jaylen Ephraim (Fontana) led the team with nine tackles apiece. Ybanez added a forced fumble and a pass breakup, while Placido logged seven tackles and a fumble recovery.

Looking Ahead

Redlands (1-3, 1-1 SCIAC) returns home to Ted Runner Stadium next Saturday when they host Chapman University for their home Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) opener. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.