CLAREMONT — Kwame Do ran for 265 yards and Oxy's defense was on its game all afternoon as the Occidental football team beat Pomona-Pitzer 23-14 on Saturday, keeping the coveted Drum Trophy for a 12th consecutive year in the longest standing college football rivalry on the West Coast.
Do, already Oxy's single season (1,325 in 2013) and all-time rushing yards record holder, now has 3,847, needing 198 yards in two games to break Claremont-Mudd-Scripps' Ryan Gocong's SCIAC record of 4,044. The senior from San Marino ran for 111 yards in the first half and 154 more in the second half, helping the Tigers overcome a 7-6 halftime deficit and slow start offensively.
Despite an off game by his standards, Oxy quarterback Bryan Scott threw a pair of important touchdown passes in the second half to help the Tigers pull out the win. Scott, who's leading the SCIAC in every major passing category, hit Cordell Harris for a 10-yard score on a 4th-and-5 play to give the Tigers their first lead of the game with 6:25 remaining in the third quarter. Scott followed it up with a 32-yard strike to Devin Bullock in the fourth quarter that put Oxy up 23-14 with 3:40 left after the PAT.
Scott also ran for Oxy's only first-half touchdown.
Garrett Bronken knocked in a 27-yard field goal with 9:52 left in the fourth, putting Oxy up 16-7.
Led by Zach Heerwagen and Aaron Jones on the defensive line, the Tigers played their best football of the season. Pomona-Pitzer was just 2 of 12 on third down and 1 of 3 in the red zone.
Heerwagen made a team-high eight tackles and Jones had 3.5 tackles for a loss. Devin Chapman,Casey Dudley, Nicholas Mungia and Zachary Hunter all had six tackles.
Jacob Shore forced a fumble that Evan Buckwalter picked up in the second quarter.
Taylor Mensik led the Sagehens on the ground and in the air, running for 106 yards and a touchdown on top of 125 yards passing and one passing touchdown.
Season Impact: Oxy improves to 4-3 overall and 3-2 in SCIAC play. Pomona-Pitzer falls to 2-5 and 1-4.
The Tigers will either be tied for second place or third place at the end of the day depending on the result of Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (4-2, 3-1 SCIAC) and Cal Lutheran (4-2, 2-2 SCIAC) on Saturday night.
Next Game: The Tigers are back in action at home on Nov. 7 against Cal Lutheran at 7 p.m.
Week 1: Tigers win shootout at Puget Sound, 46-41
Week 2: Pacific (OR) rallies to beat Tigers
Week 3: La Verne Rushes Past Oxy
Week 4: Tigers Crush Poets to Keep Shoes
Week 5: Do, Bullock Lead Tigers Past Defending Champion Chapman
Week 6: Stags Edge Tigers With Incredible Finish
Athlete of the Week: Kwame Do was named SCIAC Male Student-Athlete of the Week in back-to-back weeks after running for 417 yards with seven touchdowns in a pair of wins.
Bryan Scott was named SCIAC Male Student-Athlete of the Week on Sept. 15 after throwing for 421 yards and five touchdowns in Oxy's season opener at Puget Sound.
Getting Ink: Oxy head coach Doug Semones was featured in the Los Angeles Times in August.
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