LOS ANGELES — Oxy kicker Garrett Bronken drilled three field goals, Kwame Do inched closer to SCIAC history and the Occidental football team cruised past Cal Lutheran 32-12 at Jack Kemp Stadium on Saturday.
Oxy clinches its third consecutive winning season under third-year head coach Doug Semones, improving to 5-3 overall and 4- 2 in SCIAC play. Semones, a Cal Lutheran alumnus, is 2-1 against his Alma Mater and 5-1 in Oxy's rivalry games with Whittier and Pomona-Pitzer.
Do, a senior from San Marino who is sitting on 4,003 career yards, ran for 156 yards on 34 carries, meaning he needs just 42 yards in Oxy's season finale next week against Redlands to pass Ryan Gocong as the SCIAC's all-time leader who has what is believed to be the record of 4,044 yards. He also broke his own Oxy single season rushing yards record of 1,325 set in 2013, upping his season total to 1,441.
Bronken scored Oxy's first six points of the game, including a career-long 38-yard field goal in the first quarter. He also hit a 37-yarder with 4:48 remaining in the third that put Oxy up 25-12.
Oxy quarterback Bryan Scott, who leads the SCIAC in touchdowns (14), completion percentage (67.9 percent) and passing yards per game (263.5), threw for 258 yards on 26 of 39 passing and one touchdown to Cordell Harris late in the second quarter. Scott has thrown 21 touchdowns, with just five interceptions, in eight total games.
The game's result was still very much in question after Cal Lu's Isaac Seymour cut Oxy's lead to 13-12 on the first drive of the second half. But Casey Dudley blocked the ensuing PAT and took it 94 yards for a two-point score that gave Oxy a 22-12 lead and turned the momentum in the Tigers' favor. Dudley also had three tackles and an interception in the fourth quarter.
Oxy got defensive and special team contributions from all over the field. Marcus McDuffie had a pair of sacks, Nicholas Mungia had a team-high seven tackles, a sack, a tackle for a loss and a big hit on Cal Lu quarterback Adam Friederichsen, and Shay Mueller broke up three passes. Devin Chapmanchipped in 4.5 tackles and was in on a sack.
Oxy's Carlton O'Neal had the most impressive all-around game. He caught six passes for 96 yards, had two punts downed inside the opponents 20-yard line, ran for a first down on a fake punt and made three tackles on defense.
Cal Lutheran was led by CJ Washington, who rushed for 94 yards and one score on 17 carries. Sean Bellotti had four catches for 45 yards.
Next Game: The Tigers finish the season against Redlands on Nov. 14 at 1 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
Week 7: Do, Tigers Keep Drum for 12th Consecutive Year
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.