ORANGE, Calif. – Quarterback Sam Riddle came off the bench to throw for 268 yards and two touchdowns and the sophomore ran for the winning score late in the third quarter as No. 5 Linfield rallied to put away Chapman 21-14 in the first football meeting between the two West Coast programs Saturday night at Ernie Chapman Stadium.
Riddle connected on 17-of-26 throws, five of them going to senior Charlie Poppen. The Wildcats (1-0) upped their regular-season winning streak to 36 games with the victory on a hot September night in Orange County.
For this game at least, Riddle outplayed fellow challengers Tom Knecht and Matt Yarbrough for the inside track for the starting job. The former Century High School star sparked the offense following a listless first quarter.
The two teams spent the better part of the first quarter probing one another's tendencies. As a result, neither team moved the ball effectively, particularly Linfield, which went three-and-out on its opening two opportunities with Knecht at the controls. The Panthers broke the scoring stalemate, stringing an 11-play, 72-yard drive that concluded on Spencer Jordan's 4-yard touchdown catch from Michael Lahey. Markus Trujillo's extra point gave CU a 7-0 lead with 17 seconds remaining in the opening quarter.
In a predetermined switch, Riddle took over for Knecht, the Wildcats starter, to begin the second period. He quickly guided Linfield on an 11-play, 73-yard scoring march, culminating with a 9-yard TD toss to Erick Douglas III. For both sophomores, it was their first touchdowns as collegians.
Outgaining the Wildcats 157-118 in the first half, the Panthers forged a 14-7 lead at intermission. Cody Chapple's 5-yard run with one minute left on the clock gave the hosts some momentum heading to the halftime lockerroom.
The defensive chess match continued well into the third quarter before Linfield caught fire. Needing to rally to avoid an upset on the road, tight end Levi Altringer caught a 26-yard pass from Riddle to move the ball into Panthers territory and tailback Tavon Willis reeled off a nifty 22-yard run two plays later. Riddle followed with a 27-yard lob to the end zone into the hands of Poppen. Michael Metter booted the extra point, knotting the score at 14 with 5:47 left in the quarter.
Following a Chapman punt, the Wildcats opened up the playbook. Riddle heaved a 72-yard bomb down the right sideline to the Panthers' 2. On the next snap, Riddle maneuvered over left guard for the go-ahead score with 1:57 left in the third.
As the Linfield offense was finding its groove, the defense was tightening its grip around the collar of Lahey and the Panthers.
With 3:37 left, Chapman had a golden opportunity to knock off the favored Wildcats. The drive began at the CU 18, but was pushed back to the 4 after back-to-back Panthers penalties. But suddenly the Panthers were at midfield, the result of a roughing-the-passer penalty and two quick pass completions. But Wildcats defensive tackle Trey Farber sacked Lahey on the game's final play, enabling the Wildcats to rejoice a hard-fought road win.
Linfield finished with 357 yards of offense to Chapman's 296, though the Panthers enjoyed a 21-14 advantage in first downs and outgained the 'Cats 143-76 in rushing.
Chapple led all rushers with 87 yards on 14 carries. Willis totaled 49 on eight totes.
Defensively, Wildcats linebacker Mike Nardoni and monsterback Jordan Giza shared top honors each with a game-high nine tackles. Marq Randall worked his way free for eight stops, including two sacks. End Trevor Hoff had three sacks among his six total tackles.
'CAT SCRATCH: Saturday's announced attendance was 3,132 . . .with wins in five consecutive season openers, Wildcats coach Joseph Smith is 5-4 in season-opening games since becoming head coach in 2006 . . . the Wildcats' regular season winning streak dates to the 2010 season. . . Poppen's third quarter TD was the 18th of his all-star career. . . punter Kevin McClean averaged 44.1 yards on seven punts, including a long of 55. . . six of McClean's punts were downed inside the CU 20. . . the Panthers did not commit a single turnover.
NEXT: Linfield returns to Southern California next Saturday for a battle with defending SCIAC champion Redlands. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Ted Runner Stadium on the Redlands campus.