Boxscore

The University of La Verne dropped its second home game of the season, falling to Occidental College 30-0 in SCIAC action Saturday at Ortmayer Stadium.

Occidental (3-1, 2-0 SCIAC) scored touchdowns on three of its first four possessions en route to a 23-0 halftime lead.  The Leopards moved inside the Tiger 30-yard line on five different occasions during the game, but were unable to convert the drives into points. 

The Tigers struck quickly, taking the opening kickoff and marching 72 yards on five plays, as quarterback Luke Collis connected with running back Wes McDaniel for a 53-yard touchdown to take a 7-0 lead.

Later in the first, Occidental struck again when Collis found receiver Matthew Tuckness for a 18-yard touchdown pass to propel the Tigers to a 14-0 advantage with 4:49 remaining in the opening stanza.

After a Leopard punt, Oxy drove 60 yards on 9 plays to a third score, as Collis tossed a 30-yard scoring pass to Chandler Tunney as the Tigers took a 20-0 lead with 14:15 remaining in the first half.

Midway through the second quarter,  La Verne stopped the Tigers on downs at the Leopard 30 and proceeded on its best drive of the half, marching 44 yards on 10 plays to the Oxy 26.  La Verne opted for three points, but a 43-yard field goal attempt with 4:53 remaining sailed wide.

The Tigers went on a 5-play, 50-yard drive to add a field goal to close the half with a 23-0 advantage.

La Verne mounted its best drive of the day late in the third quarter, marching 65 yards on 11 plays.  The Leopards reached the Occidental 1-yard line, but were stopped on a fourth-and-goal with 14:29 remaining.  The Leos also reached the Oxy 10-yard line midway through the fourth but were turned away on downs.

Leopard quarterback Thomas Arguello enjoyed a solid outing, completing 21 of 38 passes for 237 yards.   Arguello's top target was Matt Griffin, who caught six passes for a game-high 97 yards.

Collis led Oxy with 340 yards passing, completing 24 of 32 attempts with four TDs.  Tuckness finished with a team-high 85 yards on four receptions.

Leopard linebacker Filip Marcelin spearheaded the defense with 12 total tackles (3 solo) including a 20-yard interception return and 1.5 tackles for losses totaling 17 yards.  Paul Koloa and Donald Mull finished with 9 tackles each.

La Verne (0-4, 0-2 SCIAC) continues league action next week as it travels to Cal Lutheran for a 1:00 pm kickoff.