CSM Bulldogs get their bite back at San Jose

“One step closer to our goal,” CSM head coach Tim Tulloch said. “This was obviously a big one this week. But it was important for our team to respond, and respond with a strong effort.”

CSM (3-1 Bay 6, 8-1 overall) bounced back from a 13-6 loss Saturday, Oct. 25, to City College of San Francisco with a dominant defensive effort. Defense wasn’t the problem against City College, as the Bulldogs outgained the Rams 175-119, with a majority of City’s yards coming on a fake punt. Saturday, the ’Dogs’ ‘D’ doubled up on San Jose (0-4, 1-8), outgaining the Jaguars 475-205 to affirm its standing as the state’s best defense, leading the 3C2A in points allowed (12.9 per game) and yards allowed (200.6 per game).

“A lot of it was to take the quarterback run away and to take away their top receiver ... but, bottom line, it was executing our defensive calls better than their offensive calls,” Tulloch said. “The brand of football was fast and physical, and that’s just something we preach and that we live.”

Cornerback Trevon Watson pulled double duty, and put on a show on special teams. With the Bulldogs leading 21-7, the sophomore capped the first half by exploding on back-to-back punt returns for scores. His first, a 94-yard bolt — with lead blocks from sophomore Jayden Moss and freshman Tyrone Jackson — made it 28-7 with 10:35 to play in the half. Then with less than a minute to go in the half, he broke a 58-yarder for a touchdown.

“It was great,” Tulloch said. “The first one was 94 yards, and he’s just so explosive and electric with the ball in his hands. ... He has really good vision and he sees the field. Our 10 guys did a great job blocking for him ... and he hit it and he was gone.”

It marks the first two punt returns for TDs in Watson’s collegiate career. The sophomore also scored on a kickoff return last season, and had a pick-6 on defense earlier this year.

Freshman defensive lineman Khayri Jett totaled two of the Bulldogs’ four sacks. Linebackers Jojo Latu and Bruce Uperesa, who led CSM with seven tackles apiece, each recorded a half sack, while Latu had three tackles for losses.

The game’s first three scores came within seven plays from scrimmage of each other. CSM had got on the board on its first possession, as John Stowers rushes of 46, 9 and 3 yards set up a 1-yard scoring pass from freshman quarterback Luke Alexander to sophomore Corey Leaupepe. San Jose tied it two plays later on a 71-yard scoring run by Cedeno Chavez.

Then, with the game tied 7-all, the Bulldogs took the lead on a four-play, 68-yard drive, with freshman Luke Alexander setting it up on a 32-yard pass to Jalen Arnold to advance into Jaguars territory. Freshman running back Dominick Gonzalez followed with a 36-yard scoring run less than four minutes into the game.

The Bulldogs closed out the day with 45 unanswered points, taking a 35-7 lead into halftime before shutting out the Jaguars 17-0 in the second half.

Fronted by a rotating cast on the offensive line — highlighted by sophomore tackle Dallas Fineanganofo and freshman center Justice Turner — Gonzalez finished with eight carries for a career-high 107 yards and one TD. Stowers added nine carries for 91 yards, while freshman Josh Tucker finished with two carries for 55 yards, including a 49-yard rushing score in the fourth quarter.

Alexander was 7-of-15 passing for 149 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. He added a 31-yard scoring pass to freshman Jalen Arnold in the third quarter. Uperesa bulled in a 1-yard score in the second quarter on his only carry of the day. Sophomore kicker Dieter Kelly capped the day’s scoring with a 38-yard field goal.

CSM is now tied for second place in the Bay 6 Conference with Diablo Valley College (3-1, 8-1) with one regular-season game to play. CCSF (4-0, 7-2) is all alone in first place.

The Bulldogs are now set to host Laney College in Saturday’s regular-season finale, leaving CSM in a unique position of not being able to win its conference championship, but with a bona fide chance to wrap up the No. 1 seed in Nor Cal and home-field advantage throughout the regional playoffs.

“A win next week is a No. 1 seed,” Tulloch said.