Quick start propels Gauchos to opening win

The Saddleback football team dashed out of the gate on way to a 31-17 win over College of the Desert in the opening game of the season on Saturday at the stadium.  The Gauchos led 24-0 before easing up on the gas pedal.

Saddleback was red hot at the beginning, scoring 24 points in the first 15:45 of the game.  Marvin Marshall opened the scoring with a 52-yard run on the opening play of the second drive, giving the Gauchos a 7-0 lead and starting the onslaught. 

Three plays later Desert was forced to punt and Saddleback was back on the move.  The Gauchos went 47 yards in eight plays as Jacob Gibson found Deondre Moore for a 19-yard touchdown.  It was the second touchdown in a 3.5-minute span and sent the Roadrunners dashing.

The Saddleback defense then made its fourth stand of the game, stifling Desert with another three-and-out.  The Gauchos took over at the 50-yard line and one play later were at the six as Gibson found Marshall on a 44-yard pass play.  A couple of penalties derailed the drive and Saddleback had to settle for a 27-yard field goal from Aaron Ball and a 17-0 lead with 2:01 remaining in the opening quarter.

The defense again made quick work of Desert, stifling the Roadrunners as Ryan Dove had back-to-back sacks on second and third down.  The Roadrunners were forced to punt, finishing the opening quarter with zero first downs and 21 yards of offense. 

Saddleback started the second quarter the way it ended the first.  The Gauchos went 40 yards in four plays for a 24-0 lead.  Gibson took the lead, connecting on consecutive passes to Marshall and Logan Garrick as Saddleback was down to the Desert 22 in a blink.  Gibson then did it with his legs, rushing 14 yards to the Roadrunner eight before scoring from eight yards out for a commanding lead.

Gibson finished 15-of-22 for 180 and one touchdown pass, rushing for 33 yards and a score on the ground.  The Gauchos were led in the running game by Edward Vander, who finished the Saddleback scoring in the third quarter with a three-yard touchdown and a 31-10 advantage on the scoreboard.  Vander (pictured) rushed for 99 yards on 15 carries and caught one ball for 35.  Marshall also eclipsed the century mark in total yardage, rushing for 56 with 50 yards receiving.

Saddleback will try for a second straight win to start the season when they host Long Beach City College next Saturday.  That game will be broadcast live via streaming video on the Gaucho Sports Network, with the kickoff scheduled for 6:00 PM.