SMALL COLLEGE FOOTBALL: CLU RESCUES ITS LAUGHER WIN FOR HAPPY HOMECOMING CLU 40, CHAPMAN 28.

Byline: Chris Cocoles Staff Writer

THOUSAND OAKS - This was a buried opponent, if not an embarrassed one. A 31-point lead halfway through the second quarter suggested a laugher was in process.

By the end of the day, it became a serious struggle. But Cal Lutheran ultimately had the happy homecoming it started out as. The Kingsmen held off Chapman 40-28 in front of 2,000 at Mt. Clef Stadium on Saturday.

CLU finished its nonconference schedule 2-3. None of that matters with Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play beginning this Saturday at Redlands.

``It opens our eyes,'' Kingsmen quarterback Casey Preston said of letting most of a 34-6 first-half lead slip away by the fourth quarter, when Chapman closed to within 34-28. ``We're playing a great team in Redlands, and we know we can't just play one half of football.''

Granted, it was an impressive half. And the final 3 minutes, 41 seconds of the first quarter were surreal. CLU stunned Chapman (2-4) for 28 points in that stretch.

Two Panthers fumbles recovered inside their 20 were converted into Devin Martin touchdown runs. The Kingsmen then wounded Chapman psychologically by recovering an onside kick with one second left in the quarter.

Preston, not told the onside kick was coming, made it a quick drive by throwing a 52-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Phillips on the next snap. At the half, the margin was still a comfortable 34-14.

Chapman, an option team lacking the kind of passing game to - in theory - realistically rally from such a demoralizing sequence and wide deficit, somehow clawed back into contention. A blocked punt led to one score. Then Paul Nelson's 49-yard punt return to made it a six-point game with 3:20 left in the third.

``When something like that happens, you find yourself looking around saying, `What's going on?' It's a matter of looking at your teammates in the eyes wondering who's going to step up,'' said Kingsmen receiver Jimmy Fox, who before Saturday had just six receptions but caught nine for 99 yards against Chapman.

Answering the Nelson punt return, the Kingsmen strung together an 11-play drive that resulted in Alex Espinoza's third of four field goals to restore some cushion at 37-28. The memory of watching Menlo College rally for a 22-17 win with a second remaining last week was easy to remember.

``I don't think we got complacent, but we didn't take care of responsibilities and we lost the momentum that we had,'' said CLU linebacker Ryan Tukua, who made two pivotal recoveries - the onside kick and a fumble in the fourth quarter with Chapman driving and still down just 12. ``The fourth quarter we finally got it together. We weren't going to let it happen again what happened last week.''