Tough Defense Gets Tustin Past Foothill

TUSTIN — Quarterback Jon Miller’s one-yard run with 18 seconds remaining in the third quarter gave Tustin a 6-0 victory over Foothill in the season-opener for both teams Friday night at Northrup Field.

The victory gave the Tillers their third consecutive victory over the Knights. Miller scored the winning touchdown on a fourth-and-one play, climaxing a 17-play drive that covered 51 yards. The Tillers kept the ball for more than 10 minutes on the winning drive.

Defense and penalties dominated the game. Tustin finished with 135 yards in penalties, but the Tillers’ defense bailed them out.

Tustin limited the Knights to 18 yards rushing and only 85 yards total offense.

Tustin finished with 206 yards total offense, 162 of those on the ground.

Foothill had a chance to score late in the fourth quarter, but the drive stalled when quarterback Tim Chaix was sacked by Tustin’s Nick Cantu and linebacker Adam Schulenburg with 14 seconds left in the game at the Tustin 29-yard line. The Knights were unable to get off another play after the sack.

Tustin fullback Mark Linden rushed for 89 yards on 17 carries.