Linfield Defeats Willamette, 35-7, in Battle of Ranked Teams
McMINNVILLE, Ore. -- Linfield College scored two touchdowns in
the third quarter to expand a 21-7 halftime lead, as the Wildcats
defeated Willamette University, 35-7, in a battle of
nationally-ranked teams at Maxwell Field. It was the Northwest
Conference opener for both squads.
Linfield, ranked #16 in the D3football.com Top 25, improved to 2-1
overall, 1-0 in the Northwest Conference. Willamette, ranked #15,
fell to 2-2 overall, 0-1 in the NWC.
The Bearcats have opened the season with four consecutive games
against nationally-ranked teams.
WU started the year with a 33-14 win at University of
Wisconsin-Stevens Point, which was ranked #16. Willamette then lost
31-22 at Hardin-Simmons, which was ranked #14. WU's third
opponent, Southern Oregon University, was ranked #24 in the NAIA
and lost to the Bearcats, 42-24.
After limiting Willamette to one first down on the opening drive of
the second half, Linfield drove 69 yards on eight plays to increase
its lead to 28-7. The big play of the drive was a 42-yard pass from
Aaron Boehme to Aaron Williams that brought the ball to the WU
15-yard line. Four plays later, Boehme crossed the goal line on a
3-yard run.
On the first play following the kickoff, Terrell Malley (So., TB)
of Willamette rushed for seven yards to the WU 37. He also carried
the ball on the next play and gained 35 yards to the Linfield 28.
On 4th-and-10, Willamette quarterback Brian Widing (So.) was sacked
by Bryce Comfort.
The Wildcats drove for 80 yards on the next 10 plays. Linfield
picked up three first downs on the drive on passes of 34, 17 and 12
yards by Boehme.
Chris Slezak caught the first pass on 3rd-and-4 at the LC 26 and
Deidre Wiersma hauled in the other two third-down passes. The
12-yarder came on 3rd-and-11 at the WU 24. On the next play, Boehme
hit Deidre again with a 12-yard touchdown strike.
Maika Kunioka kicked the extra point to give Linfield a 35-7
advantage with 1:30 left in the third quarter. Neither team scored
during the rest of the game.
Linfield opened the contest with a 72-yard, 8-play drive. The drive
almost ended after three plays and three yards, but a pass
interference penalty against WU allowed Linfield to keep
possession. Four plays later, Boehme completed a 26-yard pass to
Slezak to place the ball at the WU 14.
On the next play, Williams was stopped for a 1-yard loss by Ralph
Pineda (Sr., ILB) and Mark Meek (Jr., DT). On second down, Chris
Saunders caught a 15-yard touchdown pass from Boehme, as Linfield
took a 7-0 lead.
Widing hit Jake Knecht (So., WR) with a 64-yard pass on
Willamette's first play to bring the ball to the LC 14. The
Bearcats gained just five yards on three plays. Kyle Derby (Fr.,
PK/P) missed wide on a 26-yard field goal attempt.
Willamette forced a turnover just two plays later. Jeff Kahler
(Sr., CB) intercepted Boehme at the Linfield 38-yard line and
returned the ball 20 yards.
Linfield's defense stopped WU for negative gains on back-to-back
running plays, then sacked Widing for a two-yard loss at the LC 24.
Willamette's 42-yard field goal attempt on fourth down went wide
left.
WU caused another turnover two plays later, when Simon Lamson of
Linfield fumbled at the end of an 8-yard run. Pineda forced the
fumble and Reed Warner (So., OLB, Salem, OR/South Salem, HS)
recovered for the Bearcats at the Linfield 39-yard line.
Willamette reached the end zone on the sixth play of the drive.
Jamiere Abney (Jr., TB) recorded the touchdown on an 8-yard run.
Derby kicked the extra point for a 7-7 tie with 5:11 left in the
opening quarter.
During the drive, Widing tossed a 9-yard pass to Scott Schoettgen
(Sr., WR) and ran twice for gains of 14 and nine yards.
The Wildcats were forced to punt without gaining a first down
following the kickoff. On the punt return, one of Willamette's
players was blocked into Tyler Whitcomb (Sr., TE) as Whitcomb was
catching the ball. Whitcomb fumbled and Erik Koczian recovered for
Linfield at the WU 32.
Boehme scored on an 8-yard run with 1:40 left in the quarter. He
added a 1-yard touchdown run with 11:40 to go in the half. His TD
in the second quarter ended a 78-yard drive that started with a
44-yard pass to Slezak.
The Bearcats drove into Linfield territory on their final two
possessions of the first half. On the first drive, the Bearcats
were stopped on downs at the LC 36. On the second drive, WU punted
from the LC 44.
Linfield concluded the game with 428 total yards, while Willamette
achieved 335 yards. Boehme completed 18 of 27 passes for 277 yards
and ran 13 times for 52 yards on the ground. He scored three
rushing touchdowns and threw for two touchdowns. Slezak led the
Wildcats with six catches for 131 yards. Williams rushed 11 times
for 59 yards.
Widing was 10 of 18 passing for 174 yards for the Bearcats.
Schoettgen grabbed five passes for 67 yards and Knecht caught four
passes for 98 yards. Malley rushed for 60 yards on seven carries
and now has 282 yards on just 31 carries this season (9.1
avg.).
Mitchell Rowan (Jr., PK/P) of WU averaged 34.5 yards on six punts.
He placed two punts inside the 20-yard line. Josh Repp of Linfield
averaged 34.0 yards on four punts with two inside the 20.
Pineda and Walter Robinson II (Sr., DE) each recorded seven total
tackles for the Bearcats. Kahler, Warner and Michael Del Real (Jr.,
S) added four tackles apiece.
Senior defensive end Eric Hedin paced Linfield's defense with seven
total tackles, including two sacks and 3.5 tackles for losses. Sam
Higgins, a senior linebacker, also registered seven tackles for the
Wildcats.
Willamette will continue NWC play on Saturday, Oct. 9 at Pacific
University in Forest Grove, Ore. Kickoff is at 1:30 p.m. (PDT).
Pacific is playing football for the first time since 1991. WU
defeated Pacific, 45-3, in 1991 and leads the all-time series,
53-25-5.
