Spokane, Wash. – Whitworth built a 25-0 halftime lead and cruised to a 32-7 win over visiting Pacific Lutheran in a Northwest Conference football game at the Pine Bowl.
The Pirates improved to 6-0 overall and 3-0 in the NWC, setting up a showdown at 2nd-ranked Linfield (5-0, 3-0) next Saturday. Today's win ended Whitworth's five-game losing skid to the Lutes (0-5, 0-3).
Ian Kolste threw a pair of touchdown passes and Dalin McDonnell returned an interception 45 yards for a touchdown to lead the Pirates' attack.
Griffin Hare scored Whitworth's first touchdown with a two-yard run late in the first quarter. He set up the score with a 28-yard run just before the touchdown and his TD capped a 75-yard drive. Jonah Koski ran in a two-point conversion for an 8-0 lead.
Whitworth's next TD was set up by a short punt that gave the Bucs the ball at the Lutes' 39 yard line. Three plays later Kolste hit Michael McKeown over the middle for a 30-yard touchdown pass and a 15-0 lead early in the second quarter.
Trailing by two scores late in the first half, PLU got aggressive on consecutive fourth downs and it cost the Lutes twice. First, PLU starting QB Jon Schaub barely converted a fourth and one run, but was injured on the play and did not return to the game. Then on fourth and six near midfield, backup QB Cole Chandler was picked off by McDonnell at the PLU 45 on a screen pass and went untouched to the endzone for a 22-0 Whitworth lead.
Rehn Reiley scored the final Pirate points of the half when he drilled a 44-yard field goal as time expired. After outscoring the Lutes 25-0 in the first half, Whitworth has outscored its six opponents 152-10 in the first half this season.
Whitworth outgained PLU 221-114 in the first half and had a 12-6 edge in first downs.
The Lutes move the ball effectively during their first two possessions of the second half. But the first ended at the Whitworth 14-yard line when Taylor Roelofs stripped Chandler of the ball and Alex Myrick recovered. After forcing Whitworth to punt, PLU drove deep into Pirate territory again. But this time the Lutes missed a 24-yard field goal attempt.
At that point the Pirates put the game out of reach with an 80-yard drive that took only four plays. Kolste found Nick Kiourkas over the middle for a 31-yard touchdown pass with just under six minutes left in the third quarter and a 32-0 Whitworth lead.
PLU got on the board early in the fourth quarter when Chandler hit Beau Lockmer with a 38-yard touchdown pass that capped a 53-yard drive.
Neither team threatened to score the rest of the way.
PLU actually finished the game with a 385 – 306 edge in total offense and an 18-17 advantage in first downs. But the Pirates were content to play a "bend-but-don't-break" defense after halftime.
Kolste completed 16 of 30 passes for 219 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Kiourkas, McKeown and Duke DeGaetano each had three catches. Hare finished with 54 rushing yards on seven carries.
Schaub was 11 of 17 for 99 yards passing for PLU when he left the game in the second quarter. Chandler finished 17 of 28 for 196 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Juston Lind caught seven passes for 81 yards and Ben Welch also had seven grabs for 62 yards. Chandler was also the leading rusher with 50 yards on 12 attempts.
Both teams finished with four sacks.
JT Phelan led the Whitworth defense with nine tackles, while Roelofs finished with eight stops.
Tanner Perry had five tackles for PLU, including 1.5 sacks for 14 yards. Travis McMillion was also in on five stops.
Whitworth's game at Linfield next week will kick off a 1:30 pm. PLU returns home to host George Fox at 1:00 pm.