The Pacific University football team posted a 24-20 homecoming win over Pacific Lutheran on Saturday afternoon on Ledbetter Field at Hanson Stadium.The Boxers (1-2, 1-1 NWC), who were celebrating homecoming, were led by senior running back Brandon Boyd (Gilroy, Calif.) and junior wide receiver Kobe Williams (Las Vegas, Nevada). Late in the third quarter, Boyd broke off a 72-yard touchdown run for the third longest touchdown run since the return of Pacific football in 2010 that proved to be the difference. The hard-running running back finished the day with 125 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries.
The Lutes (1-2, 1-1 NWC) outgained Pacific, 455 to 346 in the defeat. Quarterback Cole Chandler completed 21 of 30 passes for 301 yards and a touchdown. Running back Marc Gallant added 81 yards on five carries and Jacob King caught seven passes for 95 yards in the loss.
The Lutes scored on the opening drive of the game for an early 6-0 lead when Chandler found DJ Winter for a 9-yard touchdown pass. On the Boxers' second drive of the contest, Boyd helped engineer the Pacific offense on an eight play, 42-yard drive. The Gilroy, Calif. ran the ball four times on the drive, wrapping up the drive with a plunge in from one yard out for his first of two touchdowns. During the drive, Pacific capitalized on a third down penalty for a first down and junior quarterback J.T. Greenough (Tigard, Ore.) found junior wide receiver Gavin Hettinger (Sumner, Wash.) on a 3rd and 7 play for a 14-yard reception.
With the Boxers' clinging to a 7-6 lead, PLU regained the lead late in the second quarter when they took advantage of a short field and a third down conversion on a 3rd and 12 play for a 14-7 lead when Wesley Nixon ran it in from two yards out.
Pacific ended the first half, putting three points on the board on a 22-yard field goal by senior Alex Beekman (Beaverton, Ore.). The points came as Greenough marched Pacific down the field on a 11 play, 87-yard drive to cut the deficit to 14-10 as the two teams went into the halftime break.
The Boxers regained the lead, going nine plays and 73 yards for a go-ahead touchdown when Greenough connected with Mack Mackesy (Mission Viejo, Calif.) to start the second half. It was a steady diet of hard running by Boyd and a 36-yard completion by Greenough to Williams, who connected for a 36-yard completion on a 3rd and 6 play. Williams finished the day with 162 yards on 14 receptions for his first 100-yard receiving game and double-digit reception game of the season.
The Lutes took its third and final lead of the game when Kyle Madsen ran it in from a yard out to put the visitors ahead 20-17. In the drive, PLU capitalized on fourth down to extend the drive as Chandler connected with Kyle Madsen for a 11-yard pass and catch for a first down.
The Boxers came right back and went ahead when Boyd broke a few tackles and from the line of scrimmage, rumbling 72 yards for the go-ahead and game-winning touchdown. Late in the fourth quarter, the Lutes mounted a late drive but the Boxers defense answered the challenge. Facing third and goal, the Boxers' defense came away with its fifth sack of the day when senior Xavier Harvey (Sacramento, Calif.) wrapped up Chandler for a six-yard loss. Then, on 4th down, sophomore safety Kolby Nikolaisen (Sumner, Wash.) pressured Chandler into an incomplete pass.
Holding a four-point lead, the Boxers needed just a pair of first downs to melt the clock. Again, Pacific called on Boyd running the ball and Williams making a catch for crucial plays to extend the drives and the contest.
Pacific will remain home for its next game when they host Puget Sound on Saturday, Oct. 14 at 1 p.m. on Ledbetter Field at Hanson Stadium.