McMINNVILLE, Ore. – No. 4/5 Linfield scored 24 unanswered fourth-quarter points to pull away from Pomona-Pitzer 51-24 in the first round of the NCAA Division III football playoffs Saturday afternoon at sunny Maxwell Field. The Wildcats (10-0) will play No. 13 Bethel (9-2) in the second round next Saturday. The site and time will be announced Sunday by the NCAA.
The Sagehens (8-3), making their first playoff appearance, gave the Wildcats all they could handle until Linfield scored three touchdowns and a field goal in a span of less than seven minutes to secure their 24th consecutive home win.
Linfield quarterback Blake Eaton was 27-for-39 passing for 244 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions, Joel Valadez grabbed 11 of those for 98 yards and two touchdowns and Devon Murray had six receptions for 47 yards and a touchdown. Connor McNabb rushed for 76 yards and two scores on 20 carries for the Wildcats, who got also got three field goals by Gavin Dalziel and two blocked punts from Jett Searle.
"The third quarter we just came together as a team," Linfield head coach Joseph Smith said. "We weren't going to let them come in and beat us on our own field. We collectively had the mindset to go out and get something done.
"Playoffs are real fun. It's win or go home, you against the other team."
For Pomona Pitzer, Skylar Noble was 24-for-43 passing for 284 yards and three touchdows but was intercepted twice and sacked five times. Quinten Wimmer had eight catches for 92 yards and two touchdowns and Will Radice four catches for 50 yards and a score.
Dalziel had a career-best 46-yard field goal in the first quarter, then topped that with a 50-yarder that started the decisive scoring surge with 14:49 to play. With Linfield up 30-24 it was still a one-score game, but Dalziel's boot seemed to ignite the 'Cats.
"We always have faith in Gavin," Smith said. "He's got a great leg."
Pomona-Pitzer's next possession saw a sack by linebacker Blaze Holani force a third-and-17, then Noble's deep pass was picked off by Caiden Biege-Weatherbee at the Wildcat 34-yard line. It took Linfield six plays to cover the 66 yards, McNabb scoring from two yards out to give the 'Cats some breathing room at 37-24 with 11:05 left. The drive was kept alive with Eaton's third-and-2, 34-yard pass that Valadez managed to haul in over a Sagehen at the P-P 26.
When Pomona-Pitzer couldn't pick up a first down on the ensuing possession, Searle came up with his second blocked punt of the game and fell on the ball at the Sagehen 5. On the Wildcats' second play, Eaton found Murray in the right side of the end zone for a 44-24 lead 9:13 from the finish.
Linfield's defense forced another punt and the 'Cats took over at their own 32. Aaron Martinez covered the 68 yards to the goal line on the next play, the Wildcat lead was 51-24 with 7:52 remaining, and Linfield looked ready to claim a 22nd first-round win in its 32nd national playoff appearance.
"It's a blessing," McNabb said of the Wildcats' legacy. "This team really has a culture about it. It's passed down through the generations of alums."
That final score didn't indicate the competitive nature of the game for the first three quarters. Pomona-Pitzer took leads of 14-13 in the second quarter and 21-20 in the third as Noble scrambled out of trouble numerous times, his receivers made some acrobatic catches for long yardage, and the Sagehens effectively executed a deception-oriented offense.
"They're a very physical, tough, well-disciplined, well-coached team," Smith said. "They don't make mistakes; anything you had to get, you had to earn.
"They did a good job hiding their formations a lot. Give credit to them – their quarterback is pretty good. They came out with some plays that got us early but credit to our defense and being able to bounce back and make some great plays in the end."
The Wildcats led 20-14 at the half but the Sagehens had a 178-138 edge in total yards at that point. Linfield had gone up 10-0 in the first quarter on Eaton's 13-yard pass to Valadez and Dalziel's 46-yard field goal, which was set up by Searle's first punt block.
Pomona-Pitzer got within 10-7 with a 71-yard, 10-play drive keyed by a 31-yard pass from Noble to Radice; the score came on Noble's four-yard pass to Wimmer. After Dalziel's 24-yard field goal made it 13-7 early in the second quarter, the Sagehens took a 14-13 lead on a 23-yard Noble-to-Wimmer pass that capped a 78-yard, eight-play drive with 5:38 left in the half.
"You just have to go through it," Smith said. "I told our guys at halftime I'm really pleased we were in a one-score game – we haven't experienced that since the first game of the season and we need that. We need some anxiety, some angst. We certainly got that today."
To that point, Linfield's offense had leaned on the pass but it then turned to McNabb and he responded. McNabb carried five times for 37 yards as Linfield marched 55 yards in 10 plays, scoring when Valadez crossed through the backfield, took a shovel pass from Eaton and raced 15 yards around the right side to regain the lead at 20-14.
"It starts up front," McNabb said. "The guys stepped up and had a great day. It's pretty easy to run behind those guys."
Pomona-Pitzer went back in front 21-20 when Noble and Radice connected for nine yards and a touchdown early in the third quarter. The Sagehens' next possession ended with a punt and Paul Thie returned it 24 yards to the PP 32; McNabb finished the drive from 12 yards out and Linfield had the lead for good at 27-21.
Pomona-Pitzer's Cameron Shirangi knocked through a 24-yard field goal with 45:23 left in the third quarter to narrow the score to 27-24, then Linfield answered with its fourth-quarter burst. The Wildcat defense cranked up the pressure and finished with five sacks, two by Travis Swanson, and holding the Sagehens to 33 net yards rushing for the game. Chance Sparks also had an interception for the 'Cats in the game's closing minutes.
'CAT SCRATCH
Saturday's win gives Linfield an all-time national playoff record of 45-27, including a 36-7 mark at home. Linfield's all-time record in the first round of national playoffs is now 23-10 … Dalziel's 50-yard field goal was the seventh-longest in Linfield history; he's only the third Wildcat ever to kick a field goal of 50 or more yards. It was Linfield's first 50-yard goal since 2017, when Willy Warne hit a 51-yarder against Mary Hardin-Baylor … Linfield finished with a 395-340 advantage in total offense, including 151-33 in rushing yards.