Linfield and Willamette came into Saturday’s game with the two best defenses in the conference and the most heated rivalry. Both teams left with both reputations intact.
The sixth-ranked Wildcats defeated the Bearcats 20-10 at McCulloch Stadium in Salem on a rainy Saturday evening. The win by Linfield was their 33rd in the last 41 games of the series, and moved the Wildcats to 3-0 on the season. The loss dropped Willamette to 1-3 on the season, and ended any aspirations of winning the Northwest Conference title.
“I really felt like it could come down to a key series here or there,” Linfield coach Joseph Smith said. “One of the strengths of this year’s team is its character. It’s something that we’ve talked about before, and we felt that if we could keep the game close, we’d come out on top just because of that.”
“They executed their stuff better than we executed our stuff,” Willamette coach Mark Speckman said.
Linfield racked up 433 yards and 26 first downs against a Willamette defense that was as tough as any defense they’ll face this season. Quarterback Mickey Inns went 20-37 for 329 yards and one touchdown with one interception in his first road start of his career. Wide receiver Dedre Wiersma led the ‘Cats with 110 yards on five receptions, while wide receiver Charlie Poppen had 87 yards on four receptions, and Buddy Saxon added 61 yards on four receptions. Josh hill led the wildcat rushing attack with 110 yards and a touchdown on a career-high 36 carries.
“I thought the offensive line’s pass protection was quite commendable,” Smith said. “At times, we had all the time to sit back there. The pocket wasn’t just sound; it was big. So Mickey had a lot of room to hitch up and step into his throws.”
With all the good numbers Linfield posted on offense, their three turnovers, a missed field goal, and numerous dropped passes prevented them from putting a serious hurt on Willamette, and kept the Bearcats in the game.
“We hadn’t had a rain practice or game this whole year,” Linfield wide receiver Buddy Saxon said. “In the second half, we figured it out, and made some big catches down the line; the offensive line dominated the entire game.”
“Ultimately, putting the ball in the end zone is what you gotta do,” Smith said. “We had that one missed field goal, and I felt that our turnovers really kept us from putting more on the board.”
Willamette’s offense continued their season-long struggles on offense against Linfield. The Bearcats had 312 yards of offense and 16 first downs, but committed three turnovers and went 0-10 on third down conversions. Willamette’s ground game lived up to its reputation, gaining 209 yards on the evening. Freshman running back Dylan Jones ran for 108 yards and a touchdown on seven carries, while running back Jamiere Abney was held to 45 yards on 11 carries. Quarterback Brian Widing was held to 7-18 for 81 yards and one interception.
“On offense, we really struggled with being consistent,” Speckman said. “We had some success moving the ball, and we made a lot of mistakes, but it was a good defense; they tackled in space really well, and they played really hard.”
The first quarter started out fast in Linfield’s favor. After Willamette was forced to punt on their opening drive, Linfield marched 78 yards in 10 plays, ending in a 2-yard touchdown run by Josh Hill, giving Linfield a 7-0 lead with 7:41 to go in the first quarter. Hill had 54 yards on eight carries on the opening drive. Inns threw an interception with 2:14 to go in the first quarter.
Opening the second quarter with the ball, Linfield tacked on a 35-yard field goal by Josh Kay, which capped a 14 play, 73 yard drive to make it 10-0 Linfield with 10:32 to go in the second quarter. Willamette’s next possession ended with a fumble that was recovered by Linfield cornerback Christian Hannah, followed by possessions that ended on fourth down and punts. All of Linfield’s possessions ended in punts after the field goal, leaving the Wildcats with a 10-0 lead at halftime.
The second half opened like the first half. Linfield got the ball first, and marched 63 yards in seven plays. Inns’ 13-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Lucas Jeppson with 12:57 to go in the third quarter made the score 17-0 in favor of Linfield. After Willamette fumbled on their next possession, Linfield drove to the Willamette 22-yard line before Josh Kay missed a 39-yard field goal. After Willamette punted on the next possession, Linfield put together an 11 play, 75 yard drive. Right when it seemed like Linfield was going to turn the game into a route, things got interesting.
Right as Hill was about to score another touchdown to make it 24-0, he fumbled into the end zone. After recovering the fumble, Willamette went 80 yards in three plays, capped by a 20-yard touchdown run by Jones, to make it 17-7 Linfield heading into the fourth quarter.
“It was really a 14-point swing; instead of being 24-0, it was 17-7 and it’s a game,” Smith said. “That was a good chance for us to handle the ebbs and flows of momentum, and I thought we did. Our offense came through with some really key drives, and we stemmed the tide of the momentum they had going for a bit.”
“Both teams are loaded with character,” Speckman said. “We’ve been behind before against good teams, and our kids believe that they can come back.”
Willamette kicker Mitch Rowan made a 40-yard field goal with 8:18 to go in the game, cutting Linfield’s lead to 17-10. Linfield took the ball on the next possession, and went 65 yards in 13 plays before Kay nailed a 24-yard field goal with 3:17 to go, making the score 20-10. Aiding Linfield on the drive were three huge penalties against Willamette (Roughing the passer, personal foul, and a defensive holding call on a 4th down play for Linfield that fell incomplete).
“There was a lot of controversy at the end, and it was a very emotional game; It’s important to stay in control,” Speckman said. “We certainly don’t condone it; we’re disappointed with some of the things that happened, but it’s part of the lesson that you learn in football. Hopefully they learn it and move on.”
“We kept our composure; that’s the kind of program we are,” Saxon said. “They talked a lot; as much as we wanted to react, we kept our composure for the most part, and it turned out to be the biggest part of the game: they got a bunch of personal fouls, they got penalized for it, and field position changed in a hurry.”
Linfield hosts Puget Sound at Maxwell Field next Saturday at 1:30 pm. Linfield defeated Puget Sound 55-14 at Baker Stadium last season.
Willamette hosts Pacific (OR) at McCulloch Stadium next Saturday; Willamette defeated Pacific (OR) at Lincoln Park Stadium 69-7 last season. Despite losing their third game of the season already and being out of the Northwest Conference title chase, Speckman doesn’t see it as a lost season.
“I feel bad for teams that need playoffs and championships to keep them motivated to play football,” Speckman said. “I think that real football players love to play the game. Half the teams lose every Saturday, and some teams are fortunate to have good years; we’ve had our share. I’m excited about playing Pacific, and our kids are excited about it.”
Link to Boxscore: http://www.linfield.edu/sports/stats/fb/wu1001.htm
Link to Postgame Analysis: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVZCaRaU4O4&feature=channel_video_title
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