Pudget Sound vs
Whitworth
(0-5) (5-2)
Last Week: Pudget Sound is coming off a bye week. Whitworth is coming off a devastating 54-14
loss to Linfield. In the game, Whitworth’s
defense got exposed, giving up 585 yards of offense, unable to stop either the
run or pass. On the flip side, Whitworth’s
offense, the strength of the team, was held to a season-low 225 yards, as well
as their low in points.
Thoughts entering the
game: Whitworth is reeling after
losing to Willamette and getting their universe rocked by Linfield. Pudget Sound gives Whitworth the opportunity
to pound out their frustrations on a hapless opponent before they take on a
talented bunch from Pacific Lutheran the following week. Pudget Sound is capable of putting up some
yards through the air, but Loggers have possibly the worst defense I have ever
seen at the collegiate level, giving up 51.4 points and 574.8 yards per game. A competitive game between these two teams
would surprise everyone.
Winner: Whitworth
Pacific Lutheran vs
Willamette
(3-2) (6-0)
Last Week: Pacific Lutheran is coming off a 41-23 rout
of Pacific (OR). Richey Dalton had solid
performance, going 24-31 for 262 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. Brandon James lead the ground attack with 70
yards and a touchdown on 11 carries, along with two receptions for six yards
and one touchdown, and Kyle Warner had 11 receptions for 142 yards. The Lutes defense gave up 415 yards, but
forced four turnovers for the game.
Willamette is coming off a 56-20 victory over Lewis & Clark,
breaking away from a 14-14 tie at halftime to walk away with the win. Josh Dean went 35-45 for 359 yards and five
touchdowns with one interception, while carrying the ball 10 times for 37 yards. Dylan Jones led the rushing attack with 168
yards and a touchdown on 24 carries.
Jake Knecht had 9 receptions for 107 yards and three touchdowns, while
tight end Benny Weischedel had 9 receptions for 118 yards. The defense gave up 460 yards of offense to
the Pios, but L&C had to run off 102 offensive plays to pull that off.
Thoughts entering the
game: Despite Pacific Lutheran’s
less than stellar record, this game is shaping up to be a dandy. Willamette brings the best offense in the
conference into the game, averaging 44.8 points and 561.2 yards per game. Just when stopping Willamette’s passing
attack seemed hard enough, the Bearcats have begun to rediscover their
explosive running game of years past, averaging 239.5 yards per game on the
ground in their last two games. Running
back Dylan Jones has run for 299 yards and one touchdown in the last two games,
averaging 6.5 yards per carry. Pacific
Lutheran brings a killer defense into the contest, ranking first in the NWC in
yards per game allowed and tied with Willamette for second in points allowed. While the match-up between PLU’s defense and
Willamette’s offense will obviously draw the most attention, it’ll be
interesting to see if Willamette’s defense can hold down the Lute’s prolific
passing attack. This could be a game
where Willamette’s defense needs to win the day.
Winner: Willamette
No comments:
Post a Comment