What Did We Learn About Linfield In Week 5...

Linfield’s Defense Is Pretty Solid:  After getting off to a very slow start on Saturday, the Linfield defense woke up and pretty much shutdown the PLU offense, which allowed Linfield’s offense to put together enough drives to pull out a win on the road.  On the season thus far, Linfield’s defense ranks second in the conference in scoring, second in rush defense, first in sacks and tackles for loss, and are tied for third in the conference in turnovers forced.  While not quite as dominant as the defensive unit of the last three seasons, this Wildcat defense has a chance of making that list by season’s end.   

The Offense Is Underachieving Somewhat:  So far in 2012, the ‘Cat Attack is averaging 35.8 points and 427.8 yards per game.  While those aren't bad offensive numbers necessarily, this is the exact same Linfield offense, personnel-wise, that averaged 40 points and 432 yards per game in 2011.  With so much talent from last season returning, Linfield should be posting bigger stats, not smaller ones.  In their defense though, Linfield had to play against three elite-level defenses early in the season in Menlo, Cal Lutheran, and Pacific Lutheran.  The one team that didn't have an elite defense, Hardin-Simmons, got smoked by the Wildcats offense.  Not to be forgotten is the fact that Linfield has the number-one rushing attack in the NWC, averaging 173.8 yards per game.  With the toughest defensive teams on Linfield’s schedule supposedly out of the way, we’ll see in the coming games if the Linfield offense can get back to their elite level from 2011.  

Winning NWC Title Is Not A Certainty:  After watching how easily Linfield rolled through the Northwest Conference in 2011, and seeing how many returners Linfield was bringing back, many thought going into the season that Linfield would have just as easy of a time in 2012.  At this point in the season, perception has changed a bit.  Whitworth has the top record in the conference at 5-0, and nobody has forgotten how they almost upset Linfield in 2011.  Willamette is 4-0, and boasts the best offense in the conference at this juncture in the season.  Not to be forgotten, Lewis & Clark is 4-0, and boasts not only the second-best offense in the NWC, but statistically the best defense in the NWC.  If Linfield continues to play as sloppy as they’ve been so far this season, any of those three teams can upset them and end their three-year reign of the NWC.