What We learned About Linfield In Week 9...

Linfield Is One Of The Best-Conditioned Teams In The Nation:  The Linfield offense has shown in their last three games that when they minimize penalties and turnovers, they play at a tempo that nobody in the conference can match.  In their past three games, the Wildcats are averaging 54 points and 489.7 yards of offense per game.  Whitworth, Lewis & Clark, and even the fast-paced Willamette Bearcats all broke down on defense as the game wore along, Linfield's tempo and pace proving too fast for them.    

The Defense Is Scary:  After the first four games, Linfield's defense was putting up respectable numbers, but also was showing weakness against some of the top offenses in the country.  In their last three games, the Linfield defense is giving up 8 points and 180 yards of offense per game.  On the season, Linfield is giving up 17.4 points and 295.6 yards of offense per game, both ranking first in the NWC.  The Wildcats also lead the NWC in quarterback sacks and tackles for loss.  While Linfield isn't terrible good at forcing turnovers this season compared to the past three seasons, these Wildcats simply don't give up much of anything.     

The NWC Is All Linfield's:  Earlier in the season, I thought that the NWC had a handful of teams capable of dethroning Linfield, and after the PLU game, Linfield seemed like a vulnerable team.  Three games later, while I still believe that the NWC is as tough as it's been in a long time, Linfield has proven that they're a better team than last year.  Having beaten Whitworth, Lewis & Clark, and Willamette by a combined score of 162-24, it's become increasingly clear that Linfield is in a class of their own, and seem more capable of winning the national title than last season.