What was supposed to be a Northwest Conference classic turned into another Linfield massacre. The second-ranked wildcats broke free in the fourth quarter, defeating the #11 Lutes 29-0 on a sunny afternoon at Maxwell field. For much of the game, it seemed like we would have an SEC-style defensive slug fest. Instead, PLU fell apart in the fourth quarter.
It was over when: Dalton Richey threw three interceptions on three straight possessions after Linfield took a 19-0 lead. Whatever chances PLU had of coming back at that point vanished as Richey's ball security issues from the first three games came roaring back in a bad way.
Gameball goes to: Defensive end Jeremy Girod. Girod lead the Linfield pass rush by recording two of Linfield's four quarterback sacks. The constant pressure on Dalton Richey forced PLU's quarterback to make some horrendous throws, which Linfield started converting into interceptions in the second half.
stat of the game: 1.8 ypc for PLU. Coming into the game averaging 195 yards and 5.9 ypc on the ground, the Lutes vaunted rushing attack was held to 40 yards on 22 carries. This forced Dalton Richey to try and beat Linfield through the air, an effort that backfired in the end.
Unsung hero: Linfield quarterback Josh Yoder. While his numbers weren't spectacular, Yoder avoided committing a single turnover against PLU's vaunted defense after throwing four interceptions in his previous two games, something that helped Linfield's offense wear down the PLU defense as the game went on.
What it means: The win improves Linfield to 4-0 on the season (1-0 in NWC play), and keeps them in the #2 spot in the national rankings heading into a bye week. For Pacific Lutheran, the loss drops them to 3-1 on the season (0-1 in NWC play), and they have some serious concerns at quarterback now that Richey has thrown 9 interceptions and put the ball on the ground 7 times in four games.
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