Willamette Flies Past Boxers With Running & Defense
Box Score
SALEM, Ore. – Willamette used their impressive running game to rack up 464 yards of total offense and converted three Pacific turnovers into scores Saturday to fly to a 49-7 victory in Northwest Conference football action at McCullough Stadium.
The Bearcats (2-3, 1-1 NWC) saw 16 players earn credit for rushes to combine for 295 yards on the ground, led by a 59-yard performance by Jamiere Abney. Scott Perlin, Dylan Jones, Mason Brown and Joseph Harmon scored rushing touchdowns for Willamette. The Bearcats' defense also came up big with three interceptions, all of which were converted into scores.
Quarterback Brian Widing completed 7 of 16 passes for a total of 134 yards and two touchdowns. Jake Knecht and Abney had the Bearcats' receiving touchdowns.
Pacific (0-5, 0-2 NWC) finished with 323 yards of total offense and had the ball for 32 minutes of the game, but found a number of scoring opportunities scuttled by turnovers.
P.J. Minaya (So., Wahiawa, Hawaii) led Pacific's 266-yard passing attack, coming off the bench to complete 13 of 18 passes for 167 yards and the Boxers' only touchdown.
Jordan Fukumoto (So., Mililani, Hawaii) had his fourth 100-yard receiving game of the season, finishing with 114 yards on four catches.
Blake Anthony (Fr., Valencia, Calif.) finished with 64 yards, which also came on four catches.
Gunther Schultze (So., Bellflower, Calif.) led the Pacific rushing attack with 21 yards on five carries.
In addition to the interceptions, the Boxers once again found themselves stung by penalties. Pacific committed eight penalties for 65 yards, including one on the first play from scrimmage which negated a 40-yard pass play that would have put the Boxers at the Willamette 10-yard line to start the game.
Both defenses held strong for the most of the first quarter, with the Boxers making the biggest stop when they snuffed a 10-play, 46-yard Willamette drive at the Pacific 22-yard line with four minutes left in the stanza. The Bearcats converted good field position into the game's first score two minutes later, when Perlin made a four-yard run into the end zone to make it 7-0.
Pacific got three plays into their next drive before Wendell Galvan picked off Campbell at midfield, the first of two second quarter Boxers' interceptions. Widing needed three plays to find Knecht for a 39-yard touchdown pass for a 14-0 lead just a minute in. The Boxers marched 64 yards into the red zone on their next series, only to see Cody Pastorino intercept Campbell at the goal line, wiping out the Boxers' best scoring opportunity of the first half.
Widing marched Willamette methodically down the first from there, capping a 12-play drive with a 32-yard scoring bomb to Abney that put the Bearcats ahead 21-0 with 4:14 left in the period. Willamette took over on downs after a quick Pacific four-and-out and added a quick score when Jones ran 22 yards with 1:28 left, which gave the Bearcats the 28-0 halftime lead.
After trading possessions to begin the second half, Willamette scored their fifth touchdown on the fame when Brown rushed in from 13 yards with 6:35 left in the third to make a 35-0 lead. Minaya, who played the entire third quarter, finally put Pacific on the board with 14 seconds left in the stanza when he found
Brian Taylor (So., Lewiston, Idaho) in end zone for a 4-yard pass.
Willamette added a pair of insurance touchdowns late in the game. Joseph Harmon scored on a 2-yard run with 3:38 left and David Lowe added six more when he picked off Pacific quarterback
Seth Siddle-Mitchell (So., Lodi, Calif.) and returned it 47 yards for the touchdown.
Bryan Mills (So., Imbler, Ore.) and
Landon Aano (So., Ewa Beach, Hawaii) each had five tackles to lead Pacific defensively, with Aano earning credit for a tacvkle for loss and a sack. Cullen Carroll led Willamette with eight tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss.
Pacific returns home next weekend, hosting defending NWC champion and traditional rival Linfield for the first time at Lincoln Park Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. The inductees of the 20th class of the Pacific University Athletic Hall of Fame will be honored at halftime. Willamette will hit the road for their first game away from Salem this season as they play at Puget Sound.
