PACIFIC (1-2, 1-0 NWC) AT PUGET SOUND (2-1, 1-0 NWC)
Game No. 4 • Road Game No. 2Sat., Oct. 11, 1 p.m., Peyton Field at Baker Stadium, Tacoma, Wash.
Radio: 1360 AM KUIK (Live)
Play By Play: Matt Richert  Analyst: Scott Hermo
Live Stats |
Live Audio |
Live VideoBOXERS TRAVEL NORTH TO TACOMA AFTER BREAKOUT WEEKENDAfter opening the season with a pair of close losses and an unexpected extra bye week, the Pacific football team opened Northwest Conference play with a breakout 29-15 victory over Whitworth. The Boxers will attempt to improve to 2-0 in conference and even their overall record on Saturday as they face an improved Puget Sound squad.
BOXER BYTES• The unexpected bye week thanks to the cancellation of the Univ. of Chicago proved beneficial to the Boxers as the weekend provided extra time for the team to prepare for what became a 29-15 Homecoming victory over Whitworth to open the NWC schedule.
• Known for being a team that relies on passing, the Boxers beat the Pirates with the ground game. Of the Boxers' 532 yards of total offense, 327 of those yards came on the ground.Â
Bobby Ladiges rushed 18 times for 141 yards and a touchdown while
Kamana Pimental rushed 10 times for 122 yards and two touchdowns.
• When they did go to the pass,
Warner Shaw was efficient, completing 20 of 26 for 205 yards and a touchdown. Shaw enters the week ranked 12th among Division III quarterbacks in completion percentage, having completed 70.4 percent of his attempts.
• The Pacific defense came alive for 64 tackles, seven sacks, nine tackles for loss and a pair of fumbles.Â
Josh Brinkworth led the Boxers with nine tackles while
Avery Richardson had an impressive effort of eight tackles, three sacks and three tackles for loss.
• With the win, Pacific won their second straight NWC opener and snapped a four-game losing streak that dated back to the final two games of the 2013 campaign.
A WIN OVER PUGET SOUND WOULD...• Give Pacific their fourth straight victory over Puget Sound and four wins in six meetings since the Pacific program was reinstated for the 2010 season.
• Snap a four-game road losing streak that dates back to a 17-16 loss at Pacific Lutheran on Oct. 19, 2013.
• Give the Boxers their second straight 2-0 start to Northwest Conference play.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT: PUGET SOUND
QUICK FACTSLocation: Tacoma, Wash.   Enrollment: 2,600
Nickname: Loggers   Colors: Maroom & White
Conference: Northwest (NCAA Division III)
Stadium: Peyton Field at Baker Stadium (3,500, covered, natural grass)
President: Dr. Ronald Thomas                Â
Athletic Director: Amy Hackett
Sports Information Director: Gregor Walz
SID Phone: 253-879-3874 Â Â Â Â
SID E-Mail: gwalz@pugetsound.edu
Athletics Website: loggerathletics.com
Facebook: facebook.com/psloggers     Twitter: @psloggers
Head Coach: Jeff Thomas (Redlands 2003)
Thomas' Record At Puget Sound: 3-33 (4 Years)
Thomas' Record Overall: 3-33 (4 Years)
Assistant Coaches: Jeff Halstead (OC), TJeff Ramsey (DC), Duncan White (QB), Mike Rigell (RB), Galen Arakawa (WR), Ryan Rogers (TE), Rob Clements (OL), Aaron Rambo (CB), Kyle Little (LB), Chris Bennet (DB), Jacob Gottlieb (DL), Mark Conrad (K)
2013 Record: 1-8Â Â Â Â Â Â NWC Record: 0-6 (7th)
All-Time Series: Pacific leads 17-13-3
Last Meeting: Pacific won 56-14 in Forest Grove on Octg. 12, 2013
About The Coach: Jeff Thomas is in his fifth season leading the Puget Sound football program. During his tenure, the Loggers have succeeded in breaking 23 schools records and has seen his teams rank in the NCAA Division III top-10 in passing offense twice. Thomas came to Puget Sound after seven seasons as part of the staff at his alma mater, Redlands. He served his last two seasons there as offensive coordinator and was named the American Football Coaches Association's Assistant Coach of the Year in 2009. A graduate of Redlands, Thomas was a four-year letterwinner as a defensive back. He was a CoSIDA Academic All-District selection and was selected to take part in the 2002 Aztec Bowl.
Last Meeting: Pacific's defense finished with five interceptions to lead the Boxers to their first 5-0 start in school history, beating Puget Sound 56-14 on Oct. 12, 2013. The Boxers had four interceptions in the first half alone, including two on back-to-back plays by the Loggers in the first quarter. The Boxers offense rolled in the first half, scoring 21 points in each of the first two quarters to take a 42-0 lead into halftime. Four Pacific quarterbacks threw for 309 yards and five touchdowns, led by a 7 for 7 effort by
T.C. Campbell for 137 yards and a touchdown.Â
Moses Villareal-Gomez tied a school single game record by making all eight of his point-after attempts.Â
Jordan Fukumoto led the recivers with seven receptions for 103 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Puget Sound quarterback Braden Foley completed 18 of 23 for 175 yards and two touchdowns. Kevin Miller caught eight passes for 86 yards and a touchdown.
PUGET SOUND NOTES• After a string of futile years, Puget Sound is off to a 2-1 start for the first time since 2008. The Loggers won back-to-back games for the first time since 2006 by collecting a 38-7 win on Saturday over Lewis & Clark. The Loggers finished with 474 yards of total offense, 305 of those in the air.
• Puget Sound ranks second in the NWC 12th in NCAA Division III in passing offense, averaging 331 yards per game. Hans Fortune leads the Loggers in passing, having completed 45 of 78 for 630 yards. Senior Braden Foley started on Saturday after suffering an injury in the first quarter of the season opener against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. He completed 29 of 47 against Lewis & Clark for 293 yards and two touchdowns. Brennan Schon is the team's leading receiver, averaging 85.3 yards per game.
• The Puget Sound defense has been solid and enters the week ranked 17th in NCAA Division III in first downs allowed (53), 47th in scoring defense (17 points allowed per game), 53rd in total defense (319.3 yards allowed per game) and 54th in rushing defense (117.3 yards allowed per game). Max Mirande leads the defense with 31 tackles, 1.5 sacks, three tackles for loss and an interception.
• Originally founded by the United Methodist Church, the University of Puget Sound was founded in 1888. The school still maintains its religious affiliation. Puget Sound sponsors 23 intercollegiate athletics programs, the second most for a NWC school behind Pacific.
• Notable alumni of Puget Sound include 1948 Olympics skiing gold medalist Gretchen Fraser, famed glass artist Dale Chihuly, "The Frugal Gourmet" Jeff Smith, UTEP head football coach Mike Price, comedian Ross Shafer and current Pacific baseball coach
Brian Billings.
PACIFIC NEWS & NOTES
Keeping Grounded: Pacific's offense has been mainly built around the passing game, but against Whitworth the Boxers put together a running game that left the Pirates with few answers. The Boxers finished with 327 rushing yards for the game, the most in a single contest since the team's reinstatement in 2010. Fifty-three of the Boxers' 79 plays were of the rushing variety.Â
Kamana Pimental (So., Kaneohe, Hawaii) put together a breakout game as he finished with 122 yards in 10 carries, averaging 12.2 yards per carry. He had two of the Boxers' three rushing touchdowns, scoring on a hard-fought 13-yard run in the second quarter and a 41-yard run down the sideline in the third quarter. Pacific enters the week averaging 225.7 rushing yards per game and it marks the first time that the Boxers are averaging more rushing yards per game than passing yards (209 yards per game). The Boxers' rushing average and their total of 627 rushing yards ranks second in the NWC. Pimental enters the week ranked first in the NWC with an average of 7.5 yards per rush, fifth with an average of 72.7 rushing yards per game and seventh with a total of 218 rushing yards.
Add Rushing: Pacific's workhorse running back also had a standout game for the Boxers in the win over Whitworth.Â
Bobby Ladiges (Jr., Escalon, Calif.) led the Boxers with 138 rushing yards on 18 carries, averaging 7.7 ard per carry. He scored the game's first touchdown on a three-yard run, which capped a four-play drive where Ladiges ran for 55 of the teams 66 yards on the drive.  Ladiges enters the week ranked third in the NWC with an average of 7.1 yards per rush. He is ranked fourth with an average of 92.7 rushing yards per game and fifth with his total of 278 rushing yards. He rushing average also ranks 80th among NCAA Division III players.
Steady And Consistent: When they did go to the air against Whitworth,
Warner Shaw (Jr., Waimea, Hawaii) proved nothing but consistent. Making his third start, the junior completed 20 of 26 passes for 205 yards and threw for a touchdown in the win over the Pirates. The performance proved a great comeback for Shaw, who had a rough go in the Sept. 20 game at Dubuque. Shaw's number have ranked him among both the NWC best and among NCAA Division III's best. He leads the NWC and is ranked 12th in Division III with a .703 completion percentage and is ranked 66th nationally with a passing efficency rating of 138.5. Shaw is ranked fourth in the NWC and 71st in Division III with 225.7 yards per game and is also ranked 71st with 242.3 yard of total offense per game. Among NWC quarterbacks. Shaw is ranked fifth with 677 yards and 7.4 yards per pass attempt.
The Golden Boot: A big part of Pacific's success on Saturday came in the punting game, where
Nathan Suyematsu (Jr., Tualatin, Ore.) drove Whitworth well back to start their offensive drives. The junior punted four times, averaging 43.5 yards per punt. Three of those punts landed inside the 20-yard line and one went into the end zone for a touchback. His total included a 61-yard rolling punt in the first quarter. The performance earned Suyematsu selection as the Northwest Conference Special Teams Student-Athlete of the Week. Suyematsu won the punting job over three other competitors. He enters the week averaging 44.2 yards per punt on nine attempts. He has three punts this season inside the 20-yard line and three of 50 yards or more.
Sackmasters: After going without a sack in their first two contests, the Boxers made up for it against Whitworth on Saturday. Pacific came alive for seven sacks in the contest, pushing the Pirates back a total of 53 yards.Â
Avery Richardson (So., Corona, Calif.) led the way with an impressive three sacks while
Jack Perez (Jr., Petaluma, Calif.)Â
Jeff Bajema (So., Burlington, Wash.) had the game's last sack, which resulted in a fumble that was run back 27 yards by gregarious defensive lineman
Eddie Carrillo (Sr., Milpitas, Calif.). The three sacks by Richardson rank him in a tie for third in the NWC. The seven sacks rank Pacific as a team third in the NWC.
Safety Valve: The Pacific safeties did their part to limited a Whitworth offense that entered Saturday's game averaging 495 yards per game to just 335 yards of total offense.Â
Josh Brinkworth (Sr., Elk Grove, Calif.) led the way with a team-high of nine tackles and two pass break-ups in the victory on Saturday as the Boxers finished with a total of 64 tackles on the day, including seven sacks and nine tackles for loss. Brinkworth enters the week tied for 75th among NCAA Division III players with his average of 1.3 passes defended per game. He has four passes broken-up on the yeasr, tying him for sixth in the NWC.
Holding On To Time: Part of Pacific's strategy in beating Whitworth on Saturday was keeping the Pirates' potent offense off the field. Suffice to say, the Boxers were successful. Pacific controlled the ball for 39 minutes, 6 seconds in their win over Whitworth on Saturday. Pacific enters the week with an average time of possession of 34 minutes, 57 seconds per game. That ranks first in the NWC and is seventh in the nation among Division III teams.  Pacific has led the time of possession in two of their three games. The Boxers held onto to the ball for over 36 minutes in the Sept. 20 loss at Dubuque.
In The NCAA Division III Stats: Pacific this week in ranked in the NCAA Division III top-100 in 19 different statistical categories. The Boxers enter the week ranked seventh nationally in time of possession (34:57 per game), ninth in completion percentage (.703) and 10th in kickoff returns (26.36 yards per return). Pacific is in the also ranked 28th in first downs defense, allowing a total of 59. Individually, nine Pacific players are listed in the top-100.Â
Warner Shaw is ranked 12th with a .703 completion percentage.Â
Bronson Barretto (Jr., Mililani, Hawaii) is tied for third in kickoff return touchdowns with his one in the season opener against the College of Idaho.Â
Josh Brinkworth,
Eddie Carrillo,
Brandon Harms (Sr., Canby, Ore.),
Trey Kodama (So., Pearl City, Hawaii),
Bobby Ladiges,
Jakob Lawrence (Sr., Sherwood, Ore.) and
Chase Rogers (Sr., Lahaina, Hawaii) are also on the top-100 list. The complete list can be found on page 6 of this release or online at http://stats.ncaa.org/team/index/11980?org_id=2751.
SAAC Stages Successful Parkinson's Fundraiser: Pacific's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) used Homecoming week to raise awareness for Parkinson's disease and raise money for continued Parkinson's research. Pacific's SAAC sold "Strikeout Parkinson's" wristbands, which honored former Pacific baseball coach
Greg Bradley (who is battling the disease) and held a "Pies For Parkinson's" fundraiser prior to Saturday's game. where students could pay for the opportunity to pie their friend, coach or faculty member in the face. The pie fundraiser concluded at halftime with Bradley taking a pie in the face from his son and current Pacific baseballl player, Donnie Bradley. In addition, money from the sales of Pacific's Football GameDay programs also went to the cause. Money raised by SAAC will be donated to the Parkinson's Center of Oregon at Oregon Health Sciences University.
Boxers Picked Close Fourth In NWC Preseason Poll: In terms of how they will perform in conference games, Northwest Conference coaches do not expect a fifth year slump from the Boxers. Pacific was picked in close fourth place in the annual preseason poll conducted in August. Pacific received 34 votes, just two less than Willamette, who was picked third with 36 points. The Boxers finished fourth in the NWC in 2013, amassing a 3-3 conference record. Pacific Lutheran was picked second in the poll with 42 points. Linfield was the runaway pick to win the conference. The five-time defending champions received all but one first place vote and a total of 56 points.
Yes...He's Back: It was in the works all week, but the return of All-NWC wide receiver
Jordan Fukumoto (Sr., Mililani, Hawaii) was kept under wraps until the end of the week. After initially electing not to use his final year of eligibility after graduation in May, Fukumoto made his return to the team this week. He caught two balls for a total of 12 yards of Pacific's win over Whitworth on Saturday. Fukumoto, who was a Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-District selection in 2013, is in his first year as a student in Pacific's graduate School of Physical Therapy.
The (Not) Goin' To Chicago Blues: The Pacific 2014 schedule was shortened to nine games with the cancellation of the Sept. 27 game at the Univ. of Chicago. The game at Chicago's Stagg Field was canceled after a fire was intentionally set on Sept. 26 at the Federal Aviation Administration's radar control center in Aurora, Ill., which caused a ground stop at both of Chicago's major airports. The ground stop forced the cancellation of over 2,000 flights, including Pacific's scheduled flight to Chicago Midway International Airport.
They're Smart Too: A total of 13 Pacific football players were named over the summer as Northwest Conference Scholar-Athletes. To be selected, student-athletes must achieve a cumulative grade point average of 3.50 by the end of the academic year and must have been an active member of the varsity roster the full season. The awards are in addition to the selection of
Jordan Fukumoto and
Brandon Harms to the 2013 Capital One/CoSIDA Division III Academic All-District VIII Football Team.
It's Hanson Stadium Now: It not only looks different, but Pacific's home stadium answers to a different name as well. A roof was added to the main stadium grandstand over the summer, providing coverage for over 1,100 fans who sit on the field's south sideline. Along with the roof came a name change to Hanson Stadium, which was approved by Pacific University's Board of Trustees in May. The moniker honors Trustee Rich Hanson and his wife, Joy, who provided the leadership gift to start fundraising for the stadium roof project. Mr. and Mrs. Hanson were honored by conducting the coin toss prior to the College of Idaho game on Sept. 6. Formerly known as Lincoln Park Stadium, Hanson Stadium was opened for the 2007 season and is home to Pacific's football, soccer, women's lacrosse and track and field programs.
From Scrimmage Line To Sideline: Some of Pacific's top players from the 2013 season have moved from the field to the sidelines to begin their coaching careers. Eight graduates from last year's team will help to lead the Boxers as part of the coaching staff. The list includes
Sean Bangs (defensive assistant),
Gabe Flory (assistant linebackers),
Eric Gietzen (assistant offensive line),
Aaron Koford (kickers),
Bryan Mills (safeties),
P.J. Minaya (quarterbacks),
Michael Smith (assistant defensive line) and
Brian Taylor (tight ends). Pacific is developing into a great starting spot for coaches. Over four years, seven coaches have moved on from Pacific to NCAA Division I coaching positions.
Yoro Promoted: In addition to the addition of eight coaches from Pacific's Class of 2014, Head Coach
Keith Buckley has promoted
Jacob Yoro to assistant head coach. One of two assistants who have been with the program since the 2010 reinstatement, Yoro serves as the Boxers' defensive coordinator and as the program's recruiting coordinator.
SEASON HONORSThe following Pacific players have been recognized with NWC or national weekly honors this season...
Nathan Suyematsu: NWC Special Teams Student-Athlete of the Week for the week of Sept. 29-Oct. 5. The wide receiver and punter finished an average of 43.5 yards per punt on four punts. Three of the four punts landed inside the 20-yard line and the fourth was a touchback. His wrok included a season-long 61 punts, the third longest in school history.
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Jack Perez: NWC Defensive Student-Athlete of the Week for the week of Sept. 1-7. The linebacker finished with 16 tackles against the College of Idaho on Sept. 6. The total was a single game high since the program's 2010 reinstatement.
Bronson Barretto: NWC Special Teams Student-Athlete of the Week for the week of Sept. 1-7. The running back and kick return specialist finished with 179 all-purpose yards and had four kick returns for 155 yards against the College of Idaho. He capped his day with a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, the third longest in program history.
Pacific One-Liners (And Sometimes Two)• Two Pacific players spent the spring as key members of the Boxers' baseball program. Wide reciever/kicker
Nathan Suyematsu was a First Team All-NWC selection as a second baseman after hitting .342 with 53 hits, 29 runs and 13 doubles.Â
Kyle Treadway was one of the Boxers' starting pitcher, finishing with a team-leading 2.68 earned run average. Both Suyematsu and Treadway played summer baseball, with Treadway finishing as a Golden State Collegiate Baseball League all-star after a standout season with the Atwater Aviators.
• Offensive lineman
Riley Rankin is a cousin of late all-pro football player and Monday Night Football personality Don Meredith. In fact, Meredith predates Rankin's arrival on the Pacific campus by 52 years as he was part of the 1960 Dallas Cowboys' team that opened training camp in Forest Grove. Following in Meredith's footsteps, Rankin holds a Work Study job as a public address announcer for Pacific sporting events.
• Twenty-nine Pacific players hail from Hawaii, continuing a long-standing Pacific tradition. Nearly one-third of Pacific's undergraduate student body comes from the 50th state.
• The only state with more representation on the roster is California, with 42 athletes coming from the Golden State.
• Defensive lineman
Eddie Carrillo is in his second year as president of Pacific's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. He is the first multi-year president of the body.
