No. 14 Whitworth outscored Pacific 21-3 in the fourth quarter to break a 16-all tie en route to a 37-19 win in Spokane on Saturday.
The Boxers (4-4, 3-2 NWC) outgained the Pirates by a 378-350 margin and held a 39:28 to 20:38 advantage in time of possession.
The Pirates (7-0, 5-0 NWC) scored touchdowns on three of its final four possessions in the win. The three touchdowns took just 2:31 for Whitworth, who moves one win away from a Northwest Conference title.
Pacific senior quarterback J.T. Greenough had a career-best 37 of 49 passes for another career-best 324 yards and two touchdowns. It is the fifth time and third-straight game for Greenough with multiple touchdown passes.
His top target on the day was sophomore
Ty Hargis, who caught 17 passes for 186 yards. The 17 receptions and 186 yards by Hargis are the most by a Pacific receiver since teammate
Kobe Williams caught 20 passes for 237 yards against the Pirates on October 29, 2016.
The Pirates started the fourth quarter, scoring a touchdown on a 10-yard pass from Leif Ericksen to Garrett McKay that put the home team ahead 23-16 with 14:20 left. Greenough marched the Boxers down the field, completing nine of 10 passes. However, the Boxers got on the scoreboard with a 33-yard field goal by
Caden Almer, cutting the deficit to 23-19 with 8:24 to play.
Whitworth took the ensuing kickoff back 79 yards and two plays later, Tariq Ellis scored on a 28-yard run to push the Pirates' lead to 30-19. After the two teams traded punts, the Pirates sealed the win, intercepting a Pacific pass and returning it 21 yards for the final touchdown of the day.
The Pirates took advantage of its starting field position of its own 47-yardline in the win. Ericksen completed 15 of 34 passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Whitworth offense. He got the Pirates on the scoreboard in the first quarter with a 72-yard touchdown run to put host Whitworth ahead 7-3.
Next, Pacific will wrap up its home portion of its schedule when they host Willamette on Saturday, Nov. 3 at 1 p.m.
