Pacific's offense had its most productive game of the season.

But the defense had few answers for Lewis & Clark in a 51-35 loss Saturday.

Celebrating homecoming, the Boxers finished with 536 yards of total offense. Quarterback Ryan Helt completed 22 of 33 passes for 324 yards and two touchdowns. Brody Bantolina rushed for 171 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries.

The Pioneers finished with 533 total yards, including 227 yards on the ground and 306 through the air. 

Pacific struck first as a 1-yard touchdown run by Kalai Pasi gave the Boxers a 7-0 lead with 10:24 remaining in the first quarter.

Lewis & Clark answered with a 26-yard field goal by Thien Hoang with 7:08 remaining in the quarter. Trey Morris then connected with Devon Guest for a 5-yard touchdown on the first play of the second quarter to give the Pioneers a 10-7 lead.

Bantolina answered with a 3-yard touchdown run to put the Boxers on top, 14-10, with 10:43 remaining in the first half.

After Lewis & Clark running back Elijah Washington rushed for a 3-yard touchdown run with 3:41 remaining, Tyler Vargas returned the following kickoff 94 yards into the end zone. However, the touchdown was called back on a holding penalty and the Boxers went into halftime trailing 17-14. 

The Pioneers only extended their lead in the second half as Mitchell rushed for a 6-yard touchdown run on the opening drive.

Kai Bookland caught six passes for 108 yards to lead Pacific's receiving group. Vargas had six receptions for 83 yards and a touchdown. 

Niko Iosefa recorded nine tackles to lead Pacific's defense. Joseph Taylor-Pate finished with eight tackles and an interception. 

With the loss, the Boxers dropped to 1-4 overall and 1-2 in the Northwest Conference.

Next, Pacific plays at Whitworth on Saturday, Oct. 21 at 1 p.m.

For the latest information on Pacific Athletics, make sure to check out GoBoxers.com. You can also find the Boxers on social media at @GoBoxers on Instagram and Twitter.
 
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