FOREST GROVE, Ore. – Pacific football had dominated Willamette, winning 12 straight dating back to 2014. But the Boxers' control of the series came to an end Saturday night in a 6-3 home loss at Hanson Stadium.
The Bearcats drove all the way down to the Pacific 7-yard line on their opening drive, but the Boxer defense held strong on fourth-and-3 to force a turnover on downs. With 10:52 remaining in the second quarter, Pacific also decided to go for it on fourth-and-1 from the Willamette 4-yard line instead of attempting a short field goal. Pacific freshman quarterback Luke Berlin's pass attempt was broken up in the end zone.
After a scoreless first half, Willamette finally broke through early in the third quarter, capping an eight-play, 69-yard drive with a 4-yard touchdown run to give the Bearcats a 6-0 lead with 10:02 remaining.
Pacific answered with its best scoring drive of the night in the fourth quarter. The Boxers marched 56 yards in eight plays before Cooper Gaulin connected on a 24-yard field goal with 7:25 remaining to cut the deficit to 6-3.
The Boxers' defense then gave Pacific another opportunity. After Willamette was forced to punt, Pacific took over at the Bearcats' 38-yard line with 6:21 remaining. However, the Boxers fumbled on the first play of the drive, allowing Willamette to regain possession.
Pacific's defense forced another punt with 4:01 remaining, giving the Boxers one final chance. Pacific reached its own 37-yard line before punting with 2:30 left, and Willamette ran out the clock to secure the victory.
Mullins led the Pacific rushing attack with 65 yards on 19 carries, while Ayden Cummings caught three passes for 43 yards. Berlin completed 7 of 19 passes for 54 yards, while Lorenzen Horace went 4-for-8 for 43 yards.
Defensively, Kilinahe Aki led the Boxers with nine tackles, while Noah Narain added eight. Alex Deuser recorded six tackles, including 1.5 sacks. Kaimana Ancheta added five tackles, including a sack.
Pacific held Willamette to 2.6 yards per rushing attempt and forced the Bearcats to convert just 3 of 17 third-down opportunities. But the Boxer offense was just 4-for-15 on third down and was held to only 144 yards of total offense.
Next:Â Pacific plays at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point on Saturday, Sept. 19.
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