Setting the Scene: Fresh off a dramatic win to open Northwest Conference play, the first-place Lutes host Oregon rival Lewis & Clark on Homecoming at Sparks Stadium.
Series History: This is the 57th all-time meeting between the Lutes and Pioneers. PLU enjoys a 44-11-1 edge in the all-time series, winning eight of the last nine meetings. Last year, the host Pios missed a two-point conversion late in the fourth as PLU came away from Portland with the 38-37 victory.
About the Lutes: PLU (2-2, 1-0 NWC) knew it needed a huge defensive effort last Saturday in Newberg, Oregon and that is exactly what the Lutes got.
PLU held off George Fox 13-12 in the Northwest Conference opener for both teams.
The Lutes defense picked off two passes - returning one for a touchdown - recovered a fumble and recorded a huge fourth-down stop in the final seconds to help secure the victory.
"I'm so proud of our defense tonight," PLU coach Brant McAdams said. "It's not easy to go out on the field in a tight game and perform over and over again."
Fourth-string quarterback Jordan Etter threw the game-winning touchdown pass on fourth-and-16, hitting John Walker on a 27-yard strike to the back corner of the end zone with 4 minutes, 18 seconds remaining.
Etter entered after Kellan Kranc left with an injury after being sacked two plays before. Etter's first pass was batted down at the line of scrimmage before hitting Walker on the desperation fourth-down play.
The defense still needed to make a final stop, though.
The Bruins started marching down the field, eventually facing a fourth-and-1 at the PLU 32.
Aiden Shroyer then stuffed Ethan Bullock on a rush up the middle to secure the victory for the Lutes.
"The defense kept their composure, played within our system, scored on defense and stepped up huge when the game was on the line," McAdams said. "Most importantly they stayed behind our offense all the way down to the final tick."
The Lutes (2-2 overall, 1-0 NWC) took their first lead with 7:05 remaining in the third quarter when Jared Elwin intercepted a Haiden Schaan pass and returned it 39 yards for a touchdown and a 7-6 lead. It was one of two Elwin interceptions on the day.
George Fox (3-1, 0-1) answered on the ensuing drive and then forced a PLU punt, taking over with 8:28 left.
The Lutes defense again came up huge, though, as Syi Campbell forced a fumble and Ashton Barton recovered seeing up the fireworks in the final minutes.
"George Fox is always good on special teams," McAdams said, "and our special teams units stepped up to match that. (Max Boekenoogen) was in true form flipping the field all night."
Boekenoogen finished with eight punts for an average of 39.1 yards per kick.
Kranc finished 16-of-23 for 109 yards, while Etter was 1-for-2 for 27 yards and the winning touchdown.
Walker finished with six receptions for 88 yards and a touchdown, while Raysen Motoyama had 65 yards on 20 carries.
Elwin had two pass breakups to go with his two interceptions, while Kord Tuttle had 1.5 sacks and 11 tackles and Colby Rhinelander had 11 tackles as well.
Attaways: Jared Elwin earned national attention on Tuesday, earning a spot on the D3football.com Team of the Week. Elwin was one of 11 defensive players to make the cut, becoming the first Lute to make the Team of the Week since Kalen Davis-White earned the honor on Nov. 16, 2021.
Dive Deeper: Learn more about Saturday's pinch-hit hero Jordan Etter and his journey to Luteville. Its a path that went from Spanaway Lake to South Dakota, and back to the Tacoma area: LINK
About the Pioneers: Lewis & Clark (2-1, 0-1 NWC) started off the season red-hot, smashing Puget Sound 41-15, crushing Whittier 44-13, and rolling Lewis-Clark Valley 79-8 in an exhibition game.
The Pioneers opened up conference play last weekend, ending on the wrong side of a 66-28 affair. Signal caller Cruz Montana tossed three touchdowns while Elijah Washington ran for 112 yards on just 10 carries, averaging 11.2 yards per rush.
Dyontae Navarrete is the Pios leading rusher with 250 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 5.2 yards per carry for a ground game that averages 164 yards per game.
Montana has 666 passing yards and eight touchdowns, completing 67.9 percent of his passes with just two interceptions. Devon Guest has been his most popular target with 18 catches for 233 yards and three touchdowns.
Sam Meinhard leads the defense with 24 tackles on the year, including four TFLs and three sacks. Jake Bushman has 20 tackles and three TFLs while Silas Ticeson as the team's lone interception of the year.
Trailblazing NIL the D3 Way: PLU Athletics continues to lead the way nationally in Name, Image, and Likeness, unveiling the Luteville Marketplace on Wednesday through the department's partnership with Opendorse. Learn more about the deal here: LINK. But don't stay on the sidelines, get involved and connect with PLU student-athletes on the Luteville Marketplace: LINK
The Luteville Marketplace is the first dedicated NIL marketplace in Division III on the Opendorse platform that directly connects student-athletes with fans, supporters, and business partners in an easy to use website.
Stay connected to your favorite teams by downloading the official mobile app of the Pacific Lutheran University athletic department powered by SIDEARM Sports, available in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.
Featuring real-time news alerts, schedules, exclusive multimedia content, gameday details and more, the new PLU Athletics app is free and compatible with both iOS and Android devices.
Hidden Lute Talents: The PLU Athletic Department welcomed back its student-athletes on September 12 in an event that included a rock, paper, scissors competition, a student-athlete talent show, and a buddy team reveal. PLU football stole the show, crushing the field in the talent show.
Hall of Fame Class of 2023: The Pacific Lutheran University athletic department will induct six individuals and one team into the Athletics Hall of Fame on Saturday, March 18 as members of the 32nd induction class. Those entering the Hall of Fame will be softball players Shannon (Fritzke) Cotton and Melissa Korb, baseball's Brock Gates, volleyball's Beth Peckham, swimming's Kersten Fairbairn and Glenn Preston, and the 2012 national championship winning softball team.
Next Home Game:
Oct. 15 vs. Whitworth at 1 p.m.
PLU Non-Discrimination Policy: Pacific Lutheran University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability or age in its programs and activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Title IX Coordinator Jennifer Childress-White; 253-535-7361; TitleIX@plu.edu
Credits:
Alberto Nunez