Setting the Scene: Pacific Lutheran looks to go 3-0 in Northwest Conference play for the first time since 2010, hosting in-state rival Whitworth today at Sparks Stadium.
Series History: This is the 79th meeting between the in-state rivals with Pacific Lutheran holding 51-27 advantage in the all-time series that dates back to the 1931 season. Whitworth has won the last eight encounters, including a 31-17 victory last fall in Spokane.
About the Lutes: Erik Bainter threw for four touchdowns and ran for another while Ashton Barton had two interceptions, including a 100-yard pick six as the Pacific Lutheran University football team stayed atop the Northwest Conference standings with a dominating 47-21 Homecoming win over Lewis & Clark College on Saturday at Sparks Stadium.
The game was tied at halftime before the Lutes (3-2, 2-0 NWC) broke the game open in the third quarter, scoring four consecutive touchdowns to turn the homecoming tilt into a one-sided blowout.
"It's always good to get a win on Homecoming. It was great to see so many former Lutes coming back to cheer our guys on today," said Head Coach Brant McAdams.
"We knew we left some big opportunities out there in the first half and challenged the offense to come away with points in the second half and they answered."
Manuel Felan got the Lutes rolling in the first quarter, hauling in a 22-yard pass from Bainter before Bainter plunged in from two yards out early in the second quarter for an early 14-0 Lute lead.
The Pioneers (2-2, 0-2 NWC) answered with two touchdowns in the final eight minutes of the half, going into the locker room deadlocked at 14.
PLU needed just 48 seconds to reclaim the lead in the third with Bainter connecting with Marc Basa on a 55-yard pass. Michael Martinez plunged in from six yards out with 3:06 left in the quarter before Barton solidified the win, picking off his second pass of the day and rumbling 100-yards to make it 33-14 PLU heading into the fourth.
Felan hauled in his second TD of the night midway through the fourth, capping off a 64-play drive while Kamaehuokalani Makanui returned a Pio onside kick for a touchdown in the 26-point with 2:24 remaining in the 26-point blowout.
PLU racked up 394 yards of offense, with Felan finishing with nine catches for 135 yards and two scores. Basa had five catches for 98 yards and a score. Bainter was 21-for-38 with 296 yards through the air while Raysen Motoyama led the ground attack with 48 yards.
Cheyn Tam-Switzer led the Lute defense in tackles with 11 takedowns, including seven solo tackles while Barton had eight tackles, 1.5 TFLs, and two picks. Kalen Davis-White had eight tackles and two TFLs while Kord Tuttle had a pair of sacks. All told, the defense racked up 12 TFLs and six sacks on the day.
"The defense stepped up again pressuring the quarterback, creating takeaways, and scoring on defense. Ashton's pick six was an outstanding play. The best part was his teammates throwing legal blocks all the way downfield to get him in the endzone."
Saturday's homecoming win was the most points the Lutes have produced since piling on 48 against the Pios during the 2016 season.
Attaways: It was the second straight week, the Lutes received national attention with Ashton Barton earning a spot on the D3football.com Team of the Week on Tuesday. Barton was one of 11 defenders to make the cut, and follows in the footsteps of Jared Elwin who won national team of the week honors the week prior.
About the Pirates: Whitworth (3-2, 1-1 NWC) had its three-game win streak snapped last Saturday, falling 35-17 to nationally-ranked Linfield University.
The Pirates opened the season back on Sept. 2 with a 35-17 setback to Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania before ripping off three straight wins. Whitworth pounded NAIA Eastern Oregon University 33-7 before netting wins at the expense of Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges (12-7), and Lewis & Clark College (66-28).
Last weekend’s tilt against Linfield was a tight 7-3 affair until the Wildcats broke things open in the third, scoring two touchdowns that ultimately proved the difference.
Ryan Blair is the Pirates signal caller, throwing for 1,176 yards and nine touchdowns with four interceptions. His most popular target has been Evan Liggett with 21 catches for 250 yards and three touchdowns while Dillon Kuk was 226 receiving yards and a touchdown. All told, six different receivers have found the endzone for Whitworth during the 2022 season.
Isaiah Jones is the team’s top rusher with 130 yards for a Pirate squad that averages 75.4 rushing yards per game.
Defensively, Dylan Ventress leads the team in tackles with 40 on the season with Patrick Serrano adding 37, including 3.5 TFLs. Dylan Owen has a team-best 3.5 sacks with Derrick Platt registering 4.5 TFLs and 3.0 sacks.
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. 29 vs. Willamette 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