Setting the Scene: Pacific Lutheran looks to return to the win column on Saturday and remain in the Northwest Conference title hunt, welcoming Oregon rival Willamette to Sparks Stadium.
Series History: This is the 52nd all-time meeting between the Lutes and Bearcats in a series that dates back to the 1966 season. PLU enjoys a 32-17-2 edge in the series, including having won the last five encounters and 10 of the last 11. The Lutes shutout the Bearcats last fall in Salem, prevailing 24-0.
About the Lutes: Four games into the conference slate and the Lutes (4-3, 3-1 NWC) sit tied for second place in the conference standings.
Pacific Lutheran opened conference play 3-0 for the first time since 2010, earning victories over previously undefeated George Fox (13-12) along with Lewis & Clark (47-21) and Whitworth (28-7).
The Lutes faced their second top 15 opponent of the season last Saturday, falling 45-0 to 6th-ranked Linfield for the program's first conference blemish of the fall.
Erik Bainter heads into Saturday having thrown for 1,126 yards with 13 touchdowns and four interceptions. Bainter additionally has three rushing touchdowns on the season.
His main target this fall has been Manuel Felan who has 39 catches for 499 yards and five TDs. John Walker has 360 yards and a team-best six TDs while Marc Base has 11 catches this season.
Raysen Motoyama leads the Lutes' ground attack with 301 yards on the season while Michael Martinez averages 4.3 yards per carry.
Kalen Davis-White spearheads a stout Lute defense, leading the team with 55 tackles, including 7.5 TFLs and two forced fumbles. Colby Rhinelander has 46 tackles on the season with Michael Gurr netting 43 along with two interceptions and seven pass breakups.
Kord Tuttle has a team-best 5.5 sacks while Nico Golla has five along with a team-leading 10.5 TFLs.
As a unit, the defense has eight interceptions on the year, including two pick-sixes.
Attaways: Twice this season, the Lutes received national attention with Ashton Barton earning a spot on the D3football.com Team of the Week on Oct. 11 and Jared Elwin landing the distinction on Oct. 4.
About the Bearcats: Willamette (2-5, 0-4 NWC) had a successful non-league slate, earning wins over La Verne (26-14) and Hilbert (31-20) but its been tough sledding since embarking on conference play.
The Bearcats opened NWC action with a 35-0 loss to Pacific before falling 27-10 to George Fox. Willamette was outscored 39-17 against Lewis & Clark before falling last Saturday 42-14 to Whitworth.
Aidan Kuykendall is the Bearcat signal caller, throwing for 944 yards with 10 touchdowns and six interceptions. Justin Genovia has been the popular target with 26 receptions for 368 yards and three TDs. Jared Paredes has 356 receiving yards and a team-high six TDs while Joseph Castillo is the primary ballcarrier on the ground with 338 rushing yards.
Dylan Hall has a team-high 38 tackles for a defense that yields over 400 yards of offense a game. Christopher Brown has 34 tackles with Keaton Adams boasting a team-best 2.5 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:
Nov.12 vs. Pacific 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