Sept. 30, 2006

Lutes Score Final 19 Points to Defeat Puget Sound, 32-28

Game Statistics

TACOMA - Pacific Lutheran rallied from a 28-13 deficit, scoring the final 19 points of the game to pull out a stirring 32-28 Northwest Conference football victory over the host Puget Sound Loggers on Saturday afternoon at Baker Stadium.

Chad Blau (43) and Andy Hamilton (11) close in on Puget Sound's Rory Lee (19), who was flipped upside down by the PLU defense on this play. (Chris Johnson photo)

Puget Sound (3-1 overall, 0-1 NWC) looked to be on its way to its second straight win after 17 straight losses in the long series, but the Lutes (1-3 overall, 1-0 NWC) scored three touchdowns in the final quarter to pull out the victory.

With the score 28-13, PLU started its comeback with a five-yard touchdown pass from Brett Gordon to Brian Stevens. The play capped a nine-play, 42-yard drive after the Lutes defense forced the Loggers to punt from deep in their own territory.

On the ensuing kickoff, Clint Ludlow forced a Rory Lee fumble and Lawrence Woods III recovered for the Lutes at the Puget Sound 32-yard line. Gordon hooked up with Craig Chiado on a 31-yard pass, and after a running play lost a yard, Aaron Murphy scored on a two-yard run. The Lutes, trailing 28-26, went for two points, but the pass fell incomplete.

PLU still needed a stop, and the defense obliged, forcing the Loggers to punt the ball. The Lutes took over at their own 41-yard line and drove down the field in 10 plays, capped by Chase Reed's nine-yard run for the winning touchdown.

Puget Sound led 14-0 after the first quarter, taking advantage of a muffed punt snap for one score and then driving 98 yards for the next touchdown, both coming on one-yard runs by Lee. In the second quarter, UPS quarterback Kavin Williams broke free on a 44-yard option keeper, giving the Loggers a 21-0 advantage.

The Lutes got back in the game later in the quarter on Gordon's 65- and 19-yard touchdown passes to Chiado, but the Loggers opened the second half with a 13-play, 70-yard drive, scoring on Lee's 11-yard run and opening a 28-13 lead. That led to the Lutes' comeback.

Pacific Lutheran gained 392 total yards to 298 for the Loggers. The teams' offensive philosophies showed in the breakdowns as the Lutes gained 336 yards through the air, while the Loggers picked up all but nine of their yards rushing.

Gordon finished the game 20-of-37 for 336 yards and three touchdowns. Chiado led the Lutes in receiving with nine catches for 210 yards and two scores, while Stevens added five catches for 45 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, lineman Andy Holden had a big game for the Lutes with 10 tackles, including three for loss, and a fumble recovery. Safety Jeff Ebel added nine tackles and three other Lutes - lineman Andy Eisentrout and linebackers Kelly Brown and Chad Blau - had eight apiece. Brown also added an interception in the win.

- PLU -