Nov. 11, 2006

Lutes Finish Season With 38-7 Win Over Willamette

Brett Gordon - accounts for four touchdowns

Andrew Eisentrout - five quarterback sacks

Game Statistics

PUYALLUP, Wash. – Brett Gordon threw for three touchdowns and ran for another to lead the Pacific Lutheran Lutes to a 38-7 Northwest Conference football victory over the visiting Willamette Bearcats in the season finale for both teams at Sparks Stadium.

Pacific Lutheran closes the 2006 season with a 4-5 overall record and a 4-2 mark in the Northwest Conference, good for third place. Willamette ends up 2-7 overall and 2-4 in the conference and in fifth place.

Gordon, a junior from Yakima, put the Lutes on the scoreboard first, taking an option keeper around the right end for 56 yards and a score just 2:08 into the game. The play capped a 75-yard, five-play drive.

Willamette answered right back on its first possession, driving 65 yards on eight plays and scoring on an 18-yard run by Ryan Hernandez. The shifty senior flanker, who led all rushers with 116 yards on 16 carries, started left, then cut back across the field and used his speed to beat several Lute defenders to the right corner of the end zone.

After Willamette forced a PLU punt, the Bearcats started a streak of generosity that resulted in a total of eight turnovers, three on interceptions and five on fumbles. Artie Atencio muffed a punt by Doug Rickabaugh and Brent Frank recovered for the Lutes at Willamette’s 40-yard line. Five plays later, the Lutes made the score 14-7 when Gordon hooked up with Craig Chiado on a 25-yard scoring pass.

After PLU cornerback Aaron Todd intercepted a Kevin Whipps pass in the end zone, the Lutes drove 68 yards in 16 plays before settling for a 28-yard field goal by Pat Burke. For Burke, a freshman from Spokane, it was his third field goal in as many attempts and also his longest of the season, two yards longer than his previous best.

On Willamette’s next possession, punter Clint Moran fumbled the snap and the Lutes took over at the Bearcats’ 11-yard line. One play later, Gordon hit Jacob Washburn with a touchdown pass, giving the Lutes a 24-7 halftime lead.

After a scoreless third quarter, Pacific Lutheran scored on the first play of the fourth period when Gordon threw long across the middle to Chase Reed, who turned the play into a 77-yard catch-and-run touchdown. Pacific Lutheran’s final touchdown came on a 2-yard keeper by senior reserve quarterback Chris Maine with 3:08 remaining.

Other than a first half in which the Bearcats turned the ball over five times, the game was fairly even at the intermission with PLU accumulating 187 yards of offense to 163 for the Bearcats. In the second half, however, the Lute defense limited Willamette to just 72 yards of offense. Linebacker Chad Blau and defensive end Andrew Eisentrout played a big part in PLU’s stifling defense. Blau finished the game with 10 total tackles, two tackles for loss, a quarterback sack and a fumble recovery, while Eisentrout finished with nine tackles and five of the Lutes’ six quarterback sacks.

The Lutes finished the game with 352 yards of total offense, including 184 yards on 12-of-26 passing from Gordon. Pacific Lutheran also compiled 164 rushing yards, led by Gordon with 55 on seven carries. Senior fullback Craig Stahl, playing his last game, added 49 yards on 11 carries.

Hernandez accounted for 116 of Willamette’s 141 rushing yards. Whipps, one of three Bearcats to attempt passes in the game, finished 5-of-15 for 52 yards with three interceptions. Junior linebacker Taylor Hermes led the Bearcats with nine tackles, and junior defensive tackle Mitchell MacCready was credited with a pair of quarterback sacks.

- PLU -