SALEM, Ore. – A tight game through the first half quickly
turned in the third quarter as the University of Puget Sound
football team fell 52-21 to Willamette University on Saturday. The
Loggers (1-5, 0-3) kept the game close throughout the first half
and went into the break down 17-14, but Willamette (4-2, 2-1)
scored 28 points in the third quarter to pull away.
Duncan White had a solid game through the air, throwing for 262
yards and no interceptions on 27-of-47 passing. White also tossed
one touchdown pass, which give the Loggers 15 on the year. The
Loggers had just 14 touchdown passes in all of 2009.
Both Thiesen Chang and Adam Kniffin hauled in nine receptions to
lead the Loggers. Kniffin had 125 yards receiving while Chang
totaled 68 yards receiving.
The Bearcats started off hot as they scored the first 14 points
of the game. However, the Loggers did not go away quietly as Casey
Larson found the endzone on a one-yard run to close the gap to 14-7
in the second quarter. The Loggers defense held the Bearcats to a
field goal on their next and Larson once again found paydirt on
another one-yard run late in the second quarter to send the Loggers
into the locker room down just three points.
The Bearcats scored first in the second half to extend their
lead to 24-14, but the Loggers responded when White found Ryan
Rogers for six-yard TD pass. Rogers had seven receptions for 70
yards in the game. However, the rest of the game was all Bearcats
as they rattled off 28 unanswered point to capture the victory.
Despite the two touchdowns on the ground, the Loggers ran for
four yards on 25 carries while the Bearcats rushed for 286 yards
and six touchdowns on 42 carries. The Loggers outgained the
Bearcats through the air with 297 passing yards to the
Bearcats' 208 yards. Tyler Schaner completed a 35-yard pass
on a fake punt that gave the Loggers a first down and set up a
Loggers score.
The Loggers defense forced two turnovers from the Bearcats with
a pair of interceptions. Both interceptions came deep in Logger
territory to prevent Bearcat score as Roy Fuchigami stepped in
front of a pass in the Loggers' end zone and Cory Dunn picked
off his fifth pass of the year inside the Loggers' 20.
The defense also got to the quarterback three times, including a
sack by Justin Erikson who led the Loggers with a game-high 10
tackles. Niko Wacker also recorded a sack while Chris Subia and
Casey Coberly each had 0.5 sacks.
The Loggers were playing in their first road game in a month but
return home next week to face Lewis & Clark at 1 p.m. in Baker
Stadium.
