SALEM, Ore., – The Logger passing game was the ticket for an impressive win against the Willamette Bearcats by a final score of 40-21. Receiver
Izaiah Jerenz's 22 receptions on the day tied a school record (held by Adam Kniffin) and his 264 total receiving yards, resulting in three touchdowns, helped cement the win. The Loggers move to 2-3 in Northwest Conference play and 3-4 overall.
Quarterback
Mason Binning got the team on the board with its first possession, completing 11 of his 13 passes on the drive resulting in a four-yard throw to Jerenz to lead 6-0. It was in the second quarter that the Loggers exploded, adding three touchdowns to its side of the scoreboard. On its next scoring opportunity, Binning once again found Jerenz open for a 12-yard touchdown. Puget Sound went for the two-point conversion with a completed pass to
JohnJohn Nelson to jump the lead to 14-0.
It was the special team's turn to add to the score when a blocked punt by
Warren Sisneros-Barber was recovered by
Steven Anaya who ran it back for a 25-yard touchdown return. Willamette was able to get itself on the board with a 58-yard drive, but Puget Sound quickly countered with its third touchdown of the second quarter. From the shotgun, Binning put together another impressive drive with six more pass completions, including a 16-yard throw to
Liam Smith for a touchdown. The Loggers went into the locker room at halftime up 26-7.
The third quarter proved to be a balanced game with each team adding two touchdowns. For Puget Sound, the second half started similar to the beginning of the game by scoring on its first possession. Binning again was able to put together a masterful drive relying on Jerenz as his target. Running back
Henry Hernandez also provided two big run plays to help Puget Sound get down the field before Binning connected with
Tommy Milton for an eight-yard touchdown.
After Willamette added to its game total with its own touchdown, Puget Sound's final score of the game started at the 9:55 mark in the third quarter when Binning threw deep from the Puget Sound 32 for a 68-yard touchdown to Jerenz. Puget Sound extended its lead to 40-14. However, Willamette did not back down and responded by going 55 yards on six plays to score and shorten the gap to 40-21 going into the final quarter. Neither team was able to do much in the fourth quarter and the Loggers prevailed with the 40-21 win.
Binning finished the game with an impressive stat line of 45-62 completions, 482 total passing yards, and five touchdowns. Jerenz wasn't the only receiver with numbers on the day, Nelson also cracked the 100 receiving yards with his 12 receptions for 101 yards. Defensively, Anaya led all Loggers with six unassisted tackles.
Puget Sound will stay on the road next week when they travel to Lewis & Clark on Nov. 4th for a 6:00 p.m. kickoff. The Loggers return home to conclude the 2023 season against PLU on Nov. 11.
