TACOMA, Wash. – Logger Football took the fans on a wild ride Saturday afternoon in Baker Stadium, resulting in a thrilling 29-27 victory against George Fox as time ran out. In front of a boisterous Homecoming crowd, Puget Sound captured its first Northwest Conference win of the season.
Down by one point at 20-21 going into the fourth quarter, Puget Sound went through two series unable to put more points on the board. With 11 minutes remaining, the Bruins padded their lead with a passing touchdown but failed to convert the extra point, leaving the score in reach at 20-27. On its next possession, Puget Sound put together a balanced offensive show with six passing plays for 58 yards, along with nine plays on the ground. From the George Fox five-yard line, fullback
Michael Toa pushed through the line for a five-yard touchdown. The Loggers opted to go for the two-point conversion to retake the lead, but the Bruins stopped the pass play on the one-yard line.
Back within one at 27-26, the Puget Sound defense came up big stopping George Fox's next drive giving up only five plays. The scoreboard showing only 1:28 left on the game clock, and with the Loggers starting on its own one yard line, quarterback
Mason Binning put together five consecutive completed passes, moving the ball up the field to the George Fox 35-yard line. After setting up for a field goal on fourth down, George Fox called for a time out. Coming out of the timeout, the Loggers put the game back in Binning's hands for a completed pass to
Izaiah Jerenz to get to the 25-yard line. Running back
Henry Hernandez rushed on the ensuing two plays to move the ball to the six-yard line. Kicker
Jordi De La Torre took the snap with one second remaining to score the go-ahead field goal for the 29-27 win.
Starting In the first quarter, the Loggers looked to control the clock with their offense. On their first possessions, Puget Sound ran off nearly eight minutes on the scoreboard before Hernandez rushed into the end zone from the Bruins one-yard line. However, George Fox was able to respond quickly with a 62-yard touchdown off the pass of Max Rickey to Dillan Dobbins. The Loggers responded with another well-executed series ending with a 16-yard passing touchdown by Binning to Jerenz.
Going into the second quarter leading 14-7, both teams settled in with neither team able to add to its totals over the respective four series. On its final drive of the half, with only 1:28 on the clock, the Loggers got the ball down to the Bruin's 13-yard line to set up De La Torre to put the ball between the uprights for a field goal to retake the lead. Puget Sound headed to the locker room at halftime leading 17-7.
George Fox got on the board quickly to start the second half on just four plays. Puget Sound was not able to match production on its next possession, but when they got the ball back at the 8:34 mark, De La Torre again delivered on a 19-yard field goal. George Fox then put up the final score of the third quarter with a rushing touchdown to retake the lead 21-20 going into the fourth quarter.
On the day, the Loggers put up 535 offensive production. Binning finished with 416 yards on 41 completions. Freshman
JohnJohn Nelson and Jerenz each gained 154 receiving yards, and Hernandez ran for 79 yards on 22 carries. De La Torre delivered three critical field goals with the longest at 23 yards. Defensively,
Max Arneklev and
Amarian Culpepper led the Loggers with seven tackles a piece with
Matai Suitonu leading the team with five solo tackles.
The game's halftime featured the 2023 class of the Athletics Hall of Fame inductees: 2003 NCAA National Runners-Up Women's Rowing team, Brian Brendel (track & field), Danita Erickson (cross country and track & field), Jeff Halstead (baseball and football), and Julie Vanni (basketball and track & field).
Puget Sound travels to Spokane to take on Whitworth University next Saturday, October 14.
