Willamette makes great effort against Linfield

MCMINNVILLE, Ore. — Willamette (1-9) was defeated 65-19 by Linfield University (7-2) at Maxwell Field. The Bearcats' defense recorded eight sacks in the contest, while Linfield's offense secured nine touchdowns.

In the opening quarter, Reid Gray intercepted Alex Rivera IV's pass at the Willamette 35-yard line, returning it 18 yards to set up Linfield's first scoring opportunity. Linfield capitalized on the short field with a 1-yard touchdown pass from Luke McNabb to Caleb Woodcock, taking an early 7-0 lead. McNabb connected with Sean Emberlin for a 71-yard touchdown pass, extending Linfield's advantage to 17-0. The period concluded with Linfield leading 24-0 after a 76-yard touchdown pass from McNabb to Chase McAuliffe.

Next, Linfield's Luke McNabb connected with Jayce Bareng for a 16-yard completion and later found Caleb Woodcock for a 47-yard gain, setting up a scoring position. McNabb completed a 10-yard touchdown run, followed by a successful extra point, giving Linfield a 31-0 lead. The Bearcats responded as Austin Snodgrass scored a 1-yard rushing touchdown, with Nick Beswick-Seidl adding the extra point to cut the deficit to 31-7. A blocked 39-yard field goal attempt by Linfield's Gavin Dalziel, returned 85 yards by Josh Houfek, resulted in a touchdown, closing the half with Linfield leading 31-13.

Linfield started the third quarter strong with an 11-yard rush by Matthew Spurbeck, followed by a 16-yard pass to Caleb Woodcock, setting up a scoring drive that culminated in a 12-yard touchdown pass from Luke McNabb to Sean Emberlin. Following a missed extra point attempt, Linfield's defense forced the Bearcats into a three-and-out, and Reid Gray's 24-yard punt return positioned Linfield at the WIL 21-yard line. Linfield capitalized quickly with a 4-yard rushing touchdown by McNabb, extending the lead after Gavin Dalziel's successful extra point. Another Linfield touchdown came from a 31-yard pass from McNabb to Woodcock, aided by a roughing the passer penalty against the Bearcats, ending the quarter with a commanding 51-13 lead.

In the final quarter, Linfield's River Lien overcame an early sack by Javi Rodriguez with a 12-yard rush, leading to a touchdown pass to Cade Welch, extending their lead. The Bearcats responded swiftly as Lukas Hews connected with Jerrick Little for a 90-yard touchdown, narrowing the gap. A blocked punt by Linfield's Brady Crenshaw set up a 4-yard touchdown run by Julian Thomas, reinforcing Linfield's advantage. The Bearcats' late drive with Colby Ford's rushing gained 29 yards, but the game closed with Linfield ahead 65-19.

Jerrick Little led the receiving corps with four catches for 92 yards and one touchdown, showcasing his ability to gain significant yardage. Hews contributed with a single completion, making it count with a 90-yard touchdown pass. On the defensive side, Jonah Delgado made an impact with an interception and a 39-yard return. Rodriguez dominated upfront, recording three sacks as part of his four total tackles.

Willamette concluded its season with a 1-9 overall record and a 0-7 mark in conference play. Linfield improved to 7-2 overall and 6-1 in the conference following their victory.