Linfield routs Pacific, 52-14
Linfield College football won its 12th consecutive contest over Pacific University Saturday at Hanson Stadium, routing the Boxers, 52-15.
Wildcat quarterback Wyatt Smith passed for 303 yards and four touchdowns and Artie Johnson ran for a career-high 98 yards and two scores to pave the way for an explosive offensive performance.
The 25th-ranked 'Cats (2-1, 1-0 NWC) bounced back from a tough loss at Redlands two weeks ago.
Smith completed 24 of 35 passes and didn’t commit a turnover. Keegan Weiss caught eight of Smith's passes for a career-high 97 yards and three TDs.
Linfield racked up a season-best 186 rushing yards, providing a welcome balance in the Wildcat offense.
The Linfield defense limited Pacific to 238 yards. Travis Swanson led the way with seven tackles, including a sack and another tackle for loss. Tyler Bergeron and Keyell Davis were credited with six tackles each, while Davis snagged a first-quarter interception.
Linfield raced to a 24-0 first-quarter lead.
Weiss capped the Wildcats' initial series with a 13-yard touchdown grab.
The Wildcats next capitalized on Davis’ pick. Johnson made it 14-0 eight plays later, out-sprinting Pacific’s linebackers for a nine-yard TD with 9:03 left in the first quarter.
Andrew Starkel padded the Wildcats' advantage, booting a 36-yard field goal four minutes later to push the score to 17-0.
Weiss pulled in his second TD near the 10-minute mark of the second quarter.
Pacific ended the shutout with 4:20 remaining in the first half. Kobe Williams pulled in a seven-yard TD catch from Kenyon Harris to make it 24-7.
Linfield retaliated with a seven-play drive, culminating in Johnson’s three-yard dive into the end zone.
In the second 30 minutes, Weiss and Tyler Torgerson both caught TD passes from Smith, and freshman Connor McNabb scored his first collegiate touchdown with less than a minute to play on a three-yard run.
Next Saturday, Oct. 12, the ‘Cats host Puget Sound at 1:30 p.m. at Maxwell Field.
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