'Cats nab victory behind McNabb, Woodcock and timely defense
The Wildcat’s week one matchup against the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh was a game unlike any head coach Joe Smith had seen before. Wet behind the ears, Linfield touted nine new offensive players and several on defense who were simply inexperienced in what was the ’Cats first season-opening loss since 2018.
Smith and his staff had two weeks to prepare the team for Chapman, a squad that played preseason ranked-No. 6 Hardin-Simmons close in their season opener, losing 36-30.
Every practice was a step in the right direction, but against the Panthers, the ’Cats offensive line was still different than in games prior. Even heading into game No. 3, Smith admits there may be more overhauls as players return from injury and depth charts iron themselves out. Despite the turnovers, both on the field and off, Linfield continued to improve with every drive.
In the days before the game, the ’Cats had one of their best practices of the season, according to Smith. However, the team’s immaturity showed through 13 penalties for 98 yards. Nine occurred in the first half for 68 yards.
Smith said a combination of youth, inexperience and coaching was responsible. He believes that in five weeks the team will look and play more professional than they have over two early showings on the gridiron.
“Until these guys play together and get used to what everyone’s doing and how they’re doing, it’s going to take some time. That’s every level, every team. So, we’ll get guys back, start again, start a new group of guys, and that’s just going to be how it is,” Smith said. “But I thought our guys played hard. There’s no question in that.”
There was an immediate tone shift when the ’Cats took the field and opted to kick off to start the game.
Linfield’s defense was impenetrable in the first 20 minutes, forcing three consecutive three-and-outs and only allowing a first down when a defensive line penalty was called late in the first quarter.
Two interceptions in the secondary were key moments. The first came via the hands of sophomore cornerback J.J. Thompson to start the second quarter. Thompson played the ball well and got his body in front of a stagnant Panther receiver to deter a potential reception in the red zone.
Later in the second, junior Kenyon Johnson nabbed the ball over a receiver’s shoulders in the endzone, ending a potential game-tying scoring drive from Chapman, who started airing the ball over the ’Cats secondary for long yardage.
The Panthers outgained Linfield in the air 225 to 170, and on fewer attempts, nine compared to 14.
Defensive coordinator Jackson Vaughan was impressed with their overall defensive play, but noted some glaring mistakes that ultimately made the game closer against a Chapman team facing similar struggles with youth development.
“You can’t assume that they know much, and you gotta cover lots of stuff,” Vaughn said of his fresh defenders. “You’re hoping that you can cover enough stuff that the guys can run your defense, especially when they get things we didn’t practice and function within the structure of the defense. And that’s what we’re still struggling with, but the guys are getting better. And the more you practice, the more they get comfortable in making adjustments on their own because sometimes on defense, you have to build to adjust on your own.”
Linfield football is built on development. As players, coaches and human beings, everyone is aiming to better themselves. “I’ll never be happy with us being okay and us not getting better,” Smith said. “Time for me to leave when that happens.”
Both sides of the ball are held accountable, counting on the other, and Linfield’s offense benefited from impenetrable defense.
The ’Cats defense narrowly missed a safety on Chapman’s second drive of the game. Forward progress ruled the Panthers’ QB down at their one-yard line, but it resulted in a short punt and a long return from sophomore Kai Laukkanen that put Linfield within feet of the endzone.
Junior QB Luke McNabb rolled right on second down and found junior tight end Jake Wallace wide open for a touchdown and the team’s first lead of the season.
Chapman’s offense awoke in the second quarter and they led 13-7 at the half. But Linfield’s most veteran connection — McNabb and senior wide receiver Caleb Woodcock — led the team in the second half after a bit of chaos opened the festivities.
The first snap of the half hit McNabb in the face mask, resulting in a fumble turnover. Linfield junior defensive end Jaydon Kaio nabbed the ball back for his QB on the Panthers’ ensuing play. A gracious McNabb then completed two straight passes to Woodcock, one a short rollout and the other a deep ball over Woodcock’s right shoulder, resulting in a 39-yard touchdown reception and Linfield’s repossession of the lead, 14-13.
They connected for a score later in the third quarter, putting Linfield up 21-13 with a 34-yard rainbow pass into the basketed arms of Woodcock.
Summer roommates, best friends; the McNabb-Woodcock connection has grown tenfold in a short time. Both were ecstatic to play for a win after not competing to their standards in week one.
“I was just so happy that (McNabb) really took over that game in the second half. He was super composed, had pressure in his face, just stood in there and threw the right balls,” Woodcock said.
Woodcock finished with four receptions for 100 yards and two touchdowns in the game. McNabb ran for one score of his own to go along with a team-leading 75 rushing yards on 13 carries. In the air, McNabb completed 14 of 24 passes (54%) for 170 yards and two touchdowns.
Laukkanen was McNabb’s second favorite target, receiving five passes for 39 yards.
“Oshkosh week, I missed (Woodcock) a couple times, which sucked because those were throws we made a ton of times in the summer,” McNabb said. “It felt really good to finally get that connection with him and get dialed in.”
McNabb sealed the game with a hard sell of an inside run in the red zone. Seeing the Chapman defense collapse on the line, McNabb decided to hold the ball and rushed 19 yards to give the ’Cats their eventual victory.
“I went freaking crazy on the sideline,” Woodcock said. “As soon as I knew I could come on the field, I sprinted down there. That was not the play call. He called his own number and just knew what the defense was doing. He baited them into it. I was very shocked.”
While celebrating their own connection, Woodcock and McNabb were proud of how the rest of the team performed after two weeks of practice. McNabb said communication with the offensive line has improved, including junior center Alex Bobadilla, who has grown comfortable with his QB in the pocket. Woodcock praised the team’s quick adjustments as the game progressed but was adamant about staying energized during another full week off.
“That second half, they came out and they just really put pedal to the metal,” Woodcock said. “It’s a great feeling to get that first win of the season under our belt, but we still have to keep developing and stay hungry. We can’t get satisfied with this win at all. We’re seeing steady growth, but the preparation for George Fox starts now, getting our bodies right, and we have to stay focused.”
Linfield begins Northwest Conference play on Oct. 4, facing George Fox on the road at 1 p.m. All games are available to stream on the FloSports network at flocollege.com/partner/nwc.
The Wildcats improved to 35-4 all-time against Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference teams (24-0 at home, 11-4 on road) and 6-1 all-time against Chapman (4-0 at home, 2-1 on road) with the victory. It was the teams’ first meeting since Nov. 23, 2019, when Chapman upset Linfield, 68-65, in triple overtime during the first round of the Division III football playoffs.
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