Putney Powers Pirates Running Back Sets Record With 303 Yards

Damian Putney cut through the Simon Fraser defense and pasted his name in the Whitworth College football team’s record book.

The senior tailback out of Harrington High, amassed 303 yards on 40 carries in Whitworth’s 33-19 convincing win over the Clansmen on Saturday. Putney also scored twice, both times from 1 yard out. But on each touchdown drive, Putney was the drive, as he supplied 62 percent of the Pirates’ total offensive plays in their home opener before 1,228 at the Pine Bowl.

The Pirates improved to 1-1 after last Saturday’s overtime loss at Menlo College, a California school whose student enrollment is 500. Simon Fraser, an NAIA school with a student population of 16,500 slipped to 1-1.

“We couldn’t stop him. That’s why they won the game,” Simon Fraser coach Chris Beaton said of Putney, who collected 238 of his yards in the second half.

Putney’s total yards broke Mark Linden’s 225-yard mark set in 1989 against Pacific. Putney’s previous career best was last year, 122 against Lewis & Clark College. On that day, he only carried 14 times because he shared the running assignments with Ben Vaday. Vaday is not back because of a wrist injury that did not heal properly.

Putney, 5-foot-10 and 198 pounds, averaged 7.6 yards per carry, his longest run being 38 yards.

“Their backers were stacked inside and we were just able to bounce it outside a little bit more,” Putney said. “It was all God and a great offensive line.”

Putney broke the record on a 25-yard sprint with 8:38 left in the fourth quarter. One play earlier, he busted loose for a 29-yard pickup. The Pirates compiled 308 yards rushing. The Clansmen finished with 89 yards, Marchi Gabriele leading the way with 78 yards on 20 carries.

But there were other reasons why Whitworth looked to be the better team in this non-conference contest. Simon Fraser, which beat Whitworth 40-6 in the last meeting in 1996, constantly stopped itself on penalties (9 for 102 yards). And unlike last week, when the Pirates turned over the ball six times, no one fumbled and quarterback Josh Parbon did not throw an interception.

Whitworth’s most creative play did not involve Parbon.

With the score tied at 10 and 11:14 left in the third quarter, Whitworth field-goal kicker Matt Stueckle was lined up to try a 27-yarder. Before the Clansmen knew what hit them, holder John Bates tossed a perfect 10-yard pass to Ivan Gustafson, who was standing in the left corner of the end zone.

Whitworth broke the tie and never let go of the lead.

“It was a designed play, big time,” said Whitworth coach John Tully. “And it was one of those plays that just happened to work.”

Simon Fraser also brought an element of surprise into the game.

After Cody Jones’ 30-yard field goal narrowed Whitworth’s lead to 24-13 late in the third quarter, Paul Chung recovered an onside kick on the next play.

SFU followed with a nine-play, 38-yard drive that was capped by a Terry Kleinsmith 9-yard touchdown pass to Jon Needham. The 2-point conversion failed, but Whitworth’s lead was cut to 24-19.

The final quarter brought more of Putney - up the middle, sweep right, sweep left, sweep wherever he wanted.

“He’s in great shape,” Tully said about his workhorse. “He came into camp in great shape. We told him he’s going to carry the ball 20-25 times a game.”

Saturday, it was nearly twice that number, but only the visitors seemed to be bothered.