Bucs host Bearcats

Willamette University brings its intricate “fly” offense into the Pine Bowl this afternoon, hoping to ease the sting of its 1-5 start by upsetting unbeaten and 11th-ranked Whitworth College in their annual Northwest Conference showdown.

The Bearcats, who are 1-2 in conference play, were humbled 34-26 by Puget Sound their last time out, but are coming off a bye week – a fact that concerns Whitworth coach John Tully, whose Pirates are 7-0 overall and 3-0 in the NWC.

“Whenever you have two weeks to prepare for someone, I think it’s a real advantage,” Tully said. “And I think it’s an advantage, too, in that you have some time to get a little bit healthy.”

Willamette’s two-back fly offense features multiple sets, with plenty of motion and misdirection.

“The big thing you’ve got to do against them is get lined up correctly and stay very assignment-oriented,” Tully said. “Our defense has certain keys we’re going to work with, and if our players follow through with the scheme that’s been presented to them, we have a great chance of being successful.”

The Bearcats, who have been outscored 125-37 in their five losses, haven’t fooled many opponents so far, but Tully insists they are a dangerous team with a deceiving record.

“They have a majority of their guys back, and they are skilled and well-coached,” he said of the Bearcats, who have 16 starters back from last year’s team, which finished 5-4 overall and edged Whitworth 40-34 in an overtime thriller that was also played in the Pine Bowl.

The Bucs have lost the last three games played in the long-running series, which dates back to 1908. But they seemingly had last year’s game won before giving up 11 fourth-quarter Willamette points that forced the overtime.

They come in fresh off last weekend’s 26-7 road triumph over NWC newcomer Menlo College.

In addition, the Pirates get back starting center Jon Erlenmeyer and starting running back Chris Ahsing, who have sidelined for several games with injuries.

“Having them both back late in the season should really help,” Tully said. “That makes us pretty healthy, although we’ve still got a lot of guys playing who are pretty banged up.

“But a lot of teams are really beat up this time of year.”

A Whitworth win this afternoon would mark only the fifth time in the school’s history that the Pirates have won as many as eight games.