Whitworth loss costly
The Whitworth Pirates’ injury situation went from bad to worse and beyond Saturday.
Already without All-America running back Adam Anderson, the Pirates lost starting quarterback Andrew Durant and backup quarterback Cub Jansen to injuries in a span of 3 minutes, 35 seconds in the second quarter. Second-string running back Milton Nelson departed briefly in the third quarter, followed by starting offensive tackle Zak Richardson’s exit with a back injury.
The short-handed Pirates, already trailing 14-0 when Durant went down, kept it somewhat interesting but fell to the seventh-ranked Linfield Wildcats 38-20 in front of 2,250 at the Pine Bowl.
The Pirates dropped to 2-4 overall and 0-2 in Northwest Conference football, but of more concern is the status of the quarterbacks. Durant, solid in the first four-plus games, scrambled out of the pocket and was drilled near the Pirates’ sideline. He suffered a lower back injury and will undergo tests to determine the severity. Jansen appears to have a season-ending knee injury.
“We’ve had a lot of injuries all year,” offensive guard Michael Nahl said. “We had a bunch of starters go down today. It’s tough. We just have to keep playing.”
Prior to the injuries, the two rivals were engaged in an entertaining game – but turnovers stalled Whitworth’s momentum. Minus Anderson, the Pirates chose to air it out and had some success. They took their opening possession to Linfield’s 1, but two runs later, they were still at the 1. Kole Krieger intercepted an underthrown pass by Durant in the end zone on third down.
Linfield (5-0, 2-0) immediately marched 80 yards, scoring on a 38-yard pass from Aaron Boehme to Trevor Patterson. After the Pirates went three-and-out, Linfield scored again on Aaron Williams’ 3-yard run.
Whitworth marched inside Linfield’s 15, but Eric Entel was hit as Durant’s pass arrived and the ball floated into the arms of defensive back Christian Hanna.
The Pirates lost Durant two series later. Jansen entered, but a botched center-quarterback exchange was picked up by linebacker Paul Partlow, who rambled to Whitworth’s 7. The Wildcats were flagged for two post-turnover penalties, costing them 71 yards of field position. It hardly mattered as Linfield reached the end zone in six plays to take a 21-0 lead.
Whitworth’s Cailen Thomason returned the ensuing kickoff 80 yards. Jansen scored two plays later but was injured in the process. Linfield added a field goal just before half, and then went 60 yards for a TD and a 31-7 lead early in the third quarter.
Third-team quarterback Taylor Eglet, a Lewis and Clark High product, had his first pass intercepted, but he responded by leading a Whitworth scoring drive in the third quarter. He twice fired completions on third downs to keep the drive going and picked up a third-and-7 with a 12-yard run.
True freshman London Vessey capped the drive with a 2-yard TD run on his first carry of the season.
Eglet finished with 83 yards passing and one touchdown.
“He made some nice throws, scrambled well and showed great presence in the pocket,” Pirates coach John Tully said. “I thought he played as well as we could have hoped.”
Menlo 14, Puget Sound 3: The Loggers (0-4, 0-1 NWC) held the Oaks (2-4, 1-1) to 3 yards rushing in Tacoma, but they couldn’t stop Cruz Castillo, who threw for 272 yards and two TDs.
Gustavus Adophus 34, Pacific Lutheran 33: PLU receiver Greg Ford broke his school record with 292 yards receiving against the Gusties (2-3) and also scored four TDs, but Gustavus engineered a 54-yard drive with 3:52 left to beat the Lutes (1-3) in St. Peter, Minn.
Carroll 32: MSU Northern 0: The visiting Saints (7-0, 6-0) outrushed the Lights (2-5, 1-5) 194-44 to win a Frontier Conference game in Havre, Mont.
Central Washington 34, Humboldt State 27: At Arcata, Calif., the Wildcats (7-0, 2-0 GNAC) rushed for 124 yards and three touchdowns to thwart a stingy Jacks (3-3, 0-3) defense and remain unbeaten this season.