Timber! Puget Sound at Linfield

Week 5 is here and the playoffs have already started for our Linfield Wildcats. Yes, we are coming off a loss at Willamette that had a suck factor of 10. I guess we lost our lease on “Catdome South” until we get another chance to rent out McCullough Stadium in 2009.

With that debacle in rearview mirror our boys need to turn their full attention to a Puget Sound Logger team that took one on this chin last Saturday to the revived Lutes 37-8. With Linfield sitting on an uncomfortable 1-2 record I don’t think there is a reason to dive deep in the reasons why victory this weekend is a huge must. What I think we’ll find out on Saturday is if Linfield is going to have a huge say about the NWC title or if Linfield Nation will be smashing the panic button at about 4:30 PM (PST).

Here are the schools official game previews: Opportunity for Redemption/Taking on the 'Cats

Know Your Foe

Loggers: Everyone knows what a Logger is but our friends over at Wikipedia provided some golden nuggets about our wood chopping opponents that my have you saying “Who Knew?”

-The difference between a Lumberjack and a Logger is that the term Lumberjack is typically referring to a Logger from an earlier time. So a Logger is basically a modern day Paul Bunyan. However, another slightly used term for a Logger back on east coast is a woodhick. I like it! Say it with me…”Puget Sound Woodhicks” Has a good ring to it.

-American Loggers were first centered in the northeastern states and moved along the upper Midwest until they hit the PacNW where the area glommed on the identity of the tough, hard working woodhick culture and we’ve been wearing flannel shirts every since.

---The term “skid row” can trace its origins to Loggers. Fallen trees were “skidded” down hill sides or on a corduroy road. One such street was in Seattle and held the name of “Skid Road”. As time moved along Skid Road was occupied by folks that were down on their luck and that morphed into the term “skid row”.

---The Wall Street Journal named being a logger as the worst job in America in 2004 due to the instability of the work, the pure danger, and low income from the job. I still contend the head football coach of Lewis and Clark is the worse job in America but I’m not the WSJ.

---The last fun fact I’ll provide is that Loggers like to have beards and wear suspenders. Maybe UPS should incorporate the suspender look onto their uniforms?

Wildcat11’s key to victory:

TURNOVERS:

The Turnovers this season and last year have been 100% killer to this team. It happened again last week with the fumble at the one-inch line at the start of the 3rd quarter and when we had a blown assignment in pass protection that lead to Trevor getting stripped when he was steamed rolled. It has to stop if we are going to beat teams. You can look at Linfield’s last three losses (Willamette, WOU and Whitworth) and our turnovers all had a major, major say in the outcome.

Limit Kavin Williams:

The UPS quarterback (Kavin Williams) will be sharper this week than last after sitting out the beginning of the season with a bum right shoulder and was finally inserted back into the lineup vs PLU. Williams hurt Linfield last year with his legs but missed some golden chances to make some big strikes in the air. This year I suspect he’s probably matured as a passer and will be looking for the big air strike vs the ‘Cats. Before the season I felt he was one of the conference’s most dangerous players but was hampered by the tweaked wing. No Doubt, he will be looking to pull the ball down and run this weekend if he doesn’t see his primary target open. If we can control/limit Williams then we will control/limit UPS.

Overall: I could keep going and going about each little aspect that I believe will impact Saturday’s game but I truly think the above will be two highlighted keys of the game. If we don’t turn the stinking thing over and kill ourselves with stupid penalties then I love our offense. Teams cannot cover all of our weapons. Our Defense played great for 90% of the game last week but that 10% of being out of possession and players trying to do too much just murder us. If the defense plays on the same page and just focus on their jobs the full 60 minutes then we should be in good shape.

I don’t care how much we win by but I want to see an improved effort to play smart, limit the turnovers, and try to play a complete game. I like Linfield by 14 or more. Now let’s go out and win the damn thing!