NWC Pick 'em Contest: Week 5

Is it Saturday yet?

Much better week for Wildcat11 in the NWC Pick 'Em contest as I went 5 out 6.  I know the Menlo/Whitworth game was a toss up and it lived up to that billing with Menlo pulling out the late win.  I have no issue in missing that as Whitworth proved again to be a worthy home team.  The Rats just haven't able to get over the hump.  That moves me up to the 6th spot (22 correct out of 29 games = 75.8%) in the NWC pick 'em contest but I still have some ground to make up.   Let see if I can make gain ground this week with the Linfield/Willamette, CLU/Redlands, and UHMB/LC games causing some differences of opinion on the NWC pick 'em page.

Northwest Conference:

Pacific Lutheran (1-1) over Puget Sound (0-3) (at PLU): I was shocked that it took PLU hitting a long distance field goal to beat UPS last year but this is a rivalry game we're talking about so tight games happen...but not this year. I fully expect PLU to put this game away in the 1st half and roll a struggling Puget Sound. Articles keep discussing the great passing game of UPS but gloss over that fact the Loggers are giving up 43 points per game to the likes of Whittier and Sewanee and as a team only avg 53 yards on the ground.

Lewis & Clark (3-0) over Pacific (0-3) (at Pacific): Last season the Pios opened up conference play with a 48-0 beat down of Pacific up on the hill. Pacific is still looking for their 1st win since jump starting the program but have at times played competitive football and L&C is 3-0 for the 1st time in ages. The Pios have every right to celebrate this fact and is putting up points like a pinball machine but the fact both Pomona-Pitzer and Macalester each had their chances to win late makes the Pios a NWC pretender. The Pios are going to have to prove it vs the Whitworth's and PLU's before I can consider them a serious NWC challenger. Oh...this game: Pacific will be much more competitive and L&C again won't be able to salt this one way until late.

West Region Game of the Week:

#20 Cal Lutheran (1-1) over #13 Redlands (2-0) (at CLU): This is the win or go home game in the SCIAC. CLU is opening their new soccer lined turf stadium and the already bitterness of the rivalry has been turned up a few notches with the stadium opening. Redlands has played very well to start the season and CLU took it on the chin vs Linfield and had trouble turning massive offensive yards into points vs PLU. This game is going to come down to the wire but I think CLU is going to get the job done and leave the Bulldogs on the outside looking in.

National Game of the Week:

#4 Mary Hardin-Baylor (3-0) over #19 Louisiana College (3-0) (at UMHB): Please, until someone in the ASC can prove it with more frequency you always take UMHB in a ASC conference game. The Cru has only lost once in the ASC during the past 6 seasons and that will continue this weekend.

Bonus Game:

#17 Trine (3-0) over Adrian (4-0) (at Trine): I don't know much about either besides the fact Trine is an up and coming program that gave UWW some trouble in the playoffs last year. I'll take Trine because I just can't see myself picking a team named "Adrian".