Monday, October 7, 2019

‘Cats Win!!! Linfield knockout Boxers in 52-14 beatdown in Forest Grove.

Artie Johnson scored twice for the 'Cats against Pacific

Dang it felt good to finally play a football game in the state of Oregon and it felt better to watch our Linfield Wildcats brutalize Pacific to the tune of 52-14. We have a number of items to nitpick and a few areas where Linfield still needs some MAJOR improvement if they want to reach the potential this team possess but let’s enjoy the win and soak in the fact that we’re going to play a game this upcoming Saturday in the ‘Catdome.

I had very little doubt that Linfield was going to handle the Boxers coming into the game, but I was curious on if Linfield’s mindset was going to be.  Lethargic or sharp?  That first drive from the Wildcat offense was a slam dunk statement that Linfield was ready to go.  In fact, Linfield surged on the Boxers and put a sizable 24-0 lead before the Boxers were able to get anything going with their offense.

And after that 2nd quarter Boxer score was the only real point of the game where Pacific had a little life.  However, Linfield’s offense delivered a Brock Lesner F5 to Pacific’s hope with a 12 play, 75-yard TD drive in under 4 minutes to push the lead to 31-7 right before the break and essentially put the game to bed.

From there the Linfield offense did its thing in the 3rd and 4th quarters with two excellent long drives for touchdown (77 yards and 81 yards).  Defensively for Linfield, it was more of the same from games 1 and 2.  At times this defense can be a stone wall and other times our tackling really sucks and the ‘Cats gave up two scores that I’m not sure should this defensive should be giving up.  Towards the end of the game, it was great to see the ‘Cats being able to go deeper in the roster and get some guys time that have been busting their backsides.  Linfield has some promising young talent and this team is developing some depth that will be needed as the season moves along.

Overall, it was a fun day of football for Linfield.  The ‘Cats had a big following at the game (at least 75% of the 2,471 attendance numbers had to be Wildcat faithful) and we all love getting another chance to drop the hammer on Pacific.

For the Boxers, this is their 10th season since their reinstatement in 2010 and I’m sure this is not what they envisioned for their program when they rebooted.  Pacific has been trending downward ever since that season ender at Linfield in 2014 when Pacific captured a share of the NWC crown in the 2nd to last game of the year.  The Boxers beat Willamette (who upset Linfield the week before) and started popping champagne bottles.  Pacific had every right to be excited about being 5 years back, getting a share of the NWC crown, and then playing for the outright title and playoff bid.  There were several news stories, Pacific had the morning news guy out doing pieces on them, etc, etc.  The Boxers were treating the upcoming game with Linfield as a coronation as NWC King and the ‘Cats took notice.

That 2014 game at Linfield, the Boxers brought down their entire damn student body with them and packed the ‘Catdome in what was going to be a sure victory over Linfield because they smashed Willamette and Linfield lost to the Bearcats.  The ‘Cats had no chance, right?  But then the game started, and Pacific was ran out of the ‘Catdome on a rail in a 59-0 stomping in front of the whole Pacific University community. 

I truly believe that Pacific hasn’t been the same since then and have been backsliding ever since.  Now, the Boxers are sitting on an ugly 0-4 and I think will be lucky to win 2 or more ballgames this year. Once a slide like this starts to happen, it’s hard to stop.  Just ask Willamette. The silver lining for Pacific is that their current AD (who did bring football back) is retiring and Pacific’s head coach, Keith Buckley (who’s a good dude), is stepping in as Athletic Director.  Now an AD just can’t start funneling every spare dollar towards one sport but having a football guy as AD can’t hurt either.  Maybe Pacific can upgrade staff salaries, or up their recruiting budget, work on more facilities, etc, with Buckley as AD, but if things stand as they do right now, I’m not sure what turns it around for Pacific.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

The Good

Clean, discipline football:  Love the approach on Saturday as the ‘Cats played a smart brand of football against the Boxers.  Nobody got into stupid personal battles that could draw a flag and the team was only penalized 6 times for 53 yards.  I’m sure if we played this game in the SCIAC it would have been 25 penalties for 256 yards. Regardless, it was truly a Linfield brand of football.

Great Offensive Balance: Linfield had 38 rushing attempts to 39 passing attempts.  That balance led to a season high 529 yards of total offense.  Let’s not pretend we did this against a great defense, but Linfield did what you should do against a lesser team, and that’s rack up the yards and points.  Huge bonus points for getting the rushing game going but not going to get over my skis until the ‘Cats start running the ball against some better run defenses.

Special Teams:  Kicking game was solid as a rock, our punt returners did the little things right that make a big difference with field position, and we had some nice moments of coverage against a dangerous return team.

No Turnovers: Just awesome here.  It makes life that much better when you take care of the football.  Love it.

Offensive Conversions: 9 of 14 on 3rd down, 1 of 1 on 4th down, and 8 of 8 in the Red Zone for the Wildcat offense on the day. Linfield’s coaching staff would take that any day of the week.

Passing Attack: The Wildcat passing attack continues to shine as Wyatt Smith threw for 303 yards off 24 or 35 passing and four touchdowns. The chemistry with this group has continued to be exceptional in 2019.  Linfield has five outstanding targets (Weiss, Wood, Torgerson, Smith, and Calo) to choose form and Artie Johnson and freshman Connor McNabb are both fine receivers out of the backfield as well.  The only way to slow this aspect of Linfield down is if you can pressure, and on Saturday, the ‘Cats young offensive line and RB’s did an admirable job in getting Smith the time he needed.

The Bad

Defensive Inconsistencies:  Like I wrote above, at times our defense looks freaking outstanding but then the ‘Cats started giving up 8 yards a rush and allowing the other team to pop some chunk plays.  Yeah, Linfield only gave up 14 points and 238 yards, but it felt a little underwhelming to me because I see the potential our of this unit to be a lockdown group.

Tackling: This goes together with the above.  Our tackling at times is bad.  I know this may seem nitpicky and over critical to be so hard on a defense that keep Pacific down for most of the game, but I think if you talked to the defensive players, they are not there yet.  And they better be looking to improve with Puget Sound coming in because tackling is going to be critical in that game.

The Ugly

Nothing:  No plane ride, no hotel room, back home at a decent hour, and Linfield knocking Pacific around in their own house on a great fall day in Oregon.  Nothing ugly about that.  Go ‘Cats!

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Friday, October 4, 2019

2019 Game 3 preview: Linfield (1-1) vs Pacific (0-3)

Well, the game is at least in Oregon!

Thank the football gods that we’re past the bye week and getting back to football.  It’s been a long two weeks for the players, coaches, fans, and we’re ready to start backing the ‘Cats once again.  Obviously coming off a loss isn’t a party but my hope is that the Redlands game brought to light the flaws in Linfield’s game that needs to be tightened up and improved upon.

High up on that list for me are three items: better offensive line play, tackling needs to get way better out of our defense, and our special teams need better execution when it comes the blocking aspects of both protection and blocking on returns.  For the offensive line, this is a young group and they will improve as the season moves along, but it’s a tough situation because you want that growth this instant but you know there’s going to be bumps in the road. 

On the defensive side of the ball, Coach Vaughan has been as brilliant as always in putting his guys in the right places the great majority of the time through the first two games of the season.  What’s been haunting the Linfield defense are cases of technique failures and bad moments of tackling that is holding this group back from being a damn good Wildcat defense.  This issue is a case of looking in the mirror and deciding if the 2019 Linfield defense is going to be decent or if it’s going to be great.  If this group decides to be great, it’s going to come down to executing on their defensive assignments and how well they tackle.  This isn’t an issue of talent.

I’m not going to spend a whole paragraph on special teams because to me Linfield’s staff will find the guys that are going to take pride in special teams and clean up the boneheaded mistakes that just killed the ‘Cats chances of changing the complexion of the Redlands game.

I’m trying to be clear, and not use the purple tented glasses, in what I see this 2019 team needs in order to move their game up a notch.  There is NO doubt this Linfield team can be a force and win the NWC title once again but we need to show improvement and do it quickly. 

This Saturday is a chance for Linfield to show what strides they’ve taken as the ‘Cats head up the road to Forest Grove to face the Pacific Boxers.  This is the 5th time Linfield has made the 30-minute trip to Pacific since the Boxers have reinstated the program in 2010.  While the ‘Cats hold a 4-0 record at Hanson Stadium since their reintroduction of football, it has been a mixed bag of a close call, some sloppy halves, and some excellent Linfield football as well.  The ‘Cats need to be ready this Saturday.

For Pacific, the Boxers are in desperate need of a great performance after a hard 0-3 start.  Chapman, who is playing good football, came up North and blew past an early 14-7 Pacific lead to win 45-14.  Then the Boxers went on the road and showed some great fight in a 37-26 loss that could have gone the other way.  But the one that must hurt the worst was the loss at Cal Lutheran when the Kingsmen took a 45-28 win (CLU had a 45-7 4th quarter lead).

The thing that must be frustrating for the Boxer staff is they have some nice pieces on their roster but just haven’t been able to string together enough consistent good play to win a ballgame.  So, this is a team that can hit the big pass play, or run it between the tackles, and Pacific can get after the QB.  If Linfield is just looking at the 0-3 and not deeper, it could come back to haunt the ‘Cats.

Pacific’s offense wants to be a physical balanced attack and they’ve stuck to their guns rushing the ball 52% of the time to 48% passing the ball. The Boxers passing game is partly an extension of the rush game as Pacific is still running several quick screens where they try to get the offensive line involved.  And that run game and short strike passing attack is a great table setter for the shots downfield that Pacific will take as well.  I do like the Boxers Sophomore QB, Nick Bower.  He’s completed 66% of his 48 completed passes this season to Senior Kobe Williams (16 receptions, 113 yards per game, 3 TDs) and Ty Hargis (16 receptions, 33.3 yards per game, 1 TD). Carrying the rock for the Boxers is Junior Josh Harris.  Harris is a bigger RB at 6’ 1” 220 lbs and has a good nose for finding the creases in the defense.  Harris is averaging 95.0 yards per game at 5.2 per carry. The ‘Cats will see a little of RB Kash Taylor as well but Harris is their guy.

On Defense, the Boxers will primarily give the ‘Cats a traditional 3-4 defensive look and bring pressure for a number of different angles.  The ‘Cats will see some LB’s just walk up and blitz to delayed blitzing as well.  It’s an aggressive style but through three games the Boxers are allowing an average of 480.3 yards per game and 42.3 points.  There are times when they make big plays on the QB, or in the backfield, but Pacific gets hurt in losing some individual battles that cost the Boxers huge.  It’s an up and down unit that the ‘Cats offense has to jump on early and establish themselves as the aggressor.

Wildcat11’s Keys To Victory:

60 full minutes of Linfield Football: A big fear of mine is that Linfield will get up early and start taking their foot off the gas.  Pacific is going to play hard for all four quarters and have proven they can adjust and get back into games.  Linfield MUST be committed to playing a smart, fast, and physical brand of football for a full four quarters.

Establish a running threat: Pacific is allowing 212.7 rushing yards per game (5.1 per carry).  If this Linfield offense makes this Boxer defensive line look like the 1986 Chicago Bears, we’ve got some big ass problems. If Linfield can get the running game going, the ‘Cats will control this game.

Take away the Boxer running game: The Boxers can throw the ball and hurt you in the screen game but if you allow them to freely mix the run and pass, it’s trouble. Linfield’s defense has been gashed on the ground so far this season (188.5 yards per game allowed (…dang)) and the ‘Cats front is going to be tested once again on Saturday.  This area of the game I think will tell you just where the rest of this season will be going for the Linfield defense.

Limit potential big plays out of the Boxer offense:  If Linfield is going to commit to stuffing the run, then our corners/safeties are going to have to make plays on the football. 

Win the turnover battle:  Pretty simple.

Give Smith time to operate:  When allowed time, Wyatt Smith will deliver strikes to this group of receivers.  It will go a long way to a Linfield victory if the ‘Cats can let him stand and deliver.

Solid Special Teams: The fastest way that Linfield could breath life into Pacific is by bad special teams play.  Let’s protect our kickers and do our jobs on coverage/returns. I hope we’ve left the stupid football down in SoCal.

Overall

‘Cats by 10.  On paper, Linfield is the favorite this weekend, but games are not played on paper.  I love this Linfield team.  They are a tight knit group, but they have a lot to prove to folks around the conference right now. Is this a team leaning of name recognition or is this a group that’s going to be a force in the Northwest Conference and step on some necks?  We’re going to find out which way the wind is blowing this Saturday.  Go ‘Cats!

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Thursday, October 3, 2019

2019 Pick ‘Em Contest: Week 5

Holy smokes that bye week made it feel like it’s been a whole off-season between games.  The conference took a ding after Linfield and Whitworth dropped to Redlands and Chapman.  Pacific took one on the chin against CLU and PLU forgot the offense in Tacoma. Fox, L&C, Willamette, and UPS came away with wins against the lesser half of the SCIAC as all the home teams would get the wins in this first annual NWC/SCIAC battle bowl. Yeah, it was a 50/50 split but when your top teams lose to their top teams, it was a bad week for the NWC.

What does that mean?  It means that nobody in the NWC is getting an at-large playoff bid and the only true way to get into the NCAA’s is winning the NWC crown outright. The playoffs for the conference begin this Saturday with the opening of NWC play.

It’s shaping up to be an interesting week of play as Whitworth should get a dose of feel good medicine with Willamette visiting, we'll talk about Linfield vs Pacific tomororw, and then you have two other games that could go either way with GFU/UPS and L&C/PLU.  The GFU/UPS game is big for those team.  Both think they have a shot at being in the NWC title race this season, but one of these teams will be put behind the 8-ball after Saturday.

As a side note, UPS is getting dangerously into the George Fox smoke and mirrors game in 2015 with their home crowd attendance count.  They reported their attendance last weekend at 1,782 but their home stands toward the end of the first half (in a TIGHT game) looked like this. 



My daughter’s 3rd grade soccer game would give that crowd a run for their money.  If a politician saw that attendance number they would probably say “That might be a little too much, Loggers.”  Even Fox would think this a reach.

Let’s get to the games!

2019 Northwest Conference Games of the Week

Whitworth (1-1) over Willamette (1-1) (at Whitworth): Coming off that hard loss at Chapman, the Pirates are in the same boat as Linfield, run the table or sit at home during the playoffs. I’m expecting the Rats to bounce back in a get right game against the Bearcats.  Willamette has shown some big improvement on offense but they’ve played two terrible teams in doing so. However, the Whitworth defense hasn’t exactly been world beaters either in giving up 30.5 PPG.  I’ll be curious to see if Willamette can get some points on the board but I’m not expecting it. Rats roll in the Pine Bowl.

Lewis & Clark (1-1) over Pacific Lutheran (1-1) (at PLU): Like I wrote in the last pick ‘em, Lewis and Clark is going to be that team that I just can’t pin down.  They lay an egg on offense in game 1 and then put up 44 the following week.  So I don’t know if that’s a case of getting their legs under themselves with a new system, the level of competition, playing at home, or just a mixture of all of the above.  PLU on the other hand started a freshman QB and had an abysmal day of offense at Claremont (157 total yards).  So I don’t know if the game 1 starter (Bryce Missey) is still out with an injury or not and that matters.  I’m going to take L&C based on the experience factor but that probably means PLU will win 17-0.

George Fox (1-2) over Puget Sound (2-1) (at UPS): The George Fox offense has been terrible so far in 2019.  The Bruin offense has only scored six offensive TD’s in three games and are only averaging 274 yards of offense per game.  The offense is what UPS is supposed to be known for but is only averaging 18.7 points per game and this is with some legit offensive talent.  It’s been curious to see an offense finish 2018 with such a flourish, and return most of that group, have such a slow start to 2019.  Curious. The reason I’m going to take Fox is this number right here: 204.7.  That’s the rushing yardage allow by the Loggers per game and running the ball is what Fox wants to do.  The Loggers can win this game if they can hit the big play in the passing game but if Fox can make the Loggers scuffle on offense, then the Bruins will get the win.

Week 5 NWC Power Rankings

1. Whitworth:   Champ until proven otherwise
2. Linfield:   Have some major improving if they want to contend
3. George Fox:   Defense and Special Teams is carrying the Bruins
4. Puget Sound: AJ Johnson is a stud.
5. Pacific:  Rough outing at CLU but still have good pieces
6. PLU:   Disappointing loss at CMS but they play hard.
7. L&C:    Not going to be an easy out.
8. Willamette:  The offense has greatly improved under their new staff.

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