‘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.

Since 2014 @LinfieldFB has beat Pacific by an average score of 53.5 to 8. #Catdome

— Catdomealumni Football (@Catdome_alumni) October 7, 2019

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.

🎞️Congrats to @cj_mac__ on his first career TD as a Wildcat in Linfield's 52-14 win over the Pacific Boxers. #Catdome pic.twitter.com/2iVvMvvvnd

— Catdomealumni Football (@Catdome_alumni) October 6, 2019

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.

After two seasons of battling injury, Senior receiver @tyler_torg21 , is healthy and making big contributions. Torg hauled in this 12-yard TD from @Gators15Smith on Saturday in the 'Cats 52-14 victory at Pacific. pic.twitter.com/Ij7eZF1ePi

— Catdomealumni Football (@Catdome_alumni) October 6, 2019

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!

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 5^th 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 4^th 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!

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.

Linfield takes one in the chin in 27-19 loss at Redlands

Saturday night was a rough one for the Linfield Wildcats as the Bulldogs finally got one on the ‘Cats. It was an ugly football game in many regards, but the bottom line is that Redlands earned that win with a physical defensive front, with speed and play making in their offensive skill ranks, and better special teams play.  That sentence I just wrote has been Linfield’s modern era formula for success and the Wildcats got beat at their own game down in SoCal.

What really sucks for Linfield is that the ‘Cats had a number of chances to stem Redlands’ momentum but kept have breakdowns or lapses at inopportune moment after moment.  It was wildly frustrating, from the first series brutally bad fumble call, to sailing a snap 30 yards over our QB’s head to set up a quick six for Redlands. The second half killer is that Linfield had two-point blank chances to change the flow of the game on what should have been a huge pick that was dropped.  The very next play Redlands punted, and Tyler Torgerson housed it for what looked like six but an unneeded block in the back at the start of the return erased that scored.  So instead of it being 20-16 early in the 4th, the Linfield offense was backed up to their own goal line, and four plays later, Redlands blocked a punt for TD instead. Just a killer 14-point swing sequence for Linfield.

Redlands did their fair share of stupid stuff too and adding to that might have been the worst officiated game I’ve seen with my own eyes. The officiating was bad both ways and I would spend much more time breaking down how shameful that crew was, but Linfield lost the game, and harping on that too much would come off like sour grapes and excuses.

The main reason why Linfield lost on Saturday night is that the Bulldogs were better in the trenches.  That is a hard thing to type but it’s the truth.  Linfield has always been the more physical team upfront in this series but not this time around. It was clearly apparent that Redlands has been spending the time the past couple of years in building to this and were able to harvest the fruits of their labor with their line play.

It was a cold bucket of water right to the face to have a SCIAC team take it to Linfield up front and I’m sure that the coaches are going to think long and hard about making sure this is an outlier moment and not something that will develop into a trend.

Saturday sucked but I would love to get another crack at this Redlands team in the post-season.  The ‘Cats had some critical failures on Saturday night. Most of these issues are fixable issues that would allow Linfield to see another outcome if these two teams crossed paths again but the path to get there is long and narrow.

It’s playoff mode for Linfield right now.  If this team aspires to getting back into the NCAA’s, it starts with all eyes on NWC play and starting off on Pacific.  The ‘Cats have a laundry list of issues they have to address and clean up, but I know this staff well enough to know that this team is going to be dangerous as we move along in 2019.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

The Good

Passing attack:  The ‘Cats have a dangerous passing game, and when provided protection, Smith and company can deliver. 24 of 36 for 274 yards and a touchdown is a productive night. The chemistry is there with Smith and his receivers and this is where the offense is going to hang their hat this season.

3rd down Defense: Statistically, the ‘Cats defense was outstanding here in holding Redlands to 3 of 13 on 3rd down. It’s just that 1 of those 3 was a critical conversion on 3rd and 10 that allowed Redlands to extend a drive that wound up resulting in Redland’s longest drive of the night (I’m still kicking rocks over of that one).

Battling:  When Redlands blocked that punt to go up 27-9 early in the 4th quarter, lesser teams and players would have folded.  Instead, Linfield kept the pressure on and kept battling.  In fact, Linfield played their way right into giving themselves a shot in the lasting moments of the contest. That shows character and heart for a program that’s not in that situation very often.

Field Goal Kicking: 2 for 2 in this department. I put our special teams in the bad category below (rightfully so) but it was good to see that Linfield does have the ability to lean on getting 3 consistently on drives that stall out.

The Bad

Negative Rushing Attack: -37 yards. Must be a record for the worse statistical rushing game in program history.  Yeah, the big snap over the head accounted for a big chunk of the negative yards but if you went just off our primary RB’s (Artie Johnson) numbers, the ‘Cats were only able to pick up 28 net positive yards rushing the football.  Terrible. That may sound harsh, but the staff/players know that is not going to get it done. Credit Redlands defensive front for dominating the LOS but the ‘Cats have to make significant improvements running the ball in NWC play.  Eventually, we’re going to run into a bad weather game, and if we can’t pass the ball, then we’re going to get into a dogfight with a lesser team.

Tackling:  There were several times that Linfield called the right defense, put guys in the right place, and our tackling failed which allowed Redlands to pick up additional yardage, or at critical moments, allowed the QB to extend the play and convert.  Tip your hat to Redlands because they have talented skill guys but if Linfield’s defense is going to reach their potential the effort on tackling must be better than Saturday night.

Special Teams:  I was going to only type special team’s protection but had to add the whole group with that blown TD punt return chance.  The thing that killed me on the danger punt block is it just wasn’t one Bulldog that made the block but there was nearly three Bulldogs that were right there on top of Ramos. Regardless, having a PAT blocked, the blown touchdown, and the block against for touchdown were huge negative components for Linfield.

Pass Pro:  Holy smokes, there were at least 6-8 instances of Redlands having a free blitzer off the edge getting shots off at our quarterbacks. I know that the fumble call on the opening drive was total crap but it wouldn’t have happened if some picked up the blitz off the edge.  Redlands got way too much pressure on Smith and Linfield made it too easy.  But Redland was able to pin their ears back because there was zero threat from Linfield to rush the ball. If Linfield is going to hang their offensive hat on throwing the ball, the ‘Cats need improvement in cleaning up assignments in protection.

Giving up the outside edges: I don’t know if this was a matter of technique, assignment execution, or underestimating their speed at RB (which was dang good), but Linfield’s defense was gashed a number of times on the outside edges of the defense and it killed Linfield at the worst times.

Penalties: The penalties were abysmal for both teams (that crew shouldn’t be allowed to ref my daughter’s 3rd grade soccer games) so it’s hard to vent too much here.  If there’s any take away, I
hope this prepares this team with the ability to adjust quicker to how the official’s crew is calling it. 

The Ugly

Redland’s Post Game Celebration: After the game the teams went to their respective sides of the field for the post game talk.  Saturday night was their Head Coach’s 200th career win and they opened a live mic for their college President (might have been a former President) to address the crowd.  Rightfully so, the guy was excited and called it the best night in program history, etc, etc.  Then their head coach got on the mic and talked about the big win, etc, etc.  Nothing they said was bad, and I’m not upset they did that.  They won, they get to celebrate, but it was a bitter pill and a big ass reminder that beating Linfield is a HUGE deal to other programs.  It should be, as the ‘Cats have been the D3 bully on the block for 20 years. Every team is going to be hyped, break out new wrinkles, do whatever they can to achieve the feeling that Redlands was swimming in after downing Linfield.  I hope the feeling of sitting there in silence listening to those speeches stick with this group as they move forward the rest of the season. We’ve got work to do.

2019 NWC Pick ‘Em: Week 3

Let’s roll!

It’s the last weekend before everyone takes a bye week to get ready for the start of Northwest Conference play.  And speaking of “conference” I need to freestyle here about a pet peeve of mine.  We (Linfield, PLU, Fox, Whit, etc, etc.) play football in a conference and not a league.  I cringed the other day when a Northwest CONFERENCE head coach kept referring to the NWC as a league and not a conference. It’s a minor thing to get worked up over but if there are any players or coaches around the NWC that do read this (I know you do) please remember this is college football, not high school.

I was mostly correct about how I thought Week 2 was going to play out for the NWC teams.  The only one I was terribly off the mark was Lewis & Clark.  That’s what I get for getting influenced by a stupid yearly article from Kerry Eggers on how great L&C is going to be.  Getting shutout by Pamona Pitzer is brutal way to start the season. It’s never cool to have to tell your boys that you got blanked by a team whose mascot is the Sagehens.

For the rest of the conference, Redlands embarrassed UPS, Pacific showed fight before falling to Dubuque, PLU had a feel good win over a bad CLU team (the Kingsmen looks like they forgot to pick up their offense at the Sea-Tac baggage claim), Willamette (sporting their all new white road uniforms (yes, another Linfield knockoff)) traded touchdowns against La Verne before dropping that game, and Fox brought the defense but their offense continues to clunk around in a 15-14 loss to Alfred.

After two weeks of play in the NWC, it’s Whitworth/Linfield and everyone else. Every NWC teams has some talent or good units, but in terms of complete football teams, I’m not seeing it so far around the conference besides at the tippy top. But growth can happen, and teams can start clicking as we move along.  Let’s get into Week 3 action which features exclusive SCIAC vs NWC match-ups.

Northwest Conference Games of the Week:

Whittier (2-0) over L&C (0-1) (at L&C):  Don’t let that 2-0 from Whittier fool you.  The Poets beat Luther from the American Rivers Conference (Luther was picked to finish 8th by the ARC coaches) and Whittier has the nads to count beating Lewis and Clark Valley College to their 2-0 record. C’mon man, that’s a JV scrimmage game.  Regardless, I want to pick L&C to win this weekend but the Pios have a new offensive scheme, and based off last week, the Pioneers are struggling to wrap their minds around it. Who knows, the Pios will be that team that I just can’t get right in 2019 and will probably score 56 points this weekend.

Willamette (0-1) over Oxy (1-0) (at Willamette):  Occidental topped the mighty Centro de Ensenanza Tecnica y Superior University Zorros out of Tijuana, Mexico last weekend.  Their press released did said this was an exhibition game, but their schedule is stating 1-0.  Whatever, Oxy needs any win they can get.  I think they have the Little Giants scheduled in 2020.  Willamette showed some offensive pop against La Verne last weekend and that gives me the confidence to have them go over the Tigers in Sause Town.

PLU (1-0) over CMS (at CMS): Break up the Lutes’.  PLU is a young football team and their offense looked like the 70’s/80’s Raiders with all the deep balls they threw in the 1st half against CLU (didn’t complete many of them). The Lutes’ are going to play hard and fly around on Saturday.  Not saying they’re a good football team yet but you can see they are well coached. CMS always have a few very talented football players surrounded by average to bad football players. The Lutes will get another SCIAC win and feel good headed into NWC play.

UPS (1-1) over La Verne (1-1) (at UPS): The Loggers will get a bounce back win over La Verne this weekend.  Yeah, the Loggers offense killed any chance they had to hang in there with Redlands with those 8 turnovers, but man, that Logger defense looked terrible.  I won’t be too harsh because Redlands is freaking good this year but any team that has any ability to throw the ball is going to carve up UPS like a Thanksgiving turkey.

Whitworth (1-0) over Chapman (1-0) (at Chapman): This should be a fun football game. Chapman had some impressive young talent at running back and have an absolute stud at receiver in Trevor Vile.  The Panthers should provide the Rats with a solid test but Whitworth is going to have too much to handle on both sides of the ball. Could be tight early but as the game moves along this should be all Whitworth.

Fox (0-2) over Pamona Pitzer (1-0) (at Fox):  I have zero confidence in the George Fox offense right now.  The Fox offense is built on establish the running game and GFU is averaging 86.0 yards in their first two games and haven’t broke the 20-point mark yet.  Hey, at least they set a team record last weekend in a 14-15 loss. Seriously, the leading line on their Alfred game story said the Bruins set a school record for distance traveled.  What an incredible accomplishment that isn’t listed anywhere in their actual record book.  For Saturday, Pamona shutout the Pios last weekend, so maybe this is another tight low scoring game?  I think Fox will have more talent and depth for PP to handle and that will allow GFU’s social media accounts to tweet/post results about the game instead of pretending like the games never happened.

Pacific (0-2) over CLU (0-1) (at CLU): Wow, CLU’s offense looked like the Bad News Bears last weekend up at PLU.  You don’t want to fully judge a football team based off their Week 1 performance, but if you did, the Kingsmen are not a good football team this year.  This will be the Boxers best shot at winning a football game yet. I’ll tip the cap to Pacific in defeat last week. They were down 28-7 to Dubuque late in the first half and could have tapped out but Pacific stormed back to get the score to 26-28 late in the 3rd before the Spartans were able to put it out of reach. Losing sucks but Pacific showed some growth that they can build on. Boxers get it done.

Wildcat11’s Week 3 NWC Power Rankings:

1. Whitworth: Champs had the weekend off before they continue their march to Linfield
2. Linfield: Big ‘ol challenge this weekend.
3. PLU: Everyone else lost so ‘Lutes get the honor of being the best of the rest.
4. Pacific: Showed fight and have pieces to make some noise in conference play.
5. Puget Sound: Their defense sucks but have an offense.
6. George Fox: Their offense sucks but have a defense.
7. Willamette: Showed some offensive punch in their week 1 loss.
8. Lewis & Clark: You got shutout by Pamona Pitzer. Just have to wear it this week, boys.

2019 Game 2 Preview: Linfield (1-0) at Redlands (2-0)

Another round of 'Cats vs Bulldogs

It’s time for some West Coast non-conference action as YOUR Linfield Wildcats will once again jump on a plane, and this time, head to the San Bernardino Valley to square off against a red-hot Redlands University Bulldog squad on Saturday night (7pm kickoff).

Redlands is a legit Top 25 team, and in watching their first two games, I can safely say that this is the best Redlands team I’ve seen in the 20+ year span that Linfield and Redlands have been in the NCAA together (Linfield’s first year in the NCAA was 1998). This is a dangerous and complete football team that the ‘Cats will be playing.  No doubt, this is a high stakes non-conference game on several levels. We’re talking about major playoff implications, recruiting clout, momentum headed into conference play.  It’s going to be a playoff type of atmosphere at Ted Runner Stadium.

For me, the biggest difference (there’s a few) between this year’s Redlands team and past is their physicality up front on both sides of the line.  I feel Redland’s offensive line play has been outstanding in games 1 and 2, and the Bulldogs possess a defensive line that can get after the quarterback.  You can tell this program was in the weight room this off-season.

Defensively, the Redlands will be playing their 3-3-5 base defense and have excellent size and athleticism on their defensive line.  Currently, the two leading tacklers for Redlands are a pair of physical linebackers in Matthew Betancourt and Jermaine Calhoun.  Behind the LB’s, the Bulldogs feature a group of defensive backs who have piled up 6 interceptions in two games.  Overall, the Bulldogs are only giving up 259.0 yards per game and have been nails against the run (50.5 yards per game).  This will be a step up and much bigger challenge for the ‘Cats young offensive line this week.

On offense, what a difference a year makes. The Bulldogs scuffled at times last year with their production and are unrecognizable this year (in a good way for Redlands). I mentioned it above, but the Dawgs offensive line has matured and are a nasty group this year.  That’s where it starts but not where it ends for Redlands.  Freshman running back Mason Carvalho is a stud. Carvalho is a great blend of speed/agility/power and a perfect fit for the Dawgs spread offense. Redlands also have some fine play makers at receiver as well and Linfield will see a dangerous pass catching Tight End in Blake Roy.

But the straw that stirs the drink for Redland’s offense is quarterback Nathan Martinez.  The Junior quarterback has been outstanding so far in 2019.  Don’t let his size fool you (5’9”, 155 lbs) this kid is a fearless and dangerous duel threat QB.  Martinez is leading the Redlands offense to 516.5 yards per game and a balance that would make any offense coordinator smile ear to ear (252.5 rushing yards per game to 264.0 passing yards per game).  The Wildcat defensive staff will have a lot to chew on this week on how the ‘Cats are going to try to slow down this offense.

For the ‘Cats, it’s time to put last weekend in the rear view mirror and get serious about this weekend.  There’s no doubt that the Redlands' coaching staff, players, fan base will be fired up for this game.  They know they have something going on and would love nothing more to finally get one over on Linfield.  This game has a big-time feel to it and should have a ton of Division 3 eyeballs on the Redland’s stream of the game.

Myself, I’m excited for this game.  I’ve taken my fair share of jabs at Redlands in the past, but this 2019 version has my attention.  In watching the Dawgs slap around George Fox, I said to myself “Dang, this is a team that could do damage in the playoffs.”  What a great test for the ‘Cats this weekend.  Let’s get to some keys!

Wildcat11’s Keys To Victory

Complete effort:  Another long road game.  Dealing with travel. Facing a team/program that is looking to make a statement. Playing in hot weather.  Walking into a hostile environment.  It’s going to be a stiff test against Redlands.  That means it’s all hands-on deck.  Linfield must start fast and maintain focus for a full four quarters.  Ted Runner stadium is a tough place to play and a damn good opponent will make it that much harder.  Better be ready to buckle up.

Limit the Bulldog rushing attack: That’s a lot easier to write than to accomplish. Carvalho is the primary back, but Redlands will give carries to multiple RB’s (Kai Thompson is averaging 60.5 yards per game) and Martinez is a major threat in both designed runs and scrambling.  Rowan had quite a bit of success rushing this past weekend and I’m sure Redlands will be looking to do the same.

Need offensive balance:  Linfield’s offense cannot be one dimensional on Saturday night.  It’s incredibly important that Linfield makes Redlands respect the rushing game of the ‘Cats.  Doing that will go a long way to opening up the passing game for Linfield.  If the ‘Cats allow the Bulldogs defensive line to control the LOS, it’s going to be a tough task to move the ball.

Have to be great tacklers:  Not only does Linfield need to do this in the rush game but the ‘Cats tackling is going to be tested in the passing game. Redlands loves to throw out into the boundary and work to clear out coverage and hit the shallow crossing routes to let their inside guys go to work.  The first defender on the scene must do a great job of keeping leverage and limiting the run after the catch.  If Linfield can be consistent here, it will help in bogging down the Dawgs’ offense.  If not, it could be a long night trying to slow Redlands down.

Clean pockets: We all saw on Saturday that if Wyatt Smith has a clean pocket to work from, Linfield is going to be explosive throwing the ball. In watching film, I think this will be a stiffer test for our young offensive line, and if they can’t keep Wyatt clean, it will go a long way towards offensive production.

Priority on possession: This is football 101 and I feel I write this in every keys to victory segment but it’s true.  The Wildcats must put a premium on ball security and making good decisions.  Redland’s defense has proven so far, they can take the ball away and change the momentum of the game. Whoever limits turnovers will naturally increase their chances of victory.

Special on special teams:  When you have a tightly contested game on paper, the difference maker can come down to special teams.  The ‘Cats need to be great here in doing the little things like catching the ball, getting kicks off clean, staying in lanes, keep leverage, sustaining blocks, and converging on carries. One or two special teams play could tilt victory to either side this Saturday.

Overall

‘Cats by 3. This should be a fantastic football game.  Both teams are physical, fast, and talented. I’m excited to see the talent and how the coaches scheme and adjust as the game goes on.  This game could come down to who has the football last and I believe that this Linfield team has a tightness that will help the Wildcats navigate towards a victory.

Fuhgeddaboudit!!! ‘Cats roll 35-14 in season opener at Rowan.

Team. Excellence. Attitude. Class.

Yup, that was a good start to the season.  I’m not at practice every day but the times I attended fall camp, I liked what I saw from this group on a number of levels.  Yes, there’s still a list of areas and items where this Linfield team needs to improve, and the ‘Cats were far from a finished product against Rowan, but we have a chance to be a damn good football team.  (On a side note, it took me about 45 minutes to come up with a headline to this game review because everything I had would have landed me in hot water.  The 16-year-old in me couldn’t get past playing at Richard Wacker stadium.)

That wasn’t an easy game on multiple fronts.  The travel alone was grueling. In talking to some players on the way out, this was easily the furthest East of the United Sates they’ve been in their lives. On top of that, this is a younger core as well with the largest class on the trip being sophomores. There was a lot of ‘new’ going on for this Linfield program. That said, confidence in their potential is high and we had a peek of this against the Profs.

Rowan for their part is a solid team.  They certainly look the part in terms of size and skill.  Hell, if you were going to use the eyeball test to judge who was going to win on Saturday, most unknowing people would have dumped buckets of money on Rowan’s chances.  This isn’t a new story when playing teams from outside the West Region for Linfield, but time after time, when the ball is kicked off the ‘Cats have them singing a different tune.

This Saturday was no different as the ‘Cats showcased a swarming ball-hawking defense and an offense that struck quickly with the deep ball as the ‘Cats pushed the lead to 14-0 late in the first half.  But Rowan mounted a heck of a drive that saw the Profs crack the scoreboard with no time left in the half to get the score to 14-7 Linfield.  It was a big drive for Rowan and gave them life going into the break.

The second half started slow for the Linfield offense in two fruitless drives to start the 2nd and that’s when Rowan scored their 2nd and last touchdown on the day in a 30 yard rushing gash to tie the game up at 14.  It was a critical moment for Linfield and the offense answered with a quick TD of their own to push out into a lead and the Wildcats never looked back in the 35-14 victory for Linfield.

While the win felt great to start the season, Linfield cannot afford to put their feet up on the dash.  Up next for Linfield is a huge challenge down in Southern California when Linfield once again plays Redlands. The ‘Cats have owned the series against the Bulldogs since they first played in 1998 but this 2019 version is easily the best Redlands football team I’ve seen and the ‘Cats better be ready to roll.

We’ll talk more about the Dawgs on Wednesday but let’s get to The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly from this past weekend’s win over the Profs.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

The Good

Handling the travel:  Awesome job by the staff and players in dealing with the commercial travel to get to Rowan. Linfield didn’t come out on Thursday but rather on Friday.  The team was split into two groups and didn’t get into the hotel until about 8pm Friday night (no Friday practice). But every step of the way, food and hydration was waiting, the players were well organized by the staff, and I didn’t see a single leg cramp on the field during the game. (Rowan had at least 3 different guys go down with cramps.)  An outstanding job by the staff and players with their attention to detail, staying focused on the trip, but making the most of it along the way.  This is great group of guys.

Passing Attack:  Awesome effort by the offense in throwing the ball. O-line/RB’s protected, Wyatt Smith delivered, and we have a number of ‘Cats that can get behind a defense.  Smith was great in going 24 of 35 for 283 yards 4 TD’s. Smith spread the ball around to Keegan Weiss (5 for 104 yds and 2 tds), Keaton Wood (3 for 63 yards and 1 td), Tyler Torgerson (7 for 41 yds), and Jacob Calo (4 for 40 and 1 TD).  Outstanding job by these guys and once Colton Smith starts growing into the offense, you’re going to have 4 guys on the outside that can run right past you. Scary.

The Wildcats opened up the scoring this past Saturday vs Rowan with this @Gators15Smith 55-yard TD pass to @k10swai in @LinfieldFB's 35-14 road victory. #Catdome pic.twitter.com/Huyj24VGPx

— Catdomealumni Football (@Catdome_alumni) September 15, 2019

Creating turnovers: Outstanding job by our defense in this phase of the game.  Both of our starting Corners (Tyler Sitton, and Chris Adamo) had interceptions as well as starting safety Dustin Ramsayer-Burdett.  Then you throw in Brian Pullman’s outstanding strip forced fumble that Keyell Davis scooped up and the ‘Cats racked up a 4-pack turnover day.  Those turnovers were all big as Adamo and Ramsayer-Burdett’s picks halted Prof drives and the Linfield offense punched in TD’s off of Sitton and Davis/Pullman’s work.  We have play makers on this defense.

Corner @Sitton02 came up with Linfield's first pick of the season during the 2nd quarter of @LinfieldFB's 35-14 victory over Rowan. #Catdome pic.twitter.com/JIdu5wERlS

— Catdomealumni Football (@Catdome_alumni) September 16, 2019

Overall pass pro:  If you go back and look at the two long TD strikes from Wyatt Smith you would see Smith in a clean pocket and Smith stepping into his throws.  That comes from great pass protection.  This is a young offensive line and they did a nice job against a defensive line with a returning D3 All-American on it.  I though the RB’s did a good job picking up the blitz and overall it was a solid effort. No time to be content as I think next week’s pass rush will be a notch up in terms of challenge.

Limiting Prof big plays: Rowan’s offense popped two big plays today (long 1st quarter pass and 30-yard TD run) but beyond that the ‘Cats held the big play in check.  That’s pretty good considering the Profs ran 83 offensive plays on the day.

Pass Coverage:  Linfield limited the profs to 151 passing yards on the day (17 of 30) with one TD against the 3 picks we talked about above.  Our DB’s competed hard for the ball once it was in the air and made a number of big plays, breakups, and a highlight reel collision as well.

Having an answer:  Holy smokes, when Rowan tied it up at 14 in that 3rd quarter you could feel their sideline swell up with excitement. The Profs had new life and it was a big moment for this Linfield offense.  The first two possessions of the half were not great.  I specifically said in my mind “Well, we’re gonna learn a little bit about our offense.”  3 plays and 57 seconds later the ‘Cats answered back with a Smith to Calo TD pass and took the wind out of Rowan’s sails.  That Wildcat response was a decisive body blow on the outcome of the game.

Bonus Awesome

The trip to Manhattan:  That was just something else.  Coach Smith works hard on making these long flight trip special as the ‘Cats have gone to Dodger or Angels games when visiting SoCal in the past, or the trip to Philly when Linfield ran the “Rocky Steps” and toured Independence Square during the 2014 Semi-Finals at Widener. This time around Coach Smith and the staff arranged a trip on the Staten Island Ferry to drop off the ‘Cats in the heart of Manhattan to visit the Ground Zero memorial.  As usual, the players had no idea where we were going until we showed up at the St. George Ferry terminal.  It was both exciting to be in New York and incredibly humbling to visit Ground Zero. It was an unforgettable experience.  Thank you Coach Smith for always making each year about more than just football.
The Bad

4th down defense:  Letting an offense go 5 for 5 on 4th down is never going to be ok or acceptable for any defense, let alone one like Linfield’s.  The ‘Cats defense was rock solid on 3rd down (allowed 6 conversions on 17 attempts) but struggled in turning the Profs away on 4th down.
Need to rush the ball better:  Look, the Wildcats offense put up 35 points in their debut game with a revamped offensive line.  I’m proud of that group. However, you and I both know that in order for Linfield to reach another level we have to have balance in this offense and 2.1 yards per carry is not going to get it done.

Jumping offsides:  I’m going to chalk this up to first game excitement by the defensive line but the defensive line has to be much better going forward on holding their water. I believe we jumped offsides four times and all that did was turn 2nd/3rd and long into much more manageable downs for the Rowan offense.

Putting the ball at risk too much:  Linfield only had two turnovers on the day but was in danger of having a 3rd pick and nearly turned it over on 2 fumbles deep on our town territory.  Those balls go the other way and maybe we’re having a different conversation today.

The Ugly

Nothing.  A victory, no major injuries, an incredible bonus trip on top of the game made for a weekend to remember. We all know and understand that one game doesn’t make for a season (in victory or defeat) but this weekend was a blast to take part in. There are a lot of little signs that this can be an excellent football team, however, there is a laundry list of items to address and shore up to get there. This Saturday is going to be a big test for Linfield so now’s the time to put the Rowan game in the past and turn all focus on the Bulldogs.

2019 Game 1 Preview: Linfield (0-0) at Rowan (0-1)

Tight End Jacob Calo is looking to point Linfield in the right direction.

YEAH, the college football season is once again upon us and it’s time for another year of Linfield College football.  Can you feel it in the air?  The 2019 Linfield Wildcats have been hard at work in the ‘Catdome getting really for a really strange schedule that will see the ‘Cats on the road for all of September before the ‘Cats make their home debut in Mid-October.  But those are the breaks, and if anything, it presents Linfield with a unique opportunity to start the season on the east coast for what must be the program’s longest regular season road game in Wildcat history (I didn’t look that up, just guessing).  Yeah, the ‘Cats have been on the east coast before (last time was 2014 at Widener for the NCAA Quarterfinals) but never during the regular season. So, right out of the gates, the ‘Cats will have to deal with a long flight and play against an opponent that has a game under their belt in the Rowan Profs.  But Linfield’s path is rarely easy in during the non-conference and 2019 is no exception.

Going into the season the ‘Cats have a mixed bag.  The 'Cats have a ton of reasons to be excited about what this team could develop into and then also having questions that have to be answered for this squad to reach that potential.  This season very much reminds me of last year in some regards.  Last year, the ‘Cats had potential to be a dangerous team but suffered some early season stumbles.  After the Whitworth road loss, Linfield still had some ups and downs, but at the very end against Pacific, the ‘Cats put it all together and would have been a dangerous playoff team.  The Linfield team I saw that day reminded me of the Sam Riddle led playoff teams from ‘14-‘16.  But it didn’t matter because the 2018 ‘Cats did what any NWC team doesn’t want to do and that’s leave it up to a playoff committee.  So that’s a big take away for this 2019 team that I hope has stuck with them this past winter, spring, and fall camp.  Linfield cannot afford to come out of the gates slow and stumble in the non-conference.  My hope is this Wildcat team doesn’t wait to forge an identity and comes out of the gates swinging.  Linfield must be willing to put a stamp on what this team is going to build upon as the season progresses.

The Linfield Athletics page already did a team breakdown by position group with some quotes from Coach Smith so I’m not going to rehash all the different players by each group and keep it more of a 10,000 foot view of each side of the ball.

The offense is going to come down to how quickly Linfield’s talented but untested young offensive line handles the pressure.  Smith has looked great at Quarterback this fall camp (continuing his fine play from the second half of 2018) and the ‘Cats have legit play making ability at both receiver and at running back. But that will mean little if Linfield can’t move bodies and allow Smith to stay in the pocket. I’m not expecting perfection from the offensive line early, but I am hopeful they can develop sooner rather than later in the season.

Flipping over to the defense, yes the ‘Cats do look strong here, but also have some positions that need to get sorted out and have guys seize the opportunity and solidify what should be a strong unit.  I think the ‘Cats defensive line should be a difference maker.  We’re not huge up front but we have dudes that can flat get after it.  I think there are multiple All-Region and better talent in up front on the ‘Cats defensive line.  I think a spot that’s really going to step up is at Linebacker.  We’re still youthful at LB, but again, we have a big opportunity to be very good at this spot as the season moves along.  At the end of it, the defense is going to be as good as we can cover guys. Our schedule is loaded with opponents that have guys that can make big plays in the passing game.

One thing that I have noticed, and it’s something that isn’t on a stat sheet, is the vibe of this team.  Not saying in the previous couple of seasons that the team chemistry was bad, but it’s very noticeable how tight this 2019 team is.  It’s one of those things that you gotta be around to feel and notice it but it’s very apparent with this group.  Yeah, this isn’t a measurable, but I think is a positive signal about what could be in store for the 2019 Wildcats.

The Wildcats will need that togetherness right off the bat as Linfield has a big old hill to climb with a long flight out to New Jersey to face a quality opponent in the Rowan Profs.  The Profs are members of the New Jersey Athletic Conference and will present a hard test for this Linfield squad.  The Profs feature excellent combination of size in the trenches and game breaking talent in the skill ranks.
Rowan does have a leg up on Linfield on multiple fronts.  With the fact they’re not having to travel across the country, get to play at home, and they already have a game under their belt to work out some of the issues that tripped them up in their week 1 loss (38-28) to a fine Widener Pride program.

This will be a challenge game for Linfield as some of the Profs strengths, defensive line and receiver, are going to be attacking the ‘Cats freshest faces, O-Line and defensive backs.  I think this is going to be a tight and hotly contested ball game.  If you don’t think Rowan will be hyped to have a program of Linfield’s caliber coming into their house, you’re only fooling yourself. The ‘Cats better be ready to buckle it up.

Wildcat11’s keys to victory

Don’t wait, come out fast:  Rowan came out a little flat last week but then picked it up as the moved on. That momentum will carry into this Saturday, so Linfield can’t wait to work stuff out of their system for a half.  The ‘Cats need to start fast because you know the Profs will be looking to get Linfield on their heels early.

Need offensive balance: Linfield’s offense must find a way to be a balanced attack.  That’s much easier said than done as Rowan was stout last week in only yielding 86 rushing yards (2.5 avg) against Widener.  Linfield's offense will scuffle if the 'Cats can’t find a way for Rowan to respect the rushing attack.

Bottle up the Prof running game: Rowan has dudes that can move on the outside but if Linfield allows the Profs to establish a running game, it’s going to be a long day for the ‘Cats defense.

Take care of the football:  Being careless with the football is a quick way to 0-1. Anyone that touches the ball for Linfield must put a premium on security and Wyatt Smith must make good decisions in the pass game. Not turning it over will not guarantee a victory but it certainly will help the cause.
Making plays on the football:  When the ball goes in air, who is going to want it more?  I feel the passing attack is going to be crucial for both teams and the team that make more plays on the ball will be a major deciding factor on the victor.

Making plays on the football:  When the ball goes in air, who is going to want it more?  I feel the passing attack is going to be crucial for both teams and the team that make more plays on the ball will be a major deciding factor in the victory.

Overall:

Linfield by 3. What a way to start the season. Yeah, D3football.com put a high ranking on Linfield during the preseason but to me that meaningless right now. If this Linfield team gets on this flight thinking Rowan is just going to roll over because of Linfield’s history and rank, then the ‘Cats might as well stay home. The Profs are going to be hyped and want nothing more than to slap down the ‘Cats.  Saturday is going to be a battle for Linfield, but I feel that the ‘Cats are going to be ready to go.  Expect To Win!

2019 NWC Pick ‘Em: Week 2

Wow.  Can’t believe we’re actually into Week 2 of the 2019 football season.  I love that the season is here but we all know this goes by quickly so let’s make sure we all enjoy the time.  Yeah, I didn’t get a pick ‘em up for last week as I was hustling to get some video projects wrapped up (like the one above! *cheap plug*) but I did spend time watching a great majority of the NWC teams in week 1 play.  Some teams surprised me with their performance, and not in a good way, and some teams are who we thought they were.   

Whitworth has the bye this week so I’ll get this my 2 cents on the Rats out of the way.  The Pirates smacked La Verne around down in SoCal last weekend 50-24.  The NWC coaches picked Whitworth to repeat as NWC champs and they looked good in their 2019 debut.  It’s early but I only see one true challenger on their schedule this season.  We know who that is.

I’ll sprinkle the rest of my thoughts in the week 2 picks below and in Wildcat11’s first NWC power rankings of the season.

NWC Games of the Week:

Redlands (1-0) over Puget Sound (1-0) at Redlands:  Redlands looks like a complete and legit playoff worthy team in week 1 in Newberg against Fox. Good physicality on both the offensive and defensive lines, liked their schemes, and have dudes in the skill positions (‘Cats better be ready to go next weekend).  Puget Sound knocked off Claremont last week and will be a tough out this year. The Loggers go with a 2-QB system with Rutledge as their primary passer and Bernhardt comes in for Georgetown rush packages.  Receiver AJ Johnson continues to be a stud receiver for UPS and Rutledge makes a ton of good plays but will throw 3-5 really bad balls per game.  However, I do think the UPS defensive backfield is suspect and Redlands will expose that on Saturday and limit the Logger running game.  Dawgs take care of business.

Lewis & Clark (0-0) over Pomona-Pitzer (1-0) at PP: In 2018 Pomona knocked off Lewis and Clark and my gut tells me the Pios return the favor and start the season at 1-0.  L&C is debuting a new offensive scheme tomorrow from a local high school coach that was hired as the OC in the off-season.  I believe it’s a single back/spread/hurry up (a.k.a. every other offense in college).  I look for the Pios to hitch their wagon on returning All-NWC running back Michael Abraham (kid is a hoss) and ride him to a victory.

Alfred (1-0) over George Fox (0-1) at Alfred (NY):  The Bruins are also on the East Coach this weekend (Man…they really do try to copy everything Linfield does) as GFU is in New York facing the Alfred Saxons from the Empire 8.  Alfred is on a good run with a National Semi's appearance in 2016 and are coming off an 8-3 season last year.  They kicked off the 2019 season with a 42-0 shutout of Thiel.  On the other side the George Fox Bruins have a football team.  Fox looked bad in week 1 and especially on the offensive line.  GFU’s offense is all based on the ability to run the ball, and if their line play doesn’t improve, it’s going to be a long year for Linfield Lite.  The Butlers knock off the Bruins.

Dubuque (0-1) over Pacific (0-1) at Dubuque (IA):  It’s the 5th year in a row that these two out-of-conference foes match up, with Pacific looking to finally knock off the Spartans.  If I had to base the Boxers chances on what I saw from them last Saturday, then I would say it’s probably not gonna happen in 2019 either.  I mean, the Boxers made the Chapman defensive line looks like Mary Hardin-Baylor at times.  The Pacific offensive line play might have been worse than George Fox, and that was brutal.  On the other side of the ball, Pacific's defense would make two nice plays in a row and then get absolutely gashed by Chapman. What was most depressing for Pacific was their crowd, or the lack of one. I think class started in Forest Grove but you wouldn’t know it based on the attendance. The official attendance number for last Friday's game was 737. (George Fox would have listed that at number at 2,367). You could have shot cannons in the Boxer end zone bleachers and not harm a single living creature.  It doesn’t seem too long ago when it seemed like the Boxers had a lot of excitement around their program, but if Saturday is an indication, maybe that new car smell has finally faded and the fan base is left with the aroma of a middle of the pack finisher. As for Saturday, this might be tight game, and the Boxers receivers might make enough plays, but I’m not betting on it.

Pacific Lutheran (0-0) over Cal Lutheran (0-0) at PLU: The Lutes’ get the honor of being the only NWC team hosting this weekend up at Sparks.  It’s year 2 under the new coaching staff and I think PLU is moving in the right direction. The Lutes’ brought in a big recruiting class and have been very active in making improvements to build towards the future.  I still think the Lutes’ are a couple of seasons away from being an NWC contender again but McCord and his staff are doing a good job.  CLU is actually the more experienced and talented team in this matchup, but Cal Lutheran is the most under-performing program on the West Coast.  The Kingsmen SHOULD win the SCIAC title each year but they seem to be a rudderless ship on the sea since their taste of success earlier in the decade. I might be off the mark on this one but I’m gonna give the Lutes’ the benefit of the doubt here.

La Verne (0-1) over Willamette (0-0) at La Verne: Battle of the two of the worst teams on the West Coast go down on Saturday.  The Bearcats are in year 1 of a major, and I mean major, rebuilding job under their new head coach and staff.  The new Bearcat staff was hired late and are only bring in 20 something new Bearcats. I’m not sure how much talent they could add to an already talent starved roster.  La Verne is not a very good football team but I suspect they’ll be better than the Bearcats. I hope I’m wrong because I wouldn’t mind a little Bearcat Rumble in week 1 because it’s going to be a LONG season for Willamette in the Northwest Conference.

Wildcat11’s Week 2 NWC Power Rankings:

1. Whitworth: They’re the champs and looked good in week 1.
2. Linfield: Dangerous week 1 game for the ‘Cats. Catdome baby!
3. Puget Sound:  Have offensive weapons but secondary is a big question mark
4. Lewis and Clark: The Pios are gonna surprise a lot of teams this year.
5. George Fox: If the offensive line play doesn’t improve, the Bruins are going to struggle
6. Pacific: I like the Sophomore QB and their receivers. They could turn it around and move up.
7. PLU: Going to be here for the majority of 2019.
8. Willamette: It was a decade ago that their program was talking about an NWC football dynasty. How times change.

2019 Linfield Fall Camp - Defensive Coaches Interviews

Had the pleasure to track down Linfield defensive coordinator Jackson Vaughan and linebackers coach, Phil Rombach, this past Saturday night after the 'Cats practice.  We touch on the potential strengths of the 2019 defense as the 'Cats look to continue to the be the top defensive unit in the NWC.

First full week in the books for Linfield football!  I'll have audio interviews, videos, photos, blog posts and more coming as I relaunch the blog this season.  I'm pretty excited to start writing again about Linfield football. 

I was able to get out to practice this past Friday night and Saturday afternoon and so far I'm really digging what I saw.  We're young in a number of positions but talented.  I think the future is bright for the program and there is truly some promise in 2019 but obviously we haven't played a snap yet so and there's 240+ Division III teams feeling the same way.  However, there are a few other small observations about this team that are different than the past two years and little things that I believe will add up to large results as this season progresses.  Look for an audio post tonight and in the meantime above is our first video of the 2019 season!

Yes, I'm going to start blogging about Linfield football again! YES! YES! YES!

We mic'd up Linfield Senior DB @keyelldavis through Friday's tackling circuit. Expect Davis to have a big impact on the Wildcat defense this fall. #Catdome pic.twitter.com/WuSjlKqeGL

— Catdomealumni Football (@Catdome_alumni) August 25, 2019

‘Cats let the Saints slip away in Helena.

Senior Linebacker Patrick Pipitone was named NWC Defensive Player of the Week

This past Saturday was a tough one for the ‘Cats.  I’m not going to sugarcoat it, or try to spin it, I’ll call it like I saw it. The outcome out in Helena was a terrible loss for Linfield.  Probably the worst loss since the 2014 Willamette game.  Yeah, there were a few factors that slid the hurdles up a little higher for Linfield to clear going into this contest, but the ‘Cats were well aware of these when they signed up for this game.  The program knew it was going to be a long two day bus ride to get the Helena, the program knew that Carroll would have more time to get their stuff together having two games under their belt. We could go on and on, but at the end of the day, our ‘Cats should have handled Carroll on Saturday and flat out didn’t.  I think everyone was disappointed in the end result.

With that said, there is a huge amount of talent on this roster.  You saw that with Nnoli showing flashes of his 2017 form, Ruhl being outrageously good out of the backfield, Mackle coming up with picks and laying the hammer, the ‘Cats defensive front having periods of complete control at the line of scrimmage, etc, etc.  However, the ‘Cats just couldn’t get into a sustained positive flow where strong play from one side of the ball would transition into the other.  It was an up and down game from both the offense and defense and ‘Cats couldn’t take control. It was frustrating because it’s obvious this roster is capable of much more.

This loss isn’t a death sentence for the 2018 season. The ‘Cats need to turn it around and improve in a number of areas if Linfield wants to be in the NWC title hunt and beyond.  You noticed that I didn’t write “be in the NCAA D3 title hunt” in that last sentence?  Yeah, that was on purpose.  That is how poorly I felt our guys executed against the Saints. Again, I’m not trying to be harsh but real. If the Carroll trend continues, it’s going to be a short season. 

However, if the ‘Cats can quickly improve, do their jobs, win those keys individual battles, and execute there is no reason this team can’t be a major player out in the far west and make a huge playoff run.  The potential is there for this to be a standout football team but it’s 100% up to the players on the roster to turn potential into performance.  I know our guys are going to get it done and we should see a much crisper brand of Linfield football this Saturday.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

The Good

Not giving up the fight:  To me, this was a huge take away and what gives me the most confidence that the players and staff will right the ship and get this roster moving in the right direction.  When the ‘Cats went down 14-0 in that 3rd quarter, it sort of felt like 35-0 with how flat the offense looked for the majority of the game.  But the ‘Cats didn’t shrink from the pressure and keep plugging away and eventually started to show some moments of what could be possible for this program.  The will and flight was strong and that is something to build on.

Defensive line play:  The two rush touchdowns allowed were not great, but overall, I think that Linfield has a chance to be an incredibly disruptive front. Multiple players showed flashes of ability to make plays behind the line of scrimmage (Stinchcomb, Eteaki, Gomez) with newcomer Travis Swanson made a big impact in his first time suiting up for the ‘Cats. I think the NWC is going to have a hard time with this group in 2018.

Pip: Linfield senior Linebacker, Patrick Pipitone played freaking great for his first career start.  Pip has obviously put in the time and effort to be the guy at Linebacker and it showed with 10 total tackles, 1.5 for loss, and a huge interception on a QB hurry/deflection.

Pass Pro: I thought the pass protection on the whole was strong for the Linfield offense. The ‘Cats chucked it up 54 times on the day and while the Saints were credited with 3 sacks, there was only one real time that the Saints rush immediately got to Smith.

Punting: Flipping the field is going to be a strength for this team all year long and Linfield did a great job of this especially in the 2nd half.

The Bad

Coming up empty early in the Red Zone: As I mentioned above, the ‘Cats left 10 points on the field in that first half and who knows where the game might have gone if Linfield could have capitalized. The ‘Cats have to be killers in this area of the field.

Passing attack rhythm: The Linfield passing could be VERY good but on Saturday it wasn’t the case as the ‘Cats threw for under 50% on the day and just seemed off.  In order for the ‘Cats to get where they need to be, this is a key area that Linfield has to have improvement on in the upcoming week.

Giving up 21 to that Carroll offense: Linfield mostly held Carroll in check but that was a bad offense.  Even if Linfield scored 45 points, giving up 21 to that offense isn’t a great look.  However, most of the game, the Linfield defense dominated the Saints but had three bad series where we allowed Carroll to convert long 3rd downs and then the blown coverage at the end of the game.  If the ‘Cats could have cleaned some of that up, they really could have blanked that Saints offense.

The penalties: There’s no play-by-play in the stats so it’s hard to go back and look at an exact number but Linfield had multiple promising offensive series get stalled with one ill-timed penalty after the next. It killed offense and created way too many 3rd and long situations.

The Ugly

The Final Sequence: That was tough.  The ‘Cats had all the momentum and looked like they were in prime position to either end it in regulation or take the game to overtime and the underthrown deep ball that was picked and the defense turned around and had a miscommunication in the backfield that led to Carroll sticking the dagger in the heart of the ‘Cats. That was just a tough way to end a game that was in total control by Linfield. Hope it was a valuable lesson learned and the team can use it as a launching pad to great things!  Go ‘Cats!

2018 Linfield College Football Season Preview

What a way to kick off the 2018 season!

It’s that time of the year again!  Yes, the air is a little bit cooler in the morning, students are back on campus again, and college football is once again blessing us all.  And that also means college football’s most consistently winning football program is kicking the tires and lighting the fires.  Yes, Linfield football is back and ready to start the 2018 football season with their typical high expectations, some questions marks, and a boat load of talent ready to step into the arena.

In order for us to start exploring the 2018 Wildcats, we need to go back to the end of the 2017 season and see how Linfield got to where they’re at now.  Linfield once again finished their season losing in the second round of the NCAA playoff at UMHB.  The Cru’ would go on to another Stagg Bowl appearance and the ‘Cats were sent back to the drawing board.  However, in so many ways, 2017 was a bumpy ride that eventually turned out to be a hell of a year for the ‘Cats.

2017 was a season told in three different chapters.  Those chapters were driven by the up and down nature of the offense.  The defense for the 2017 Linfield Wildcats was LIGHTS OUT good.  It was a veteran and talent laden defense that was good on all three levels.  You knew each week, you were going to have a shot to win because of that defense and the outstanding year Linfield had kicking and punting the ball. The offense was a different story. At the beginning of 2017, the ‘Cats showed some inconsistency but started to develop a personality as a big play offense especially during that Willamette/Whitworth stretch.

Then due to some key injuries up front and in the skill areas, the Linfield offense had to ready grind away to find points and it wasn’t pleasant. The ‘Cats had to survive and win some fights in a phone booth to keep control of the NWC title chase.

It was during this time that a few critical items fell into place.  At halftime of the PLU overtime game, the Linfield offense was once again scuffling so the coaching staff inserted true Freshman QB Wyatt Smith into the lineup.  Wyatt taking snaps didn’t instantly turn the offensive into a juggernaut but the complexion of the attack changed.  As Smith took more snaps the offensive group started to solidify and it was during that second half against Puget Sound that the offense started to click.  The offensive line was finally getting healthy and Smith’s arm acted as a great counter to Chidubem Nnoli’s legs. By the time Linfield rolled into Pacific, you were looking at a complete football team.
Boom!  The ‘Cats dusted Pacific, and dare I say, easily handled a very talented Hardin-Simmons football team in the opening round of the NCAA playoffs. Linfield was a dangerous football team but once again ran into the brick wall of UMHB. Even with the loss, I was so proud of this team, the players, and the coaches that answer the bell to a number of gut checks in 2017.

So now that we’ve talked about the past, let’s turn our attention to the future with the start of the 2018 season.

I’m sure you’ve already read plenty on the ‘Cats so far and I’m not covering any new ground.  This is a role reversal from the 2017 season, where the offense is the established group, while the defense is going to be featuring a number faces in starting roles.

Obviously Smith is back for his sophomore campaign and he’s the type of player that’s going to get better and better as his career progresses.  Wyatt is a bright guy with a great arm.  He’s not the runner we had with Sam Riddle but Wyatt is far from a statue in the pocket.  Smith will be able to extend plays and move the chains with his legs as well.  He’s be a great field general for this offense.

Setting up shop in the backfield with Smith will be returning All-Region running back Chidubem Nnoli.  The now Junior was out-freaking-standing in his debut year for the ‘Cats. Chidubem has track speed, vision, great feet and wiggle, the guys is a gamebreaker and will be a huge factor for this offense once again in 2018.  However, Nnoli is far from the only weapon Linfield has at running back.  Dawson Ruhl is back for his sophomore season and turned in some great moments from his freshman season with his ability to make guys miss and flashed some tremendous hands out of the backfield that rival most receivers in the region.  We don’t stop there as Sophomores Artie Johnson and Tanner Earhart are now healthy and ready to roll. Both Johnson and Earhart are dudes that could wind up being major contributors to this offensive unit. Honestly, I haven’t seen this much talent at the running back positons at Linfield since the 2000-2003 run with Haberberger, Russel, Williams, and Ford being the core group of ‘Cat backs (all four of those guys are in the top 10 of Linfield career total rushing yards).

On the outside and in the slots, the ‘Cats have six players that will be in the mix in the passing attack. J.D. Lasswell is obviously the man out of that group after coming off his breakout 2017 season.  Tyler Torgerson is back from his knee injury from 2017 and will offer a great outside counter to Lasswell. I think a guy Linfield fans are going to see often is Khory Day, as he is young guy dripping with talent. Slot wise, Keegan Weiss is just filthy.  This guy is going to make so many plays out of nowhere for Linfield this year. To me, he’s like a Brad McKechnie (2002-05).  Not the “star” but if you don’t account for Weiss, he’s going to burn you multiple times a game.  Aiden Wilder has looked very good in the slot in camp after shifting from QB.  I’m really fond of Aiden as a player and person know that he’s going to make himself known this season.  A newcomer to the program is Max Novak who transferred in during the spring. Max is surgical in his rout running and will be a player in this offense.

(Holy crap, I’m 1,200 words in and I haven’t even finished the offense.)

Let’s talk beef. Linfield is going to feature an all-senior offensive line to kick off the 2018 season and I’m excited for this group.  Leading the ‘Cats up front is preseason All-American Dakota Smith at Left Tackle. Smith has looked tremendous in camp and should have an outstanding 2018.  I feel that Gabe Mojarro performance at Center is going to be critical to the success of the Wildcat offense.  Mojarro is a 1st team all-conference talent, and if Gabe can stay healthy, he should be a force in the middle. Returning starting guard Aaron Kokubun is back this season and I’m expecting the big man to have a big year. I’m thrilled for these next two guys as Cody Mitchell and Duncan Mattson will get the starting nods at the other guard and tackle spots.  This is an experienced and talented group of guys and below them is a huge crop of young offensive line talent. I mean the Wildcat staff brought in a group of young studs that will get in the rotation soon and add to this group’s depth.

Two outstanding tight ends in Junior Jacob Calo and Senior Sione Atuekao will round out the offense. Both of these guys can make plays in the passing game but are also both physical players that like mixing it up.

Flipping over to the other side of the ball is a talented but untested group on the defensive line. The ‘Cats lost some fine defensive linemen in Zach Grate and Markus McGovern. Both of these guys will be missed but I think the guys coming back are going to surprise people, and in a good way with their play. Chris Stinchcomb will the anchor up front at the DT position and is primed for an excellent senior campaign.  Joining Stinch is Havili Eteaki who is a playmaker at DT. I’m looking forward to the return of Sam Gomez at DT. Sam started a number of games in 2015 as a freshman, but left the program soon after. However, Sam is back with ‘Cats and will be a difference maker for this defense with his explosiveness.  Out on the ends, Sam Fults and Tony Kraus are both going to be physical bangers that can get after the quarterback.  Also keep an eye on Occidental transfer Travis Swanson out at defensive end as well. The 6’3” Idaho native is long and can close on the QB in a hurry. He could be a guy that makes waves as the season progresses.

Defensive Back wise…man I’m loving this group.  Anthony Guttadauro and Marquis Perrilliat are both proven talents for the ‘Cats and will get their time to shine as fulltime starters at corner.  Adding to that mix is a guy the program was thrilled to pick up in Western Oregon transfer Chris Adamo at corner. Adamo is a player and I have no doubt the Wildcat fanbase is going to get to know his name and number quickly.  Returning back at safety for Linfield Duke Mackle.  I’m calling my shot right now and will say that Duke is going to be an All-American at the end of this season.  IMO, Duke was shorted honors last season by the regional voters.  Mackle came up huge for Linfield time after time in 2017 and it wasn’t a fluke. I’ll be keeping my eye on the Monster spot this year as Tyler Bergeron is back at Linfield after a 6 year absence. Bergeron enlisted in the Marine Corps after the 2012 season and proudly served his country.  But Tyler always wanted to come back and was greeted with open arms.  The defensive staff had high hopes for Tyler in 2012 and that is still the same in 2018.  Over at Rover, you’re going to see both Steven Kwak and Peter Finley in the mix.  Finley can bring the hammer on guys and I love Kwak’s steadiness in the backfield. Steven is an extension of the coaching staff on the field and should pay dividends for the defense this season.

Linebacker is where the ‘Cats have the biggest question marks going into this season. Linfield lost three players from 2017 that were essentially starters since 2015 with Jason Farlow being a 1st Team All-American last year.  Leading the new charge will be Senior Linebacker Patrick Pipitone who that staff has been thrilled about this past spring and fall camp.  Pip will be the quarterback of this defense and should be a major contributor to this team. Sophomore Brock Klosterman has a huge upside and could develop into a dominant player for the Wildcat defense as Brock has all the tools. Junior Taulelei Toledo has stepped up his game and should be the 3rd backer that sees a lot of action for the ‘Cats to start the year.

The Special Team do look to be special for the ‘Cats this season. Back is All-American kicker Willy Warne who looks like he hasn’t missed a beat this past fall camp and punter Colton Ramos will build unto what was an impressive freshman campaign.  Linfield has had All-American punters and kickers in the past but I cannot think of a better kicker/punter combination on the same team in the 20+ years I’ve been around the program.  They are that good.

So with all of that said, what does that potentially mean for the 2018 season?  I don’t have a crystal ball and the season can be unpredictable.  At the top end, if a few key areas can come together, I think this Linfield team could be a serious threat for a deep playoff run.  The talent on the roster is all there. At the worst, the ‘Cats could be a dogfight for the NWC title and their playoff lives. The upside is there for this team and now it’s a matter of getting after it.

I’m not going to get into a game preview this time around and that’s mainly because I haven’t been able to spend a minute watching or researching Carroll.  That’s not a knock on Carroll but more of a statement of where I’m currently at. I do know that the Saints have an incredible pedigree, they have tremendous size and skill, and have two games under their belt to make roster adjustments.  The ‘Cats better bring it tomorrow or they’re going to be sitting at 0-1 and with a dangerous Redlands team coming to the ‘Catdome on what will be a shortened week of preparation (I’m not overselling it, I think Redlands is good). Let’s go ‘Cats!

So on a more personal note.  There have been some people reaching out asking when the game preview is going to come out, etc.  Full disclosure, I have been and will continue to scale back on the writing of the blog.  Life is busy right now and the blog has had to take a major backseat.  And that’s a good thing for my family!  That doesn’t mean my passion for Linfield football has diminished but I have to take care of business.  The mini-highlights will still be delivered weekly and I’m going to try to get a game review/game preview out but don’t be disappointed that is not as consistent as years’ past. Thank you to all of you that have and will continue to support this venture!