tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8031454580175567042024-03-13T14:54:38.389-07:00ADvantage CatdomeEXPECT TO WINWildcat 11http://www.blogger.com/profile/07434979128173141655noreply@blogger.comBlogger1305125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-803145458017556704.post-77494119189472210762019-10-07T14:57:00.000-07:002019-10-07T14:58:31.868-07:00‘Cats Win!!! Linfield knockout Boxers in 52-14 beatdown in Forest Grove.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Artie Johnson scored twice for the 'Cats against Pacific</td></tr>
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePKRDPE78vs" target="_blank">Brock Lesner F5</a> 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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlBWemUTMEc" target="_blank">‘Catdome on a rail in a 59-0 stomping in front of the whole Pacific University community.</a> <br />
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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 <a href="https://www.oregonlive.com/sports/2019/09/ken-schumann-to-retire-as-pacific-university-athletic-director-boxers-will-promote-football-coach-keith-buckley.html" target="_blank">Pacific’s head coach, Keith Buckley (who’s a good dude)</a>, 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.<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Since 2014 <a href="https://twitter.com/LinfieldFB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LinfieldFB</a> has beat Pacific by an average score of 53.5 to 8. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Catdome?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Catdome</a></p>— Catdomealumni Football (@Catdome_alumni) <a href="https://twitter.com/Catdome_alumni/status/1181233773851004928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: large;"><i>The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: large;"><i>The Good</i></span><br />
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<u><span style="color: #990000;">Clean, discipline football:</span></u> 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.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;"><u>Great Offensive Balance:</u></span> 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.<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🎞️Congrats to <a href="https://twitter.com/cj_mac__?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@cj_mac__</a> on his first career TD as a Wildcat in Linfield's 52-14 win over the Pacific Boxers. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Catdome?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Catdome</a> <a href="https://t.co/2iVvMvvvnd">pic.twitter.com/2iVvMvvvnd</a></p>— Catdomealumni Football (@Catdome_alumni) <a href="https://twitter.com/Catdome_alumni/status/1180906103015497728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<u><span style="color: #990000;">Special Teams</span></u>: 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.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #990000;">No Turnovers:</span></u> Just awesome here. It makes life that much better when you take care of the football. Love it.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #990000;">Offensive Conversions</span></u>: 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.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #990000;">Passing Attack:</span></u> 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.<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">After two seasons of battling injury, Senior receiver <a href="https://twitter.com/tyler_torg21?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tyler_torg21</a> , is healthy and making big contributions. Torg hauled in this 12-yard TD from <a href="https://twitter.com/Gators15Smith?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Gators15Smith</a> on Saturday in the 'Cats 52-14 victory at Pacific. <a href="https://t.co/Ij7eZF1ePi">pic.twitter.com/Ij7eZF1ePi</a></p>— Catdomealumni Football (@Catdome_alumni) <a href="https://twitter.com/Catdome_alumni/status/1180982261992132609?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: large;"><i>The Bad</i></span><br />
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<u><span style="color: #990000;">Defensive Inconsistencies</span></u>: 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.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #990000;">Tackling</span></u>: 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.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>The Ugly</i></span><br />
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<u><span style="color: #990000;">Nothing:</span></u> 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!<br />
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Wildcat 11http://www.blogger.com/profile/07434979128173141655noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-803145458017556704.post-13031381761751989912019-10-04T13:22:00.003-07:002019-10-04T13:22:37.977-07:002019 Game 3 preview: Linfield (1-1) vs Pacific (0-3)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ruNdX77qqvln4Bb84xhNUwN06KaKkVZP_YspdkggRT_nYaUQZX0EVpcfLgc_8awnJhEYfy_hkgOo_5He_pSN6mEZne8PWRQ_x4TdfN_LL2e0kvCEpcTTgBPwcX5wCkLSHpiiCfSl1XY/s1600/Linfield+vs+Pacific.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="298" data-original-width="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ruNdX77qqvln4Bb84xhNUwN06KaKkVZP_YspdkggRT_nYaUQZX0EVpcfLgc_8awnJhEYfy_hkgOo_5He_pSN6mEZne8PWRQ_x4TdfN_LL2e0kvCEpcTTgBPwcX5wCkLSHpiiCfSl1XY/s1600/Linfield+vs+Pacific.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Well, the game is at least in Oregon!</td></tr>
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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.</div>
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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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If this group decides
to be great, it’s going to come down to executing on their defensive
assignments and how well they tackle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This isn’t an issue of talent.<o:p></o:p></div>
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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. <o:p></o:p></div>
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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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the 5<sup>th</sup> time Linfield
has made the 30-minute trip to Pacific since the Boxers have reinstated the program
in 2010. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ‘Cats need to be ready
this Saturday.<o:p></o:p></div>
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For Pacific, the Boxers are in desperate need of a great
performance after a hard 0-3 start. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chapman,
who is playing good football, came up North and blew past an early 14-7 Pacific
lead to win 45-14.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then the Boxers went
on the road and showed some great fight in a 37-26 loss that could have gone
the other way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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<sup>th</sup> quarter lead). <o:p></o:p></div>
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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. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If Linfield is just looking at the 0-3 and not
deeper, it could come back to haunt the ‘Cats.<o:p></o:p></div>
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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. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that run
game and short strike passing attack is a great table setter for the shots
downfield that Pacific will take as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I do like the Boxers Sophomore QB, Nick Bower.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Harris
is a bigger RB at 6’ 1” 220 lbs and has a good nose for finding the creases in
the defense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<o:p></o:p></div>
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On Defense, the Boxers will primarily give the ‘Cats a traditional
3-4 defensive look and bring pressure for a number of different angles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ‘Cats will see some LB’s just walk up and
blitz to delayed blitzing as well. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s an up and down unit that the ‘Cats
offense has to jump on early and establish themselves as the aggressor.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i>Wildcat11’s Keys To Victory:</i></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">60 full minutes of Linfield Football</span></u>: A big fear of mine is
that Linfield will get up early and start taking their foot off the gas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pacific is going to play hard for all four
quarters and have proven they can adjust and get back into games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Linfield MUST be committed to playing a
smart, fast, and physical brand of football for a full four quarters.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Establish a running threat</span></u>: Pacific is allowing 212.7
rushing yards per game (5.1 per carry).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>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.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Take away the Boxer running game</span></u>: 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. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This area of the game I think will tell you
just where the rest of this season will be going for the Linfield defense.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Limit potential big plays out of the Boxer offense</span></u>:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If Linfield is going to commit to stuffing
the run, then our corners/safeties are going to have to make plays on the
football.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Win the turnover battl</span></u>e:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Pretty simple.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Give Smith time to operate</span></u>:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When allowed time, Wyatt Smith will deliver strikes to this group of receivers.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It will go a long way to a Linfield
victory if the ‘Cats can let him stand and deliver.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Solid Special Teams</span></u>: The fastest way that Linfield could breath
life into Pacific is by bad special teams play. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s protect our kickers and do our jobs on
coverage/returns. I hope we’ve left the stupid football down in SoCal.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i>Overall</i></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<u>‘Cats by 10</u>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On
paper, Linfield is the favorite this weekend, but games are not played on
paper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love this Linfield team.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We’re going to find out which way the wind is blowing this
Saturday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Go ‘Cats!<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Wildcat 11http://www.blogger.com/profile/07434979128173141655noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-803145458017556704.post-68874870927713748282019-10-03T13:21:00.001-07:002019-10-03T13:31:34.957-07:002019 Pick ‘Em Contest: Week 5Holy 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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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As a side note, UPS is getting dangerously into the <a href="http://catdomealumni.blogspot.com/2015/11/george-fox-football-attendance-numbers.html" target="_blank">George Fox smoke and mirrors game</a> 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. <br />
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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.<br />
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Let’s get to the games!<br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i>2019 Northwest Conference Games of the Week</i></span><br />
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Whitworth (1-1) over Willamette (1-1) (at Whitworth)</span></u>: 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.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Lewis & Clark (1-1) over Pacific Lutheran (1-1) (at PLU)</span></u>: 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.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">George Fox (1-2) over Puget Sound (2-1) (at UPS):</span></u> 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.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i>Week 5 NWC Power Rankings</i></span><br />
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1.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Whitworth: Champ until proven otherwise<br />
2.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Linfield: Have some major improving if they want to contend<br />
3.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>George Fox: Defense and Special Teams is carrying the Bruins<br />
4.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Puget Sound: AJ Johnson is a stud.<br />
5.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Pacific: Rough outing at CLU but still have good pieces<br />
6.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>PLU: Disappointing loss at CMS but they play hard.<br />
7.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>L&C: Not going to be an easy out.<br />
8.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Willamette: The offense has greatly improved under their new staff.<br />
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Wildcat 11http://www.blogger.com/profile/07434979128173141655noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-803145458017556704.post-9291744369201045972019-09-24T13:14:00.002-07:002019-09-24T13:27:44.944-07:00Linfield takes one in the chin in 27-19 loss at RedlandsSaturday 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.<br />
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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 <a href="https://youtu.be/sMJkQWaNJL4" target="_blank">the first series brutally bad fumble call</a>, 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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i>The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i>The Good</i></span><br />
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Passing attack</span></u>: 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.<br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;"><u>3rd down Defense</u></span>: 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).<br />
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Battling</span></u>: 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.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Field Goal Kicking</span></u>: 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.<br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: large;"><i>The Bad</i></span><br />
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<u><span style="color: #990000;">Negative Rushing Attack</span></u>: -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.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #990000;">Tackling:</span></u> 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.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #990000;">Special Teams:</span></u> 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.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #990000;">Pass Pro</span></u>: 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.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #990000;">Giving up the outside edges</span></u>: 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.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #990000;">Penalties</span></u>: 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<br />
hope this prepares this team with the ability to adjust quicker to how the official’s crew is calling it. <br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: large;"><b>The Ugly</b></span><br />
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<u><span style="color: #990000;">Redland’s Post Game Celebration</span></u>: 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.Wildcat 11http://www.blogger.com/profile/07434979128173141655noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-803145458017556704.post-50257364773670177432019-09-20T13:04:00.001-07:002019-09-20T13:16:34.586-07:002019 NWC Pick ‘Em: Week 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-5_KuXXzmaauZhMEww0NoSsH4MrsN2uioJecwXXmgmq3LcARyWsvv7V-DVDOK7mbuE5BUUBH2ONANOpQTYjy2gkJVU1m9yc76oB4ffOxyeK6e6hOEAZvWkk4oVWoXU8_W0wuqROlDAPY/s1600/redlands.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="327" data-original-width="533" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-5_KuXXzmaauZhMEww0NoSsH4MrsN2uioJecwXXmgmq3LcARyWsvv7V-DVDOK7mbuE5BUUBH2ONANOpQTYjy2gkJVU1m9yc76oB4ffOxyeK6e6hOEAZvWkk4oVWoXU8_W0wuqROlDAPY/s400/redlands.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Let’s roll!</td></tr>
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<b><i><span style="color: #351c75;">Northwest Conference Games of the Week:</span></i></b><br />
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<u><span style="color: #990000;">Whittier (2-0) over L&C (0-1) (at L&C)</span></u>: 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.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #990000;">Willamette (0-1) over Oxy (1-0) (at Willamette)</span></u>: 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.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #990000;">PLU (1-0) over CMS (at CMS)</span></u>: 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.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #990000;">UPS (1-1) over La Verne (1-1) (at UPS):</span></u> 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.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #990000;">Whitworth (1-0) over Chapman (1-0) (at Chapman)</span></u>: 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.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #990000;">Fox (0-2) over Pamona Pitzer (1-0) (at Fox)</span></u>: 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.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #990000;">Pacific (0-2) over CLU (0-1) (at CLU)</span></u>: 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.<br />
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<b>Wildcat11’s Week 3 NWC Power Rankings:</b></div>
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1.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Whitworth: Champs had the weekend off before they continue their march to Linfield<br />
2.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Linfield: Big ‘ol challenge this weekend.<br />
3.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>PLU: Everyone else lost so ‘Lutes get the honor of being the best of the rest.<br />
4.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Pacific: Showed fight and have pieces to make some noise in conference play.<br />
5.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Puget Sound: Their defense sucks but have an offense.<br />
6.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>George Fox: Their offense sucks but have a defense.<br />
7.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Willamette: Showed some offensive punch in their week 1 loss.<br />
8.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Lewis & Clark: You got shutout by Pamona Pitzer. Just have to wear it this week, boys.Wildcat 11http://www.blogger.com/profile/07434979128173141655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-803145458017556704.post-73561544665371886862019-09-19T20:11:00.004-07:002019-09-19T20:12:54.578-07:002019 Game 2 Preview: Linfield (1-0) at Redlands (2-0)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCX0WV4uAfOR0fzcCVTooxg9k142pPp4VLK8zYygnPJaf6U3ughlh2z5z3h6pE02iMrH6UkXUMmbSJ_Hmra2HKWzcdKBeqvK9xHJpuvf8tzDsRYLvCyH8kRhqbdXaoLCa39DTqQMX1xTo/s1600/Redlands.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="298" data-original-width="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCX0WV4uAfOR0fzcCVTooxg9k142pPp4VLK8zYygnPJaf6U3ughlh2z5z3h6pE02iMrH6UkXUMmbSJ_Hmra2HKWzcdKBeqvK9xHJpuvf8tzDsRYLvCyH8kRhqbdXaoLCa39DTqQMX1xTo/s1600/Redlands.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another round of 'Cats vs Bulldogs</td></tr>
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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 (<a href="https://portal.stretchinternet.com/redlands/" target="_blank">7pm kickoff</a>).<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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!<br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: large;"><i>Wildcat11’s Keys To Victory</i></span><br />
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<u><span style="color: #990000;">Complete effort:</span></u> 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.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #990000;">Limit the Bulldog rushing attack</span></u>: 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.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #990000;">Need offensive balance:</span></u> 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.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #990000;">Have to be great tacklers</span></u>: 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.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #990000;">Clean pockets</span></u>: 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.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #990000;">Priority on possession</span></u>: 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.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #990000;">Special on special teams</span></u>: 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.<br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: large;"><i>Overall</i></span><br />
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<u><span style="color: #990000;">‘Cats by 3</span></u>. 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.<br />
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Wildcat 11http://www.blogger.com/profile/07434979128173141655noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-803145458017556704.post-4645690247479402812019-09-16T23:18:00.002-07:002019-09-16T23:28:40.519-07:00Fuhgeddaboudit!!! ‘Cats roll 35-14 in season opener at Rowan.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3NOaCyccbYZ-qgrK5YTwy04UBZXtChn8NalW9OqIKnLREHbmLG_lpB3A9xY5ImMStWA6q1H-YmCkEeiI1vCwZrHqtGZ80ocK37-5wvrBxOvGDBBEL77DsG8pwW8x2q5oke2z1o2jdtsI/s1600/EEdHHiQWwAAE-53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1199" data-original-width="1600" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3NOaCyccbYZ-qgrK5YTwy04UBZXtChn8NalW9OqIKnLREHbmLG_lpB3A9xY5ImMStWA6q1H-YmCkEeiI1vCwZrHqtGZ80ocK37-5wvrBxOvGDBBEL77DsG8pwW8x2q5oke2z1o2jdtsI/s400/EEdHHiQWwAAE-53.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team. Excellence. Attitude. Class.</td></tr>
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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.)<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly</span><br />
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<b style="color: #351c75;"><i>The Good</i></b><br />
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<u><span style="color: #990000;">Handling the travel:</span></u> 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.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #990000;">Passing Attack:</span></u> 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.<br />
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The Wildcats opened up the scoring this past Saturday vs Rowan with this <a href="https://twitter.com/Gators15Smith?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Gators15Smith</a> 55-yard TD pass to <a href="https://twitter.com/k10swai?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@k10swai</a> in <a href="https://twitter.com/LinfieldFB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LinfieldFB</a>'s 35-14 road victory. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Catdome?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Catdome</a> <a href="https://t.co/Huyj24VGPx">pic.twitter.com/Huyj24VGPx</a></div>
— Catdomealumni Football (@Catdome_alumni) <a href="https://twitter.com/Catdome_alumni/status/1173381707182923777?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<u><span style="color: #990000;">Creating turnovers:</span></u> 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.<br />
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Corner <a href="https://twitter.com/Sitton02?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Sitton02</a> came up with Linfield's first pick of the season during the 2nd quarter of <a href="https://twitter.com/LinfieldFB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LinfieldFB</a>'s 35-14 victory over Rowan. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Catdome?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Catdome</a> <a href="https://t.co/JIdu5wERlS">pic.twitter.com/JIdu5wERlS</a></div>
— Catdomealumni Football (@Catdome_alumni) <a href="https://twitter.com/Catdome_alumni/status/1173389391210827777?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 16, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<u><span style="color: #cc0000;">Overall pass pro:</span></u> 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.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #990000;">Limiting Prof big plays:</span></u> 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.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #990000;">Pass Coverage: </span></u> 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.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #990000;">Having an answer: </span></u> 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.<br />
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<b><i><span style="color: #351c75;">Bonus Awesome</span></i></b><br />
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<u><span style="color: #990000;">The trip to Manhattan: </span></u> 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.<br />
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<b><i><span style="color: #351c75;">The Bad</span></i></b><br />
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<u><span style="color: #990000;">4th down defense:</span></u> 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.<br />
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.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #990000;">Jumping offsides:</span></u> 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.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #990000;">Putting the ball at risk too much:</span></u> 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.<br />
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<b><i><span style="color: #351c75;">The Ugly</span></i></b><br />
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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.<br />
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Wildcat 11http://www.blogger.com/profile/07434979128173141655noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-803145458017556704.post-91201710709111944772019-09-14T06:10:00.000-07:002019-09-14T08:20:13.664-07:002019 Game 1 Preview: Linfield (0-0) at Rowan (0-1)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhblHA-SazCIXhsU8AiCagRCtnI5oZcfXqpS-kqaxV-XHFGrNbNkdCZQWcTwDt7KTO06R4N5sYX9Q3-0VjT7Fe1KMiV3UXKaRkn0g9aRjWfJue8t1EHdLeoGaK82X2FcyyV-rZpfjhH3Qs/s1600/Capture.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="901" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhblHA-SazCIXhsU8AiCagRCtnI5oZcfXqpS-kqaxV-XHFGrNbNkdCZQWcTwDt7KTO06R4N5sYX9Q3-0VjT7Fe1KMiV3UXKaRkn0g9aRjWfJue8t1EHdLeoGaK82X2FcyyV-rZpfjhH3Qs/s400/Capture.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tight End Jacob Calo is looking to point Linfield in the right direction.</td></tr>
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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The Linfield Athletics page <a href="https://golinfieldwildcats.com/news/2019/9/6/football-revamped-cats-aim-to-take-back-nwc-title.aspx" target="_blank">already did a team breakdown</a> 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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: large;"><i>Wildcat11’s keys to victory</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">Don’t wait, come out fast:</span> 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.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">Need offensive balance:</span> 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.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">Bottle up the Prof running game:</span> 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.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">Take care of the football:</span> 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.<br />
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.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">Making plays on the football:</span> 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.<br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;">Overall:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">Linfield by 3</span>. 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!<br />
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Wildcat 11http://www.blogger.com/profile/07434979128173141655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-803145458017556704.post-6785295401804737492019-09-13T19:43:00.000-07:002019-09-15T18:07:27.285-07:002019 NWC Pick ‘Em: Week 2<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="305" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/szoky0hAF6Q" width="530"></iframe>
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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 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWmQbk5h86w" target="_blank">who we thought they were</a>. </div>
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: large;"><i>NWC Games of the Week:</i></span><br />
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<u><span style="color: #cc0000;">Redlands (1-0) over Puget Sound (1-0) at Redlands:</span></u> 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.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #990000;">Lewis & Clark (0-0) over Pomona-Pitzer (1-0) at PP:</span></u> 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.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #990000;">Alfred (1-0) over George Fox (0-1) at Alfred (NY): </span></u> 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.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #990000;">Dubuque (0-1) over Pacific (0-1) at Dubuque (IA):</span></u> 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.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #990000;">Pacific Lutheran (0-0) over Cal Lutheran (0-0) at PLU:</span></u> 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.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #990000;">La Verne (0-1) over Willamette (0-0) at La Verne:</span></u> 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.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Wildcat11’s Week 2 NWC Power Rankings:</span></div>
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1.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Whitworth: They’re the champs and looked good in week 1.<br />
2.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Linfield: Dangerous week 1 game for the ‘Cats. Catdome baby!<br />
3.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Puget Sound: Have offensive weapons but secondary is a big question mark<br />
4.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Lewis and Clark: The Pios are gonna surprise a lot of teams this year.<br />
5.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>George Fox: If the offensive line play doesn’t improve, the Bruins are going to struggle<br />
6.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Pacific: I like the Sophomore QB and their receivers. They could turn it around and move up.<br />
7.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>PLU: Going to be here for the majority of 2019.<br />
8.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Willamette: It was a decade ago that their program was talking about an NWC football dynasty. How times change.<br />
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Wildcat 11http://www.blogger.com/profile/07434979128173141655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-803145458017556704.post-32580444727542017212019-08-27T19:45:00.000-07:002019-08-27T19:45:09.863-07:002019 Linfield Fall Camp - Defensive Coaches Interviews<iframe allow="autoplay" frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/672008744&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true" width="100%"></iframe><br />
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<iframe allow="autoplay" frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/672009128&color=%23765181&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true" width="100%"></iframe>
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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.Wildcat 11http://www.blogger.com/profile/07434979128173141655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-803145458017556704.post-20347136404050479982019-08-26T13:50:00.000-07:002019-08-26T13:50:09.891-07:00<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="295" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bIdO4MF86hE" width="530"></iframe><br />
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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. <br />
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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!Wildcat 11http://www.blogger.com/profile/07434979128173141655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-803145458017556704.post-80953937509156863182019-08-26T13:44:00.000-07:002019-08-26T13:44:26.431-07:00Yes, I'm going to start blogging about Linfield football again! YES! YES! YES!
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We mic'd up Linfield Senior DB <a href="https://twitter.com/keyelldavis?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@keyelldavis</a> through Friday's tackling circuit. Expect Davis to have a big impact on the Wildcat defense this fall. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Catdome?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Catdome</a> <a href="https://t.co/WuSjlKqeGL">pic.twitter.com/WuSjlKqeGL</a></p>— Catdomealumni Football (@Catdome_alumni) <a href="https://twitter.com/Catdome_alumni/status/1165684548975202305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 25, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>Wildcat 11http://www.blogger.com/profile/07434979128173141655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-803145458017556704.post-70645811925698424442018-09-10T20:47:00.002-07:002018-09-10T20:47:37.835-07:00‘Cats let the Saints slip away in Helena.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieyJNTw2Pqd3oKwTn8datAA1lm0FNdVucpPJQDsmUXCX5Klj7ZiW-8ejCk9z7ZIjOxmauhejNK7Kzyz5jhL5ZPmQVjtFPGg8OOd-Et1kNGmJzHbg5GdED1Bh4LWH6ho5cDuznMHsa1c08/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="361" data-original-width="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieyJNTw2Pqd3oKwTn8datAA1lm0FNdVucpPJQDsmUXCX5Klj7ZiW-8ejCk9z7ZIjOxmauhejNK7Kzyz5jhL5ZPmQVjtFPGg8OOd-Et1kNGmJzHbg5GdED1Bh4LWH6ho5cDuznMHsa1c08/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Senior Linebacker Patrick Pipitone was named NWC Defensive Player of the Week</td></tr>
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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.<br /><br />
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.<br /><br />
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. <br /><br />
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.<br /><br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly</span></i></span><br /><br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">The Good</span></i></span><br /><br />
<span style="color: #351c75;"><u>Not giving up the fight:</u></span> 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.<br /><br />
<span style="color: #351c75;"><u>Defensive line play:</u></span> 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.<br /><br />
<span style="color: #351c75;"><u>Pip</u></span>: 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.<br /><br />
<span style="color: #351c75;"><u>Pass Pro</u></span>: 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. <br /><br />
<span style="color: #351c75;"><u>Punting</u></span>: 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.<br /><br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">The Bad</span></i></span><br /><br />
<span style="color: #351c75;"><u>Coming up empty early in the Red Zone</u></span>: 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.<br /><br />
<span style="color: #351c75;"><u>Passing attack rhythm</u></span>: 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.<br /><br />
<span style="color: #351c75;"><u>Giving up 21 to that Carroll offense</u></span>: 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.<br /><br />
<span style="color: #351c75;"><u>The penalties</u></span>: 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.<br /><br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">The Ugly</span></i></span><br /><br />
<span style="color: #351c75;"><u>The Final Sequence</u></span>: 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!<br />Wildcat 11http://www.blogger.com/profile/07434979128173141655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-803145458017556704.post-758459140163960542018-09-07T20:03:00.000-07:002018-09-09T20:28:16.108-07:002018 Linfield College Football Season Preview<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPL2zEV3DI_wGlfsJz0TCPhO6a_9bW8kx4g83UYV8u062_qNbp918gAS2NHnC7KNtGPzZNWf1ORp_i4l1S3yBw1z9qDfebi6nEDRsqufEMvcH46JGv4LUmCaGYL79Tsoex6GTuINHXZUg/s1600/Carroll+Game+Banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="298" data-original-width="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPL2zEV3DI_wGlfsJz0TCPhO6a_9bW8kx4g83UYV8u062_qNbp918gAS2NHnC7KNtGPzZNWf1ORp_i4l1S3yBw1z9qDfebi6nEDRsqufEMvcH46JGv4LUmCaGYL79Tsoex6GTuINHXZUg/s1600/Carroll+Game+Banner.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What a way to kick off the 2018 season!</td></tr>
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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.<br />
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So now that we’ve talked about the past, let’s turn our attention to the future with the start of the 2018 season.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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).<br />
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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.<br />
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(Holy crap, I’m 1,200 words in and I haven’t even finished the offense.)<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
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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!<br />
<br />
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!<br />
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Wildcat 11http://www.blogger.com/profile/07434979128173141655noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-803145458017556704.post-28318826670992567032017-12-31T22:34:00.000-08:002017-12-31T22:34:58.351-08:00Nine Seasons of Catdome Domination.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggyGpmGdGU0osdKA7cvEiZZHYXmvWhWkAm21jRtUQyJCxXoP2LaOPusqh6fT83_borC8KhW19Ix8Q-d-gChgqSst-nRAKEZbk6XD1bWeIQwonc3Vi_xA2K7TqUekQ4WTeYSSdrQONEblU/s1600/Decade.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="438" data-original-width="1001" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggyGpmGdGU0osdKA7cvEiZZHYXmvWhWkAm21jRtUQyJCxXoP2LaOPusqh6fT83_borC8KhW19Ix8Q-d-gChgqSst-nRAKEZbk6XD1bWeIQwonc3Vi_xA2K7TqUekQ4WTeYSSdrQONEblU/s400/Decade.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://catdomealumni.blogspot.com/2009/12/nwc-decade-of-linfield-dominance.html" target="_blank">On December 31st 2009, we review the first full decade of the realignment of the Northwest Conference</a> (The NWC regrouped in 1996 as the Northwest Conference of Independent Colleges (NCIC) and then officially named back to the Northwest Conference in 1998). For an number of years we would take a look at the numbers but slipped last year. I wanted to bring this back out but with both Pacific and Fox back it didn't seem right to go a full 18 years.<br />
<br />
So I decided to narrow the field down to the past 9 seasons (2009-17) where the 'Cats have busted off 9 consecutive NWC titles. Linfield has been incredible for a long time but this 9 year stretch has been downright impressive. Since 2009, Linfield has won 94 total football games and the next closest on the list is Whitworth with 56. That is a 38 game gap between the reigning champ and the second best<br />
team over that period of time.<br />
<br />
There are others stats that leap out at you in terms of where Linfield has made their mark. 17 playoff victories, 97 Northwest Conference 1st team honors (nearest team is Willamette with 38), 26 1st team All-Region selections (rest of the conference has 12 combined), The 'Cats a 94.5% home winning percentage (PLU is next with 69.2%)<br />
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Another area to look at is the D3football.com All-American totals since 2009. Linfield has 32 All-Americans honors since 2009, the rest of the Northwest Conference has 12 combined. That's just nasty.<br />
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The data is staggering to me when you considered that the Northwest Conference is a darn good conference. There's no secret why this has happened. It's been consistence that's the program reaches on a yearly basis on the back of hard work. No shortcuts, no gimmicks. Linfield will continue to be the team to beat year after year because of the commitment of this staff, players, administration, and support community that do things the right way....the Linfield way. <br />
<br />
Decade Records (2009-17) (I've now included Pacific’s data from the past 8 seasons and FU's 4 years into the mix. Their percentages are big enough now to include and slot them accordingly.)<br />
<br />
<b>Overall Record (Winning Percentage)</b><br />
Linfield.............94-13 (87.8%)<br />
Whitworth.........56-35 (61.9%)<br />
PLU.................50-32 (60.9%)<br />
Willamette........44-42 (51.1%)<br />
GFU.................17-21 (44.7) (Since 2014)<br />
Pacific……….31-43 (41.8%) (Since 2010)<br />
L&C................20-61 (24.6%)<br />
UPS................19-62 (24.6%)<br />
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<b>NWC Record </b><br />
Linfield............57-1 (98.2%)<br />
PLU.................37-21 (63.7%)<br />
Whitworth.........35-23 (60.3%) <br />
Willamette.......27-31 (46.5%)<br />
GFU..............13-15 (44.2) (Since 2014)<br />
Pacific……….23-29 (44.2%) (Since 2010)<br />
UPS..............12-46 (20.6%)<br />
L&C...............10-48 (17.2%)<br />
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<b>Home Record </b><br />
Linfield............52-3 (94.5%)<br />
PLU................27-12 (69.2%)<br />
Whitworth......27-18 (60.0%)<br />
GFU.............12-8 (60.0) (Since 2014)<br />
Willamette......22-22 (50.0%)<br />
Pacific……….15-21 (41.6%) (Since 2010)<br />
L&C................12-29 (29.2%)<br />
UPS................12-29 (29.2%)<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Road Record </b><br />
Linfield..........42-10 (80.7%)<br />
Whitworth.......29-17 (63.0%)<br />
PLU...............23-20 (53.5%)<br />
Willamette.....22-20 (52.3%)<br />
Pacific………16-22 (42.1%) (Since 2010)<br />
GFU.........5-13 (27.8%) (Since 2014)<br />
L&C...............8-32 (20.0%)<br />
UPS..............7-33 (17.5%)<br />
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<b>Playoff Record</b><br />
Linfield.........17-9<br />
PLU.............0-2<br />
Whitworth......0-1<br />
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<b>NWC 1st Place Finishes</b><br />
Linfield............9 (1-tie)<br />
Pacific.......1 (1-tie)<br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i>Conference Honors (2009-17)</i></span><br />
<br />
<b>Coach Of The Year</b><br />
Linfield..........9<br />
<br />
<b>Offense Player of the Year</b><br />
Linfield.........6<br />
Whitworth.....1<br />
Willamette....1<br />
Lewis & Clark...1<br />
<br />
<b>Defensive Player of the Year</b><br />
Linfield........7<br />
Pacific....1<br />
Willamette....1<br />
GFU............1<br />
<br />
<b>NWC 1st Team Players</b><br />
Linfield.......97 (10.8 per year)<br />
Willamette....38 (4.2 per year)<br />
PLU.............35 (3.9 per year)<br />
Whitworth....32 (3.5 per year)<br />
Pacific…….19 (2.4 per year)<br />
GFU.............9 (2.25 per year)<br />
UPS.............8 (.88 per year)<br />
L&C..............8 (.88 per year)<br />
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<b>D3football.com All-American Players</b><br />
Linfield.......32<br />
Willamette....5<br />
GFU..........3<br />
PLU....1<br />
Whitworth.............1<br />
L&C.............1<br />
UPS..............0<br />
Pacific..........1<br />
<br />
<b>D3football.com All-American 1st Team Players</b><br />
Linfield.......12<br />
L&C.............1<br />
Willamette..............1<br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i>Team Statistics (Averages) (2009-17)</i></span><br />
<br />
(Pacific's totals are averaged by 8 seasons and GFU is averaged at 4 seasons)<br />
<br />
<b>Points Per Game</b><br />
Linfield..........40.6 PPG<br />
Whitworth......32.2 PPG<br />
Willamette...............30.2 PPG<br />
PLU......26.5 PPG<br />
Pacific...........26.3 PPG<br />
UPS...............23.6 PPG<br />
GFU...............23.3 PPG<br />
L&C...............22.6 PPG<br />
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<b>Points Allowed Per Game</b><br />
Linfield..........14.6 PPG<br />
PLU...............20.4 PPG<br />
Willamette....21.8 PPG<br />
GFU...............22.6 PPG<br />
Whitworth....23.6 PPG<br />
Pacific............28.2 PPG<br />
UPS...............36.0 PPG<br />
L&C..............36.8 PPG<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Pass Offense Per Game</b><br />
UPS..............278.8 YPG<br />
Linfield.........269.8 YPG<br />
Pacific........... 244.7 YPG<br />
PLU..............234.8 YPG<br />
Whitworth.....230.3 YPG<br />
L&C..............224.6 YPG<br />
Willamette....208.8 YPG<br />
GFU.............146.9<br />
<br />
<b>Pass Defense Per Game</b><br />
Linfield........182.1 YPG<br />
PLU..............214.0 YPG<br />
Willamette....223.5 YPG<br />
Whitworth.....235.6 YPG<br />
Pacific..........242.6 YPG<br />
GFU..............247.7 YUP<br />
UPS..............249.0 YPG<br />
L&C..............258.7 YPG<br />
<br />
<b>Rushing Offense Per Game</b><br />
Willamette....193.4 YPG<br />
Linfield.......176.3 YPG<br />
PLU.............140.3 YPG<br />
GFU.............138.6 YPG<br />
Whitworth.............137.5 YPG<br />
L&C.............126.0 YPG<br />
Pacific............125.0 YPG<br />
UPS........80.1 YPG<br />
<br />
<b>Rushing Defense Per Game</b><br />
Linfield........95.9 YPG<br />
PLU.............124.1 YPG<br />
GFU.............143.7 YPG<br />
Willamette....152.8 YPG<br />
Pacific.........153.8 YPG<br />
Whitworth....156.5 YPG<br />
L&C.............190.4 YPG<br />
UPS.............191.0 YPG<br />
<br />
<b>Total Offense Per Game</b><br />
Linfield........446.1 YPG<br />
Willamette...402.2 YPG<br />
Whitworth..400.7 YPG<br />
PLU............375.2 YPG<br />
Pacific.............369.6 YPG <br />
UPS.........359.0 YPG<br />
L&C.........350.5 YPG<br />
GFU.............245.3 YPG<br />
<br />
<b>Total Defense Per Game</b><br />
Linfield........278.0 YPG<br />
PLU.............338.1 YPG <br />
Willamette....376.3 YPG<br />
Whitworth....388.0 YPG<br />
GFU............391.4 YPG<br />
Pacific.........396.3 YPG<br />
UPS.............440.0 YPG<br />
L&C.............449.1 YPG<br />
<br />
<b>Avg. Sacks Per Season</b><br />
Linfield........44.6<br />
PLU.............25.7<br />
GFU.............23.5<br />
Willamette....23.2<br />
Pacific...........21.8<br />
Whitworth......20.4<br />
L&C.............15.4<br />
UPS.............13.3<br />
<br />
<b>Avg. Turnover Margin Per Season</b><br />
Linfield........+12.4<br />
Whitworth...+8.3<br />
GFU.........+3.8<br />
Willamette...+2.9<br />
PLU............1.7<br />
Pacific...........-0.6<br />
L&C..............-2.6 <br />
UPS............-4.3<br />
<br />
<b>Passing TD's Per Season</b><br />
Linfield..........32.2<br />
Whitworth.........22.4<br />
UPS............20.7<br />
Pacific..........19.5<br />
PLU...........17.7<br />
Willamette.......17.2<br />
L&C.............14.9<br />
GFU............14.5<br />
<br />
<b>Rush TD's Per Season</b><br />
Linfield.......27.1<br />
Willamette.....21.1<br />
Whitworth.......18.9<br />
PLU............14.4<br />
GFU...........13.3<br />
Pacific.........11.9<br />
L&C............11.4<br />
UPS.............6.6Wildcat 11http://www.blogger.com/profile/07434979128173141655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-803145458017556704.post-72353870261902249782017-12-01T20:28:00.002-08:002017-12-02T08:05:52.523-08:00A great season comes to the end of the line in Belton, Texas.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia1FxjjHc3uh6oVUyI2TXYaxzEhHJDpFgYKWJ2aEhe-G9J46G6FicAObS65I-DXngvq-LjaSRp7lk4FdaskPIt84hoSiv_JrC0EfpXxciLKJOxs1zl4SEhMX8smP_vls659kUTMgwTCGA/s1600/2017+WIll+Def+5.00_00_17_15.Still001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="298" data-original-width="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia1FxjjHc3uh6oVUyI2TXYaxzEhHJDpFgYKWJ2aEhe-G9J46G6FicAObS65I-DXngvq-LjaSRp7lk4FdaskPIt84hoSiv_JrC0EfpXxciLKJOxs1zl4SEhMX8smP_vls659kUTMgwTCGA/s1600/2017+WIll+Def+5.00_00_17_15.Still001.jpg" /></a></div>
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Linfield knew that they were going to have to play a near-perfect game to knock off the defending national champions and current number one team in the country. But the ‘Cats put themselves behind the eight ball early with a blocked punt deep in their own territory that resulted in a short touchdown for UMHB that made an uphill climb, even more, treacherous the rest of the way. The ‘Cats had a golden opportunity to make it a 10 point game midway through the 3rd quarter but when Linfield wasn’t able to cash in, it was ballgame on Linfield’s 2017 season.<br />
<br />
As tough as it was to watch Linfield lose that game, you have to tip your cap to UMHB as that is the best defense I’ve seen in my 20 plus years in watching small college football. Linfield has lost four games the past two years and all four are to UMHB. Linfield owned the first four games against the Crusaders, and now, UMHB has turned the tables the last four times out. There is a ton of respect on both sides of the table as a Crusader starter reached out to me via twitter moments after the game with this message:<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: large;"><i>“I respect everything about yalls program. Y’all always play hard and with class. I love playing y’all and the challenge it is to prepare for y’all.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: large;"><i>Much respect and safe travels”</i></span><br />
<br />
The feeling is mutual young man. I do believe the UMHB has learned a lot in the previous playoff losses in 2014 and 15 to Linfield and they improved those “weak” areas that the ‘Cats had previously exploited to victories in those games. The result is a Crusader program that no longer plays suspect pass defense and a team that doesn’t implode when the spotlight is brightest. On the flipside, I hope that our ‘Cats and our program has learned some hard lessons the past two years on just what Linfield needs to do to get our program back to that extra gear that can take down a team as talented as UMHB. Yeah, it’s going to be hard to find the speed they possess but I know that Coach Smith and his staff are not content in 2nd round playoff exits.<br />
<br />
As for the 2017 overall, what a ride this team went on. Coming into the season, the ‘Cats knew they were going to be excellent at Linebacker and the defensive line, and had potential to be solid on the offensive line but after that, the roster was in the air. There was talk about our defensive backfield being a weak link, nobody knew who was going to be our main running back, not sure which of the receivers would step up, and everyone wanted to talk about who was going to be the quarterback. These questions were understandable after a truckload of talent the ‘Cats lost after the 2016 season.<br />
<br />
Let’s look at it. Linfield lost one of their greatest quarterbacks of all time, one of the most dynamic running backs in program history with our outstanding other RB’s, we lost our top EIGHT receivers (where most of them were multiple years starters), long time punter, and lost their entire starting defensive backfield (who were all starters since their Sophomore seasons). After the 2016 season, the Linfield Wildcats lost a CRAP load of talent. Coaches around the Northwest Conference had to be licking their chops that this was going to “the year” where they were finally able to knock off Linfield from the NWC throne. It was an understandable though as Linfield might have appeared vulnerable for the first time in nearly a decade. However, the 2017 Linfield Wildcats had other plans in mind. First, let’s talk about this defense.<br />
<br />
What an amazing season for the Wildcat defense. The ‘Cats knew that in order for this team to have a shot to get back to another conference title and the playoffs, the defense was going to have to play top-shelf defense for the entire season and Linfield did just that in only allowing 12.1 points per game and only allowed a team to break the 20 point mark twice (24 points twice by UMHB). While everyone knew the linebackers and defensive line play would be strong, it was the secondary and their excellent play that made this a complete defense. With five new starters and multiple other players breaking the rotation in the secondary, they instantly put any worries to rest in a tremendous performance against Chapman and just didn’t stop playing outstanding coverage defense during the entirety of the 2017 season. Duke Mackle turned in a huge 2017 season from his safety position along with Nate Sample. The ‘Cats had four of the best cover corners in the conference between Andrew Schwieterman, Cory Stowell, Anthony Guttadauro, and Marquis Perrilliat. And busting onto the scene from the Rover position was Wade Ransom who turned in a 1st team All-NWC season after fighting injuries for most of his Linfield career. Wade’s size and speed made him both an enforcer in the secondary, he could rush the QB, or come up with huge interceptions in the secondary. What a great combination of players for the Wildcat defense in 2017.<br />
<br />
But the tip of the spear of this defense was their linebacker and defensive line. This was about as dominant of an overall defensive front that Linfield has rolled out in a long time. The front seven had such a great combination of speed, size, intelligence, and playmaking ability that they made it incredibly difficult for a team to get any sustained offense going. You had Linebacker Jason Farlow who should have been named NWC Defensive Player of the Year by himself as Farlow put himself on a level of Forrest, Causey, Olsen, Bertsch, in terms of All-Time great Linfield Linebackers. Flanking Farlow was Jake Reimer who has been so tremendous throughout his career at linebacker and Mitchel Kekle with his playmaking ability. The three of these guys caused so many issues for offenses over the past three years that NWC offensive coordinators had to pop a bottle of champagne when they played their last snap.<br />
<br />
When you combine with those three was a defensive line that could both rush the quarterback and stuff the run. It started in the middle with the play of defensive tackle Zach Grate. Grate’s ability to eat up space in the middle and crush offensive linemen made our linebacker’s job so much easier over the past three seasons. Rolling next to Grate was DT Jake Handran who was rightfully honored as a 2nd team all-nwc defender and also playing vital minutes at DT were Havili Eteaki, Chris Stinchcomb, and Dakota Church. On the outside what can you say about Marcus McGovern? Gov had a great senior season in racking up 7.5 sacks and seemed to constantly in the backfield harassing quarterbacks. Asa Schwartz also had a huge impact at the other defensive end as well as Tony Kraus, Sam Fults, and freshman Ray Thomas.<br />
<br />
It was near comical in how stifling Linfield was during NWC play as Linfield only allowed 8.6 points per game. The dominance was so complete that the 1st and 2nd team All-Northwest Conference team could only muster up a single rushing TD and single passing TD against Linfield on the season.<br />
<br />
Here is the breakdown of 1st and 2nd team players against this defense:<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i><u>QB’s:</u></i></span><br />
Ian Koste (Whit): 32 of 63, 267 yards passing, 0 TD’s, 3 interceptions, 3 sacks, 2 lost fumbles<br />
Grant Schroder (GFU): 8 of 23, 69 yards passing, 1 TD, 1 interception, 3 sacks, 2 lost fumbles<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i><u>RB’s:</u></i></span><br />
Brand Boyd (Pac): 24 rushes, 69 yards, 1 TD<br />
Mason Elms (Whit): 7 rushes, 39 yards, 0 TD’s<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i><u>WR’s:</u></i></span><br />
Kevin Thomas (Whit): 4 receptions: 46 yards, 0 TD’s<br />
Kobe Williams (Pac): 4 receptions: 29 yards, 0 TD’s<br />
Garrett McKay (Whit): 7 receptions: 69 yards, 0 TD’s<br />
Dustin Harrison (UPS): 2 receptions: 10 yards, 0 TD’s<br />
Brad Lander (GFU): 1 reception, 3 yards, 0 TD’s<br />
Nick Kiroukas (Whit): 3 receptions: 25 yards, 0 TD’s<br />
Michael McKeown (Whit): 6 receptions, 79 yards, 0 TD’s<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i><u>TE:</u></i></span><br />
DJ Winters (PLU): 5 receptions, 89 yards, 0 TD’s<br />
<br />
Not one single running back or receiver broke the 100-yard mark against the Wildcats in 2017 and had a 4-1 interception to TD throw ratio against what the NWC coaches deemed as the top two QB’s in the conference. That is some nasty defense right there.<br />
<br />
And that defense was needed badly as the Wildcat offense took a long journey in 2017 before finding their footing and setting up what could be an excellent run for the upcoming seasons.<br />
But let’s rewind back to the start of the season. As we covered above, Linfield’s offense went into the season with a lot of new faces but you could see some budding potential in the 27-12 victory over Chapman where Linfield rushed for over 200 total yards led by Freshman Dawson Ruhl’s and newcomers in QB Aiden Wilder and running back Chidubem Nnoli. Combining with those legs was the arm of QB Troy Fowler who threw for 159 yards and two touchdowns to JD Lasswell. The Junior receiver would explode on the scene as a big play threat for the ‘Cats in the 2017 season as well as speedster Tyler Torgerson.<br />
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While it wasn’t a gangbuster season opener offensively, it gave the Wildcat faithful that the ‘Cats had something cooking on offense. Unfortunately, that halted pretty quickly the next week when UMHB came to the ‘Catdome and put a lock on the ‘Cats defense in only allowing 3 points and a measly 141 total yards of offense. Again, most of that is to the credit of the Crusaders and their brilliant defense who had and continued to steamroll over every offense they encountered. Thankfully, nobody in the ‘Catdome hit the panic button on the offense and that faith was rewarded with a solid offensive output against Whitworth (379 total yards) and then a season high-water mark for points against Willamette (55) that saw Chidubem Nnoli burst on the scene with 197 rushing yards and 3 TD’s.<br />
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At this point of the year, the offense seemed to be really growing with Fowler developing chemistry with Lasswell and Torgerson on the deep ball and the emergence of Nnoli on the ground. However, that is when the offense started to look different as the starting offensive line started accumulating some significant injuries and Linfield would lose quarterback Troy Fowler for a significant portion of the remainder of the season.<br />
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With the combination of the offensive line getting shuffled almost weekly and the balance of the offense suffering from not as dynamic of a passing attack, the overall output of the Linfield offense suffered as a result over the middle portion of the season in hard-fought victories over George Fox and the overtime thriller at Pacific Lutheran. However, with the improved health of the offensive line, the development of freshman receiver Kyle Kimball, who stepped up after a season-ending injury to Tyler Torgerson, and the insertion of freshman quarterback, Wyatt Smith, the offense started to develop a rhythm late in the year between the passing attack and Nnoli’s explosiveness at running back. This sudden growth peaked in the first round of the playoffs against Hardin-Simmons as the offense was brilliant for significant stretches in piling up 414 total offensive yards against one of the better defenses in the country. Linfield had found that balance in the rushing attack and being able to attack defenses on multiple levels in the passing game as the offensive line (Ryne Furhmark, Will Heck, Gabe Mojarro, Aaron Kokubun, and Dakota Smith) played brilliantly. While it took most of the season to get here, the Wildcat offense has set themselves up to be a force to be reckoned with in the upcoming seasons.<br />
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I can’t do a season review without giving some tremendous praise to our kicking duo of freshman punter Colton Ramos and placekicker Willy Warne. Both of these guys were critical to the success of the 2017 Wildcats and it’s astounding for multiple reasons. First, Ramos being a freshman was unphased in the responsibility that was thrust on his shoulders in being a huge cog in the ‘Cats field position game. Ramos came up big so many times on the year in a huge field flip or pinning an offense deep. He was tremendous but I can’t say enough about how impressive Willy Warne was in 2017. To be honest, I thought Willy had the yips after the 2016 season and was done as the placekicker for Linfield football. He had such an up and down season and had a miserable playoff game against HSU that I wasn’t counting on him very much coming into 2017. I have to apologize to Willy for every doubting him as he was Mr. Clutch for the ‘Cats in 2017. Warne kicked the 2nd most field goals in program history in a single season (16) and was perfect on PAT on the year (30 for 30). Willy had three FG’s of over 40 yards and came through with critical after critical kick. It’s a tribute to Willy to break the chains of a rough season and kick at an All-American season and play such a vital role in the success of a Linfield football season.<br />
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Overall, what a tremendous and successful season put together by these Wildcats. This group had so much going against them at the start of the season and they faced huge amounts of adversity during the year as well, but they never flinched, and always embraced the task at hand. I am so proud of what this team accomplished and the fact they earned their way back into the NCAA playoffs with another conference title, smacked a top ten team in the mouth and had the chance to once against stand toe-to-toe against the best team in Division III. It was once again, a great year to be a Linfield Wildcat.<br />
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Wildcat 11http://www.blogger.com/profile/07434979128173141655noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-803145458017556704.post-60540641790244153332017-11-23T21:36:00.004-08:002017-11-23T21:37:33.067-08:002017 NCAA D3 Playoff Round 2: Linfield (9-1) at Mary Hardin-Baylor (11-0)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx5kkihiDl7hZZrQaXQpNHP1OtxNl97YNQNQAESHJqjFdH-4txW77w3eP6ptAK75fwHn29I80fGU36qXFmkUVYGhq_R7ctPnBXU7yt1_ulav7ARlIx_l0705kbogi_ewqR0mnki5rLs-I/s1600/UMHB2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx5kkihiDl7hZZrQaXQpNHP1OtxNl97YNQNQAESHJqjFdH-4txW77w3eP6ptAK75fwHn29I80fGU36qXFmkUVYGhq_R7ctPnBXU7yt1_ulav7ARlIx_l0705kbogi_ewqR0mnki5rLs-I/s1600/UMHB2.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">To be the man....</td></tr>
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Here we are once again my friends. I felt like I’ve written this game preview about five times in the last 23 Linfield games. I feel that way because this is the 5th time Linfield and UMHB have played against each other in the last 23 Linfield games dating back to the 2015 playoff game. It’s crazy to have teams that are separated by more than 3,000 miles face square off with more frequency than programs that are within an hour drive of the McMinnville campus but that’s where the Wildcats are once again as they board a plane, that I’m sure the NCAA is hating to pay for, and head down to Belton, Texas to play the number one team, defending champ, and heavy favorite to repeat in 2017, the University of Mary-Hardin Baylor Crusaders.<br />
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The Wildcats lone defeat of the 2017 season came at the hands of the Cru in week 2 as UMHB choked out the Wildcat offense and made enough plays on offense and special teams to land a solid 24-3 win over Linfield. There has been a lot of talk about how different both of these teams are since week 2, and that is very true when talking about the Linfield and UMHB offense, but what hasn’t changed is what is special about both of these programs, the defenses.<br />
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The UMHB defense is special. It was special in 2016 and in my humble opinion, and I’m not just saying this because Linfield is playing them, the 2017 version is flat out better. The Crusaders are the number one scoring defense in the country in only allowing 8.0 points per game. The Purple Crush defense has only allowed 12 touchdowns and 2 fields goals through 11 games in 2017. Rushing the football is incredible difficult against the Cru as UMHB only gives up 45.3 rushing yards per game (an average of 1.36 yards per carry). A big reason for that rush total is the physical and athletic nature of the Mary Hardin-Baylor defensive line and linebackers. The defensive unit is number two in the nation in averaging 10.0 tackles for loss a game. I don’t need to go on and on about the stats the Cru puts up. If you watch them play you already know what makes them great. It’s a huge challenge for this Linfield staff to try to find something to hang your hat on in terms of attacking them offensively.<br />
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What’s changed this time around is that the Crusaders have been on a journey on offense in trying to find their guy to pull the trigger on offense. The Wildcats saw converted wide receiver TJ Josey behind center and Josey was effective against the ‘Cats in rushing for a 74-yard TD and going 12 of 17 throwing the ball for 130 yards and a touchdown. However, it seemed that UMHB was looking for more punch out of the passing game and moved the dangerous Josey back to receiver (where he leads the team with 7 TD receptions) and when with Sophmore Kyle Jones who proved to have a live and accurate arm (82 of 126, 1,162 yards, 9 TDs, 4 picks) but doesn’t have the running threat that UMHB likes in their starting quarterbacks. So the Cru made the decision to insert freshman Carl Robinson III into the lineup and Robinson has been sensational in the role. Robinson was a two-star recruit and 83rd ranked duel-threat quarterback in the country coming right out of UMHB’s backyard (Killeen). 99.8% of Divison III schools in the country are not landing talents like Robinson III in their program. Robinson makes quick and smart decisions and throws a nice ball. It doesn’t hurt that he can pull it down and punish a defense with his legs as well.<br />
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So we all know what our ‘Cats face this weekend. A suffocating defense, dangerous special teams, and an explosive defense. This is a great football team that our Wildcats are facing but all I’m going to say is that I like Linfield’s chances this week a hell of a lot better than just four weeks ago.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i>Wildcat11’s Keys To Victory</i></span><br />
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Find a way on offense</span></u>: We already talk about how good this UMHB defense is. They are phenomenal at every level and it all starts up front with that defensive line. The task for Linfield’s offense is large but something is happening with this Wildcat offense the past three weeks. The pieces are in place and the health of this group is as good as it’s been since the start of the year. With that said, points and opportunities are going to come at a premium for Linfield. The ‘Cats are going to have to be sound as a pound and when these chances present themselves to put points on the board, Linfield is going to have to grab them with both hands and not let go. <br />
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Bottle up the Cru rushing game</span></u>: This is easier typed than said but it will be critical for Linfield’s defense to try to bottle up an explosive rushing UMHB running game. Markeith Miller is the main man and one of the very best running backs in the country (886 rushing yards, 13 TDs, and a 5.4 YPR average) but Miller is far from the Cru’s only weapon as freshman quarterback Carl Robinson III and running back Byron Proctor offer up fantastic options for UMHB to lean on. If Linfield is going to stay in this game the ‘Cats have to keep the Cru’ from revving up this aspect of their offensive game.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Eliminate the big play on Special Teams</span></u>: Linfield has giving up two special teams touchdowns on the year and both of them to ASC schools, including a backbreaker against UMHB in week two. The Cru’ getting big returns on Linfield isn’t new as they’ve returned at least 3 touchdowns on special teams against the ‘Cats since the 2014 season. Of course, keeping points off the board will be a premium for Linfield so they need to be on the money in finding ways to minimize the Crusader kick/punt return game.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Make Plays on the Football:</span></u> In games where two excellent teams are facing each other, making plays on airborne footballs is not a stat that is kept but are some of the most critical moments of a football game. The Wildcat receivers and defensive backs/linebackers have to be players on fire in these situations as the Crusaders have dudes on both sides of the ball that can change the tide of a game with their on-ball skills. Gotta compete.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Offensive line has to hold up</span></u>: I’m not expecting this to be perfect at all. The defensive line for the Crusaders is so good so I’m expecting them to make plays but if Linfield is going to have a chance on Saturday, we’re going to need our offensive line and tight ends to play their best football of the year. We’ll need this group to try to make some space for Nnoli to navigate and allow Smith time to process and step into his throws.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Pressure</span></u>: If the ‘Cats can limit the rush game, UMHB will have no problem in putting the ball in the air. The Wildcat defensive front needs to continue to be a force in making either quarterback Carl Robinson or Kyle Jones as uncomfortable as possible. The more the Wildcat defense can make these quarterbacks throw before they’re ready or put them in the turf, the more of the chance the ‘Cats can disrupt this explosive offense.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Keep mistakes down to a minimum</span></u>: Linfield is going to have to be great in this department. The ‘Cats are going to have to keep the penalties down low, make great decisions with the football, and protect the rock. Both UMHB and Linfield are fantastic takeaway defenses and have offenses that don’t cough it up too often so the game could turn on what team could make an ill-advised throw or cough it up at the wrong time.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i>Overall</i></span><br />
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">‘Cats by 1</span></u>. UMHB hasn’t lost a football game since the end of the 2015 season and there is a reason why. They are as complete of a football program that you’ll find with huge amounts of depth, skill, speed, size, and great coaching. The degree of difficulty in going to Belton and knocking off UMHB is about as high as it gets on the Division III level. With that said, this Linfield team has something going on. They have such a hard road to travel to get to this point of the year and has developed into a team with a standout defense and capable offense. It’s going to take every guy on this roster to contribute but the ‘Cats have a shot to get it done. I’m looking forward to seeing Linfield take their shot and see if they can land a bullseye. Go ‘Cats!<br />
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Wildcat 11http://www.blogger.com/profile/07434979128173141655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-803145458017556704.post-88935907882581741502017-11-21T23:26:00.001-08:002017-11-21T23:26:38.572-08:002017 Linfield College Football: Hardin-Simmons Mini-Highlight<iframe width="530" height="305" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1fUJVj5NMGI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Wildcat 11http://www.blogger.com/profile/07434979128173141655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-803145458017556704.post-58365088532598823172017-11-20T21:21:00.000-08:002017-11-20T21:45:33.214-08:00‘Cats win!!! Linfield hogties Hardin-Simmons in 27-13 playoff victory in the ‘Catdome.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjccp6acsRU0ytcuEW9_edAVUN9irQraB_USBZTbj4TkVnOH8rNBORJjlirnet7r2x3cU6OGm5sGEuszp64bcVd3g7gCPWMcZjNlwUL_dMLxt2nMNLYTzFrFucwL40UC0miVP6ome4zvkE/s1600/_ND50516+blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="362" data-original-width="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjccp6acsRU0ytcuEW9_edAVUN9irQraB_USBZTbj4TkVnOH8rNBORJjlirnet7r2x3cU6OGm5sGEuszp64bcVd3g7gCPWMcZjNlwUL_dMLxt2nMNLYTzFrFucwL40UC0miVP6ome4zvkE/s1600/_ND50516+blog.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Linfield defense swallowed up the Cowboys from start to finish in the 'Cats victory.</td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Courtesy of Brad Thompson: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/127580577@N04" target="_blank">View Brad's Photos here</a>.</td></tr>
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We all know the story of this Wildcat season up to this game. Linfield was a team that went a large portion of the season with struggles on offense in dealing with injuries, and lineup changes, but the ‘Cats leaned on their standout defense and the leg of Willy Warne. Linfield kept finding their way to win after win. It wasn’t pretty and darn right close to having the season go off the rails a few times but this group kept believing and kept banging away.<br />
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Then, the offensive line starts to get healthy, Wyatt Smith was inserted into the lineup at quarterback, and a passing game starts to develop to help to provide the space that our standout running back Chidubem Nnoli needed to loosen up those packed defensive fronts. In the second half of the UPS game something started to click. It wasn’t perfect but it was the base to build on, and then another step forward in the Pacific game, and then…BAM! The talent on this roster finally meshed and performed to their ability this past Saturday in a slapping of one of the best teams in the country in Hardin-Simmons.<br />
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I’m not overselling HSU either. They had the offensive player of the year in running back JaQuan Hemphill, Special teams player of the year in Reese Childress (he’s good), 3 offensive lineman on the first team offense, 5 defenders with all-ASC honors, all the yards and points the Cowboys put up and a defense that only gives up 12 points a game. This was an excellent opponent and Linfield chewed them up and spit them out.<br />
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Defensively, the ‘Cats did what they’ve done all year but doing it to a team with the pedigree of HSU was impressive. Making it even more impressive is that Linfield did it without starting corners Cory Stowell and Andrew Schweiterman (both injuries) and then lost All-American lock, and should be in heavy contention for West Region Defensive Player of the Year, linebacker Jason Farlow early in the first quarter. Losing one of those guys is a blow but losing all three made you wonder how it would play out. The defensive staff didn’t flinch in putting their faith in corners Marquis Perriliat and Anthony Guttadauro and inserting Linebacker Patrick Pipitone in for the lost Farlow. Perriliat was the first to make an impact with that tone setting interception from the 3rd play of the game. After that, it was a Guantanamo Bay style lockdown by the Wildcat defense. I can throw out all the stats out at you but it wouldn’t do the justice in how the Wildcat defensive systematically took Hardin-Simmons apart on offense.<br />
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Taking you inside the locker room as <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachSmithCats?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachSmithCats</a> gets his Linfield Wildcats ready to take on Hardin-Simmons in today's 24-13 Wildcat playoff victory. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Catdome?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Catdome</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/d3fb?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#d3fb</a> <a href="https://t.co/cxNtLdr0Cb">pic.twitter.com/cxNtLdr0Cb</a></div>
— Catdomealumni.com (@catdomealumni) <a href="https://twitter.com/catdomealumni/status/932148520286535680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Speaking of offense, Linfield’s offense had an excellent day in the office in executing their game plan. Linfield only went three and out once on the day and used a balanced attack of run and pass to keep the chains moving and Hardin-Simmons off balance. What I loved the most was the play of the ‘Cats offensive line which hasn’t been on the receiving end of much love this year. This group is finally healthy and have been jelling over the past three weeks and they owned the Cowboys upfront. The O-Line was setting the corner for Nnoli and giving Smith the time he need to make great decision after great decision. The ‘Cats ability to sustain drives, eat up clock, and put points up on the board were a killer when match with the Wildcat defense.<br />
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Fantastic throw and catch by Linfield's <a href="https://twitter.com/Gators15Smith?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Gators15Smith</a> to <a href="https://twitter.com/k10swai?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@k10swai</a> for the TD in the Wildcats' 27-13 win over Hardin-Simmons <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/D3fb?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#D3fb</a> <a href="https://t.co/tQZtrflXHM">pic.twitter.com/tQZtrflXHM</a></div>
— Catdomealumni.com (@catdomealumni) <a href="https://twitter.com/catdomealumni/status/932474411675820032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2017</a></blockquote>
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What we all saw on Saturday was the culmination of a group of players that kept the faith that if they stuck to the coaching staff’s overall vision of what this team could be, this Linfield team could be as dangerous as anyone in the country.<br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly</span></i><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i>The Good</i></span><br />
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Defensive Domination</span></u>: That was a Texas sized butt whipping by the Wildcat defense. In my preview, I wrote nearly 800 words alone on how great this Hardin-Simmons offense is and the Linfield defense printed up my preview and wiped their noses with it. HSU was the 4th best offense in the country coming into this game and Linfield made them look like George Fox’s offense. The ‘Cats deleted the Cowboys rushing attack and took away the ASC offensive player of the year in running back in Jaquan Hemphill (12 carries for 30 yards) and nearly match quarterback Landy Turner’s season interception total (5) in a single game with 3 picks. This was a talented offensive unit and the Wildcat defense had them at under 100 yards headed into the 4th quarter. People around division 3 knows this Wildcat defense is legit but I think Saturday opened up some eyes.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Balanced offensive attack</span></u>: Tremendous offensive production against an outstanding defense as Linfield totaled 414 yards on 70 plays for an average of 5.9 yards. The ‘Cats split up that total yardage with going for 188 on the ground and 226 yards passing. Linfield went heavier on the rushing attempts as the staff saw something there and used an incredibly efficient passing attack to keep the defense loose and kept the chains moving or in popping a big gainer. I thought the offensive game plan was excellent and that balance kept HSU guessing on the day as Linfield dominated the football with a 36 minute to 23 minute advantage in time of possession.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Offensive Line had a day</span></u>: Linfield’s offensive line played a hell of a game on Saturday. This group has been so beaten up and had to reshuffle the deck during this 2017 season and it showed for a long period of time. The original starting five of the 2017 season finally all were able to get back on the field against Puget Sound and since then they’ve started to jell and continue to get healthy. Their performance on Saturday was going to be a huge factor in the outcome of the game and these guys answered the bell. The Linfield offensive line and tight ends dominated up front in both the run and pass game. You give Nnoli the edge and Smith time to sit and process and you’re going to get good results. The Wildcat offensive line gave the team both of those against HSU and was critical to the victory.<br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;"><u>Chidubem Nnoli carrying the load</u></span>: What can you say about Chidubem Nnoli? Nnoli just cracked the top ten of Linfield’s career single-season rushing leaders with a now 1,045 rushing yards in 2017. The sophomore added 153 of those rushing yards to the total this past Saturday against the Cowboys off of 33 carriers. With the push the offensive line was getting up front and Nnoli’s blend of vision, balance, power, and speed it was a beautiful thing to watch. The coaching staff has a lot of trust in Chidubem and Nnoli keeps rewarding that trust with one great performance after the next.<br />
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Hardin-Simmons safety is going to have nightmares of <a href="https://twitter.com/Chidubem_12?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Chidubem_12</a> in the open field for the rest of his life. Got broken down like grandpa's old shotgun. <a href="https://t.co/y93XvNZP9V">pic.twitter.com/y93XvNZP9V</a></div>
— Catdomealumni.com (@catdomealumni) <a href="https://twitter.com/catdomealumni/status/932491818851168256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Pass Rush Pressure</span></u>: Hardin-Simmons offensive line is an outstanding pass pro football team. Their guys are big, physical, athletic, and well coached. They presented a big challenge for the ‘Cats defense front and Linfield rose to the challenge. While Linfield did technically only combine for 2 sacks on the day, they were constantly moving HSU QB Landry Turner off his mark and making the quarterback incredibly uncomfortable in the pocket. Senior Defensive End Marcus McGovern stood out and seemed to be perpetually chasing Turner in the backfield as McGovern continues his standout Senior season.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Efficient Passing Attack</span></u>: Wyatt Smith and the Linfield receivers were freaking great on Saturday. Smith passed for 226 yards and a TD on 17 of 24 passing and completed passes to six different receivers. JD Lasswell continued his trend in making explosive plays for Linfield. Both Drew Accimus and Keegan Weiss had big plays and the staff continues to be creative in using their running backs in the passing attack. I loved that Smith changes speeds on the ball for what’s appropriate. If he needs to zip it in he can snap the ball, but it the pass calls for some touch to find the window, Wyatt has a knack to glide it in. On top of that, Smith made great decisions with the ball all game long.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Winning the Turnover Battle</span></u>: In the game preview, we discussed how Linfield came into the game as a +11 on the year and Hardin-Simmons has a -1. Those numbers are now updated to Linfield being a +14 and HSU finishing the year as a -4. Trends at this point of the season can tell you just who you are and Linfield’s ability to take the ball away from opposition burned HSU to the tune of 4 turnovers to 1. All four takeaways for Linfield were huge as the first by Marquis Perrilliat set the tone for the day, a forced fumble snuffed out one 4th quarter drive and a Wade Ransom pick ended the game and stopped Hardin-Simmons last gasp. However, the Duke Mackle pick six was the backbreaker and a thing of beauty. (Sidenote: How in the blue blazes was Duke only a 2nd team all-NWC safety? Straight garbage on that decision.)<br />
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">3rd Down Defense</span></u>: We’ve already covered how masterful the Wildcat defense was on Saturday and Linfield’s performance on 3rd down was critical in the flow of this game. The ‘Cats held Hardin-Simmons to only 4 of 13 on 3rd down on the day with two of those conversions with the game in hand in the fourth quarter. The Cowboys’ offense had few answers for Linfield and that played out during this critical down time and again.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i>The Bad</i></span><br />
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Special Teams</span></u>: Our special teams unit did not have a day to remember against Hardin-Simmons as the ‘Cats kickoff team as an adventure (again), we had a bad turnover on a punt return where one of our guys had the ball hit them while they were blocking a Cowboy gunner, muffed an onside recovery that kept HSU alive a little longer, and then the punt return for touchdown in the 4th quarter. A lot of food for thought for the staff as Linfield will face an even greater special teams challenge next week at UMHB.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Penalties</span></u>: A LOT different this week than against Pacific as Linfield were able to get rid of the garbage penalties (i.e. bad personal fouls) but Linfield still piled up 10 flags for 70 yards on the day in what seemed like a number of minor infractions that caused the ‘Cats to stub their toes. Some of this is the byproduct of the aggressive nature of this program, so I can be live with walking the edge, just not the dumb look at me/fake tough guy stuff. Good to see Linfield clean that up this week.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i>The Ugly</i></span><br />
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Hardin-Simmons signal blocking towel</span></u>: It was back! Last year the ‘Cats defense was savaging the Cowboys high flying offense (sound familiar) and the only answer the <a href="http://catdomealumni.blogspot.com/2016/11/cats-win-linfield-gets-texas-sized.html" target="_blank">Cowboys coaching staff had was to create a towel wall</a> because Linfield staff’s <b>*had*</b> to be picking their signals. I mean, there is no other reason why Linfield was absolutely stuffing their offense. Right? Well, instead of two wimpy sized purple towels, the HSU staff went with one large white one. The Cowboys offensive staff should have put that towel to better use and tossed it in at the officials halfway through that first half when it because obvious that Linfield’s defense was too much for the Cowboys to handle. In fact, when I saw them break out that big towel it showed that Linfield was in Cowboys staff’s heads before the game even started.<br />
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Wildcat 11http://www.blogger.com/profile/07434979128173141655noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-803145458017556704.post-31754624465783009812017-11-16T20:58:00.007-08:002017-11-17T08:02:50.376-08:002017 NCAA Division 3 Round One Preview: Linfield (8-1) vs Hardin-Simmons (9-1)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivRz51-mz3gHQbYm1SQ-opPXpii3MY1eHzXFYeWDOuGwCNE8qRGT7Eh2opLpQ195DRNTl2IfpDazlZiJjHvIg8tN9mLPInjz83Zn-zCB18KobzOhWKGfrbuTjQbfnYxA5O_Kzd12INSnk/s1600/Comp+1_00000+%25280%253B00%253B00%253B00%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="298" data-original-width="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivRz51-mz3gHQbYm1SQ-opPXpii3MY1eHzXFYeWDOuGwCNE8qRGT7Eh2opLpQ195DRNTl2IfpDazlZiJjHvIg8tN9mLPInjz83Zn-zCB18KobzOhWKGfrbuTjQbfnYxA5O_Kzd12INSnk/s1600/Comp+1_00000+%25280%253B00%253B00%253B00%2529.jpg" /></a></div>
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It’s the most wonderful time of the year to be a Division III football fan, and for 14 out of the last 18 seasons, a Linfield Wildcat fan as well, as the playoffs are once again here and YOUR Linfield Wildcats are back in the hunt. Selection Sunday was pretty nerve-racking as you can never know what the NCAA committee will decide but the penny pinchers once again decided to put the NWC/ASC/SCIAC sub-bracket together with sending the SCIAC champ to UMHB and then pairing Linfield with Hardin-Simmons. The only difference this year is that Linfield gets the honors of hosting the Cowboys in the ‘Catdome instead of hitting the road. To be honest, as hard as it is to see Linfield in a top 10 showdown in the first round, while other top ten teams are playing schools named after the word you say when you strike gold, but I’m thrilled that the ‘Cats will get one more chance to suit up and defend the ‘Catdome.<br />
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And Linfield will be defending the home turf against one of the best teams in the country in the 5th ranked Hardin-Simmons Cowboys. Linfield fans are familiar with the ‘Boys at this point in seeing HSU six times over the past 11 seasons. The most recent was Linfield’s 24-10 first-round playoff victory in Abilene last season and I’m sure that isn’t lost on the Cowboys and an extra incentive for HSU going into this weekend. HSU is once again 9-1 at this point in the season with their lone blemish being a tight loss against their hated rivals and ASC foes, the UMHB Crusaders. The HSU team Linfield is facing this weekend is just what you would expect to see out of a top 5 team out of the ASC. The Cowboys put up pinball-like numbers on offense, play a physical and tough brand of defense, and have guys all over the field that can make big plays to change the course of the game.<br />
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Yes, the offense is legit. Hardin-Simmons is currently the 4th best offense in the country in terms of yards per game (522.6), and 9th in the country in scoring (45.1 points per game). The Cowboys work almost exclusively out of the shotgun and throw a ton of formation at you in what is a balanced attack that can pound you between the tackles, work you over on the screen game, move the chains, or hit you for the big play.<br />
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Leading the charge on offense for Hardin-Simmons is the talented 1-2 punch of quarterback Landry Turner (which is the perfect name of a quarterback of Texas area football team) and running back Jaquan Hemphill. Turner is the straw that stirs the drink for the Cowboys’ offense as the redshirt freshman has put up outstanding numbers in what was a shortened season for the QB. Turner has passed for 1,596 yards on a completion rate of 70.9%. You can also add 20 touchdowns against only 5 picks against his name for an average of 266 passing yards per game. The QB is a talent but making his success that much easier are the targets and Turner has a couple of gems.<br />
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Receivers Reese Childress and Devonte’ Walker have been the go-to guys in the passing attack and it’s easy to see why. Both are lanky targets at 6’1”, have excellent speed, and each possesses great on-ball skills as well. Childress and Walker both have about the same amount of catches per game with 4.4 and 4.3 each and both have about the same amount of yardage per game as well with Childress catching for 62.2 YPG and Walker with 69.7 YPG. Combined they have 13 TD receptions and will be a big-time challenge for the Wildcat secondary.<br />
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As daunting as the passing game looks, what makes this offense even scarier is the rushing attack of the Cowboys. HSU has the 15th best rushing attack in Divison III with 256.9 yards per game. Junior Jaquan Hemphill is the guy for the Cowboys in the run game and Hemphill has delivered the mail to the tune of 111.0 yards per game, 14 rushing touchdowns, and running at a 7.4 yards per carry clip in 2017. Hemphill is a patient runner that will set up his blocking but then has the ability to open up the motor and break off large chunks at a time.<br />
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As much as I’ve talked up the Hardin-Simmons offense, the Cowboys defense has been outstanding in 2017. The HSU defense only allows 12.6 points per game in their 4-2-5 scheme and have piled up the damage in the backfield. HSU is 26th in the country in team tackles for loss defense (average 8.2 TFL’s per game) and are also 22nd in the nation in sacks per game with 32 total QB putdowns for an average of 3.2 per game.<br />
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Leading the defense is a trio of veteran linebackers in Josh White (89.0 total tackles, 6 TFLs, and 7 pass breakups), Matthews Hawkins (72.0 total tackles, 9 TFLs), and Chris Miller (50.0 tackles, 2 sacks, 7 TFLs, and a pick). Defensive end, Jim LaFond, has been a nightmare in the backfield for the opposition in racking up 7.5 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss. What you noticed about this defense is they spread it around and it’s just not one guy doing all the damage. The Cowboys defense is very similar to Linfield’s in that they are disciplined and play outstanding team defense. You have 16 different guys with a sack and 23 different guys with a tackle of loss. The Linfield offense is going to have a tall task in front of them as this is a diverse and athletic defensive group.<br />
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For Linfield, it’s all hands on deck. Hardin-Simmons is about as good as they get in Division III so the margin of error is going to be slim for our Wildcats. Linfield is going to have to be outstanding on defense, rock solid on special teams, and be opportunistic on offense to have a shot at taking down a standout Cowboy football team. Let’s get to the keys!<br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i>Wildcat11’s Keys To Victory</i></span><br />
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Have to limit the HSU rushing game</span></u>: Yeah, it sounds stupid to say that Linfield needs to make Hardin-Simmons into a passing team when they have one of the most efficient and explosive passing attacks in the country but that’s what I’m saying. If Linfield allows the Cowboys to be balanced and attack the ‘Cats on both the ground and through the air then it’s going to be a long football game for the Wildcats. If Linfield can somehow keep the ground yardage in check it could go to throttle down this high flying offense.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Keep the negative offensive plays to a minimum</span></u>: In watching this Wildcat offense for a good part of the season it seemed that Linfield’s scariest down was 1st down as Linfield had a tendency to go the opposite direction on first down and set up the defense with hard 2nd and 3rd and long situations. The Wildcat offense has to keep the HSU defensive line and linebackers out of their backfield and keep the offense moving forward to give the ‘Cats the best chance possible to move the chains on 3rd down.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Need to have a bid day on Special Teams</span></u>: Linfield has to do it in all phase of special teams to keep this one within winning distance. Our coverage teams have to be ON THE MONEY this weekend and not allow big returns and short fields, our kickers need to do what they’ve done all year and be nails. Our big fellas up front have to hold the line of scrimmage and our block team has to continue to be rolling around in the head of every placekicker that runs out on the field. This unit needs to have a big day.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Protect the ball and win the turnover battle</span></u>: This is an area where so many playoff football games have been won or lost. Going into Saturday, the ‘Cats are a +11 in the turnover ratio game and that’s solid. The Cowboys are sitting at a -1 in 2017, and while not bad, this is an area the ‘Cats have to come out ahead. We need our offensive players to make rock solid decisions with the ball and our defense have to take those calculated risks to pop a ball out at the right time.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Pressure</span></u>: The Wildcats are going to need to get after Turner in the pocket. Turner does an outstanding job in standing tall in the pocket or buying himself time in moving around and avoiding pressure. Linfield’s defensive line and linebackers have to make Turner feel the bodies around him and try to shake what appears to be a cool customer behind center. While taking the running game has huge importance, being able to put Turner in the turf is of equal value on Saturday.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Take full advantage of any and every scoring opportunity:</span></u> This is an excellent Cowboy defense the ‘Cats will be facing so Linfield is going to make hay when the opportunities present themselves. It will be critical for Linfield to convert any chance to score into the points. I don’t know how many chances our offensive will get to punch one in on the Cowboys so Linfield better make the most of any shot.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Making plays on the football</span></u>: The winner and loser of a college playoff football game against two good opponents can often be who makes more plays once the football is in the air. Any Wildcat fan has seen it from both sides. The team that can get up and make the great offensive or defensive play often times carries the day to victory. HSU has lots of guys that can make plays on the football but so does our ‘Cats.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i>Overall</i></span><br />
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">‘Cats by 3</span></u>. I think I’ve talked up Hardin-Simmons up pretty good. They deserve that praise but this Linfield football team is worthy. This Linfield team has the heart and skill to beat any team in the Division III landscape. Will it be easy this Saturday afternoon in the ‘Catdome? Hell, no. But I know Linfield will be prepared and if the ‘Cats can execute for a full 60 minutes there isn’t a reason the ‘Cats cannot win and advance. Go ‘Cats!<br />
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Wildcat 11http://www.blogger.com/profile/07434979128173141655noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-803145458017556704.post-77585854003861287202017-11-14T22:42:00.001-08:002017-11-14T22:42:40.199-08:002017 Linfield College Football: Pacific Mini-Highlight<iframe width="530" height="305" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0qukAbYLLGU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Wildcat 11http://www.blogger.com/profile/07434979128173141655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-803145458017556704.post-21004029407928717242017-11-14T11:37:00.000-08:002017-11-14T11:37:33.141-08:00‘Cats Win!!! Linfield knock out Boxers in 35-7 victory in Forest Grove.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Winners!!!</td></tr>
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That was satisfying. After weeks of enjoying but gaining a few new gray hairs the Wildcats started to put the whole dang thing together in what was a dominating 35-7 victory over the Pacific Boxers.<br />
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I didn’t want to bring this up in the game preview but since Pacific rebooted their program, Linfield hasn’t exactly burned it up on the road against the Boxers. If you do look at just the final outcomes, it looks like the 2011 and 2016 games were comfortable wins but they were not crisp games as the ‘Cats had some struggles to put Pacific away quickly in those contests and we all know that Linfield had to fight off the Boxers in 2013 in a tight battle. However, this past Saturday was a slap-down from the opening kickoff to the end of the game. It was a vintage Linfield football game where the ‘Cats use a quick strike offense to surge ahead and the defense bludgeons the opposition into submission.<br />
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It was fun to watch the confidence of the team grow after having it shaken, but not broken, in weeks prior. As I wrote about last week, you could see the offensive unit take a step forward last week in the second half against Puget Sound and the ‘Cats carried that momentum over into this past Saturday as they moved the ball quickly and effectively against Pacific. Pass pro was mostly solid on the day, receivers were mixing it up in the run game with their blocking, Nnoli was making guys miss or bowling them over into the end zone, and our receivers were making plays on the football. It does make me wish the offense had one more game to continue that upward swing before the playoffs but I’m not looking a gift horse in the mouth. The sudden productivity of the offensive unit is a welcome and exciting development to counter what is an outstanding Linfield defense.<br />
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Speaking of the defense, what can you say about this group? They have been so freaking good from the opening game down in California, to standing toe-to-toe with UMHB, and then to locking up the Northwest Conference offenses and throwing away the key. In seven conference games this Linfield defense only allowed 8.6 points per game, 66 yards of rushing per game, 151.6 yards passing allowed per game, 12 picks, 11 fumble recoveries, 26 sacks, and only allowed 1 rushing TD. This Linfield defense out prepared, out skilled, out quicked, and out toughed everyone in the Pacific Northwest in 2017 and Pacific was just the latest victim.<br />
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The Boxers were only able to put together 147 total yards of offense, which is better that Puget Sound last week so at least they had going on for them. Really, it wasn’t a case of the Boxers being bad on offense but what Linfield’s defense did to them was what the ‘Cats have done to NWC offenses all season long and that’s bury ‘em.<br />
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The 2017 1st and 2nd team NWC offensive skills players scored a total of 1 rushing TD and 1 passing TD against Linfield's defense all season</p>— Catdomealumni.com (@catdomealumni) <a href="https://twitter.com/catdomealumni/status/930277528211660800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 14, 2017</a></blockquote>
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With that said, everyone got the news of the playoffs and what the road for the ‘Cats will look like. If you’re surprised that the ‘Cats are playing Hardin-Simmons again then I want to talk to you about a real estate opportunity I have in Parkland. This is not shocking and I’m actually thrilled to be hosting a home playoff game in 2017. The Cowboys are a GREAT football program and will give Linfield all the ‘Cats can handle and more. We’ll have plenty to talk about on Thursday but for now let’s get to The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly from an excellent win over the Boxers.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i>The Good</i></span><br />
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">A balanced offense</span></u>: Linfield’s offense looked good. Really good. If it was for the two red zone turnovers in the first half, the ‘Cats offense might have been able to punch in 5 touchdowns in the first 6 possessions but ultimately has to settled on those 3 first half TD strikes. The Offense found that balance they’ve been craving all year long with 151 yards rushing and 219 passing yards that equaled out to Linfield hitting a 6.3 yards per play average. The offensive line seems healthier and guys are feeling more comfortable and growing into their roles on that side of the football. The growth couldn’t have come at a better time.<br />
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">What a fantastic one-handed TD grab by <a href="https://twitter.com/kylekimball15?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kylekimball15</a> from <a href="https://twitter.com/Gators15Smith?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Gators15Smith</a> in Linfield's 35-7 victory over Pacific. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Catdome?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Catdome</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/d3fb?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#d3fb</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Freshman2Freshman?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Freshman2Freshman</a> <a href="https://t.co/HC4yErvpil">pic.twitter.com/HC4yErvpil</a></p>— Catdomealumni.com (@catdomealumni) <a href="https://twitter.com/catdomealumni/status/929766465670021120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 12, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Generating Pressure</span></u>: Linfield defensive line’s play was game altering as they never allowed the Boxers to get comfortable in the passing department. Linfield stacked up 5 sacks and the constant pressure was heavy on the Pacific coaching staff’s mind. The Pacific offense was so worried about Linfield’s heat that their passing game was a collection of check downs and screens for the big majority of the game and a huge reason why Pacific only went 11 of 28 for 71 yards throwing the ball.<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Linfield's Marcus McGovern with a text book outside swim for the sack in the 'Cats 35-7 win over Pacific. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Catdome?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Catdome</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/D3fb?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#D3fb</a> <a href="https://t.co/k5tDyjo4Kf">pic.twitter.com/k5tDyjo4Kf</a></p>— Catdomealumni.com (@catdomealumni) <a href="https://twitter.com/catdomealumni/status/929784769101012992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 12, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Creating turnovers</span></u>: The Linfield defense forced 4 turnover against the Boxers on Saturday, including 3 forced fumbles and recoveries. Anthony Guttadauro came up with a big pick late in the first half to halt Pacific’s only offensive action in the half after a big punt return by the Boxers. Then all three of these fumble recoveries were critical as Linfield turned each of them into touchdowns and allowed Linfield to put the game to bed early in the 3rd quarter. <br />
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Development of the passing game</span></u>: Linfield quarterback Wyatt Smith continued to impress in his second start of his young career in going 10 of 14 for 188 yards and 3 TD strikes. To me, his best and most eye opening throw wasn’t the touchdown throws but was a strike on 1st and 10 in the 3rd quarter from Pacific’s 22. It was a play action pass where Smith dropped a dime over bracketed coverage to Kyle Kimball to set up a first and goal on the one. It was a big time throw and further proof that the passing game is going the right direction.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">3rd down defense</span></u>: The Wildcat defense was suffocating on the day in only allowing Pacific to go 2 of 15 on 3rd down conversions (13%). The Wildcats forced six 3 and out possessions during the game and gave the Pacific punter a sore leg for making him kick it so much on Saturday. <br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i>The Bad</i></span><br />
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">The Penalties, man</span></u>: As much as I love this team and how hard they have grinded there is a part of this team that need to grow up and lean to walk away from those guys on the other team that have nothing else going on than to try to act tough and bait an altercation. Linfield had five personal fouls/unsportsmanlike penalties. FIVE. That just not what we do in this program. Walk away and let your play do all the talking. This team will be better off if/when we leave that garbage behind us.<br />
Red Zone Turnovers: I don’t know I the pick on the first possession was a red zone turnover (looks like it wasn’t in the stat sheet) but it was close enough so I’m going to count it. With that said, I’m not going to be too upset on that DB jumping that route and making that pick. It was a great read by that player. As for the Nnoli fumble, well, Chidubem has been a warrior carrying the football this season, and in fact, that might have been his first fumble on the season (stat nerds correct me if I’m wrong). So, I’m not going to get bent out of shape on these two turnovers but this game could have even been put out reach even earlier if we don’t give the ball back in those situations.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Letting Pacific score a rushing touchdown</span></u>: I think the defense breathed new life in the Pacific touchdown drive with about 45 penalties. Not to take away too much from the Boxers on that drive as they converted a few times to keep that one alive but goodness the ‘Cats assisted on that one. I’m not even that upset that Pacific scored but the selfish reason why I hated to see a rushing TD is that was the FIRST RUSHING TD that the Wildcat defense allowed in NWC play this season. The ‘Cats defense came *this close* to not allowing a rushing TD against anyone in the NWC. There is no stat on that in the archives but I have to imagine that would have been a rare feat if the Wildcat defense would have accomplished that.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i>The Ugly</i></span><br />
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Nothing</span></u>: What can be ugly about this football team wrapping up another undefeated NWC season, going 8-1 overall, being regarded as a top 10 team, and going back to the playoff? Well, nothing can. We’ll talk about this later but I’m so dang proud of this program for what they’ve accomplished so far in 2017 after all the departures off of last year’s team. It wasn’t pretty for good chunks of the year but it has been a group of hard-nosed players that expect to win each Saturday they hit the field and I’m excited to see how far our ‘Cats can take it in the second season. Go ‘Cats!<br />
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Wildcat 11http://www.blogger.com/profile/07434979128173141655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-803145458017556704.post-64447721184618155002017-11-09T21:47:00.000-08:002017-11-09T23:09:24.497-08:002017 Game 9 Preview: Linfield (7-1) at Pacific (4-3)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlZ2NAXByURe1pizTw3OtzR9rCBwRxtFKryCQJxjUkocBlWR9vfI1_-7rA5WYvqKSm6k97a2kZZl77j1hRTJZpt8yPqRrQTFoefIaXKvwXJRYGvr4Kqmbi4q6iOEkY9rmApgSTekWvGro/s1600/Linfield+vs+Pacific.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="298" data-original-width="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlZ2NAXByURe1pizTw3OtzR9rCBwRxtFKryCQJxjUkocBlWR9vfI1_-7rA5WYvqKSm6k97a2kZZl77j1hRTJZpt8yPqRrQTFoefIaXKvwXJRYGvr4Kqmbi4q6iOEkY9rmApgSTekWvGro/s1600/Linfield+vs+Pacific.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wait, it's the end of the regular season already?</td></tr>
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And off we go! Your Linfield Wildcats will wrap up the 2017 regular season a stone’s throw away from the ‘Catdome as Linfield will travel up to Forest Grove to face the Pacific Boxers. This should be a good football game between two programs that pride themselves on playing a physical brand of football.<br />
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The Pacific Boxers have had a bit of a strange 2017 season as the Boxers non-conference season was rocked with Pacific finding out the day they were supposed to board an airplane to Southern California that their September 16th game against the Occidental Tigers was called off by the hosts due to low roster numbers. It was a bad situation for everyone involved as the players were robbed of over 10% of their season and a number of Pacific families were left hanging with airplane tickets and time off work with no game to go see. That has left the Boxers with an 8 game season which the Northwest Conference hasn’t seen since 2005, when Lewis & Clark canceled the remainder of their season due to low roster numbers right before the start of NWC play.<br />
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With that said, the 2017 Boxers play a competitive brand of football in which has seen Pacific lose three tight games on the year. The Pacific victories have been tight as well until the Boxers were able to able to land a 28-point win over Willamette last weekend. Regardless, Pacific is more than comfortable in getting in a phone booth with a team and slugging it out until a victor can be declared.<br />
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On offense, the Wildcat defense is going to see a team featuring the top rushing attack in the NWC in Pacific, as the Boxers average 211.3 rushing yards per game (4.9 yards per rush), and the top rusher in the conference in Senior Running Back Brandon Boyd. Boyd has been the workhorse for the Boxers in averaging 138.6 rushing yards per game (6.7 yards per carry) and 8 touchdowns on the season.<br />
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As much as the Boxers want to ground and pound the opposition, Pacific is capable of putting the ball in the air. Leading the Pacific aerial attack is Junior quarterback JT Greenough. The Tigard native is completing passes at a 59.1% rate and averaging 179.6 passing yards per game. Easily, the top target for the Boxers is the explosive Kobe Williams. The sophomore receiver has top-end speed and is not only a dynamic deep threat but is dangerous in Pacific's wide receiver screen game.<br />
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The Boxers will attack Linfield with throwing a ton of different formations at the Wildcat defense and have no issues in going four wide or bringing in extra offensive linemen and try to ram it down your throat. It will not only be a physical challenge for this Linfield defense but also a schematic one as well.<br />
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Defensively, the Boxers are another 3-4 base defensive team that the ‘Cats will be facing. The Boxers have been solid all year on defense in only allowing 23.0 points per game. Pacific hasn’t been a one-man show on defense as the Boxers top three tacklers all represent all three levels of the Pacific Defense. The top tackler on the team is senior linebacker Ina Teofilo who has piled up 35 total tackles on the year, followed by sophomore safety Kolby Kikolaisen with 34 total tackles, and that’s followed by defensive line stand out, Xavier Harvey, who has stacked up 32 tackles on the year. Harvey is also leading the team in tackles for loss (5.5) and sacks (4.5).<br />
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While the Boxers are allowing 180.7 rushing yard per game, where this defense has been outstanding on 3rd down. Currently Pacific features the 7th best 3rd down defense in the entire country (Linfield is 23rd) in only allowing a 3rd down conversion rate of 25% on the season (Linfield’s outstanding defense gives up 3rd downs on 28% of the time). It’s a pretty interesting stat as the Boxer defense, while solid, doesn’t jump out in any other statistical category in the Division III rankings. However, that is a pretty darn good area to be good at and one to give Linfield fans concern as the ‘Cats haven’t exactly been gangbusters on 3rd down with only having a 36.7% conversion rate. For fans watching this weekend, 3rd down will play a major role in the outcome of this game.<br />
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For the ‘Cats, this is another big weekend as while Linfield did clinch the NWC title last weekend there is still too much work for this Linfield team to do before even considering the second season. Linfield HAS to be fully invested at the task on hand because this Wildcat team isn’t even close to being a team that can roll out and be conservative in how they approach and attack a game like this and expect a positive outcome. Really, this Linfield team has to look at this game as a playoff game and keep building on the momentum of the season as the ‘Cats have played a superior brand of defensive football and saw a spark of a dynamic offensive attack that could develop for this program.<br />
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To me, the talent on this roster hasn’t played their best football yet. There have been so many injuries and line up shuffling on the offensive side of the ball that has stifled the development of this unit but people watching last weekend saw something happening in that second half. Was that just a flash in the pan or was that second half against UPS the foundation of an explosive offensive attack? We’re going to find out in less than 48 hours against a team that would love nothing to do than derail the end of Linfield’s regular season.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i>Wildcat11’s Keys To Victory</i></span><br />
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Focus on Saturday</span></u>: That’s all that matters and Linfield have to realize that the Boxers are going to go down in this season swinging with everything they got. The Boxers have nothing to lose and everything to gain in beating Linfield and riding into the recruiting season with a big old feather in their cap. The last thing this program needs to do is worry about who or where the ‘Cats are going to be in the first round. No, this Linfield football team and staff need to have all eyes on Saturday and let it all hang out in order to keep this football team moving in a upward trajectory.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Take away the Boxer Rushing Game</span></u>: Yeah, we’ve already talked about how good the Boxers rushing attack is this year. Boyd is a fantastic back that does a great job in setting up his blocking and making quick and decisive cuts on the line of scrimmage and has the breakaway speed to bust one wide open. This is the best running back that Linfield has seen since week 2 of the season against Mary Hardin-Baylor. I’m not overselling it, Boyd is good and if Linfield can take him away it will go a long way towards a Linfield victory.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Limit negative offensive plays</span></u>: Negative offense plays (Tackles for loss, penalties, sacks) have been a killer for this 2017 Linfield Wildcat team. Linfield’s offensive line has to be outstanding with their communication and execution of blocking schemes and then has to win the one-on-one battles in front of them. Keeping negative plays down to a minimum would be a huge positive for this offensive unit.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Win the turnover battle</span></u>: Linfield is coming into this game as a team with a +7 turnover ratio (that means the opposition has turned it over 7 more times than Linfield has during the season) while the Boxers are a -5. Pacific hasn’t been terrible in giving the ball away but their defense has only caused 7 total turnovers on the season. Keeping this trend going could play a major factor in a Linfield victory.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Find an offensive balance</span></u>: For most the season, Linfield has been a rush first football team but last week the ‘Cats were finally able to break loose in the passing attack for over 300 yards but had zero rush game to speak of. Pacific traditionally, and still does, a good job in their defensive passing schemes so the ‘Cats offense needs to find that balance. I’m telling you, that if Linfield can find a balanced offensive attack, this can be an explosive offensive football team.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Out special Pacific on Special Teams</span></u>: We’ve needed this unit all season long and this weekend is no different. The ‘Cats have to be able to flip fields and be great in their coverage teams against the Boxers. Every game it seems like this group comes through with some standout plays and Linfield will need more of the same in order to move on with the victory.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Put the pressure on</span></u>: We’ve talked a ton about the Boxer rushing attack but Pacific is capable of throwing the football. In passing situations, the Linfield front four has to get after JT Greenough, who is not a mobile quarterback. If Linfield allows Greenough to stand up tall and deliver, he’s going to make Linfield pay. The ‘Cats have to get guys on him in a hurry and move him off his spot in the pocket in order to disrupt the Boxers passing attack.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i>Overall</i></span><br />
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">‘Cats by 10</span></u>. I’m coming into Saturday with full respect to Pacific. Hanson stadium is not an easy place to win football games and Pacific is a prideful program with plenty of talent. Our ‘Cats need to be razor sharp coming into Saturday and if they can perform up to the talent on this roster there isn’t a reason why Linfield can’t walk away from Saturday with a hard-earned and satisfying victory against a worthy opponent.Wildcat 11http://www.blogger.com/profile/07434979128173141655noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-803145458017556704.post-18903699671705769692017-11-08T08:40:00.001-08:002017-11-08T08:40:33.667-08:002017 Linfield College Football: UPS Mini-Highlight<iframe width="530" height="305" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/J0T3rocp2YU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Wildcat 11http://www.blogger.com/profile/07434979128173141655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-803145458017556704.post-26426075169440088982017-11-06T20:38:00.001-08:002017-11-06T21:23:37.665-08:00‘Cats Win!!! Linfield blanks Puget Sound in 23-0 victory in the ‘Catdome.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh-7TQk-SYGhc4BQXQgrRfa8nUA3xeRNTIgzYKhCzLALp5IOlPWLzZW48GiuzbfNFuE4iPhSn8ZlrtAeYJjOH1p2TRAbBmJnl4qhDfyT-qzREsbOJntUE52DcotLUfH94BwUA2JrCOhJI/s1600/_ND59440+blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh-7TQk-SYGhc4BQXQgrRfa8nUA3xeRNTIgzYKhCzLALp5IOlPWLzZW48GiuzbfNFuE4iPhSn8ZlrtAeYJjOH1p2TRAbBmJnl4qhDfyT-qzREsbOJntUE52DcotLUfH94BwUA2JrCOhJI/s1600/_ND59440+blog.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#17 Freshman Kyle Kimball led all receivers in yards on Saturday, including this 41 yard TD strike.</td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Courtesy of Brad Thompson: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/127580577@N04" target="_blank">View Brad's Photos Here. </a></td></tr>
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The formula worked once again as Linfield brought the salt truck on defense, used stellar special teams, and found enough offense to move to 7-1 overall on the season. With the victory, Linfield also moved to 6-0 in Northwest Conference play, and coupled with PLU’s road win at Fox, the ‘Cats clinched the NWC title outright and the NWC’s automatic NCAA playoff berth. The ‘Cats extended what was already an NWC record for most consecutive conference titles with the program’s 9th in a row. It’s been an incredible run as Linfield has gone 56-1 in conference play since 2009 and have won 16 playoff games over that span.<br />
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For Saturday, the Linfield defense asserted themselves early but on the flip side the offense had some early pains, but you could see growth and confidence start to get reestablished as the game moved into the second half. But that first half was pretty darn dreadful for the ‘Cats upfront as Linfield gave up 6 first half sacks and an additional 4 other tackles for loss. However, as the game moved into the second half you could see the offense start to jell as Linfield didn’t give up a second-half sack, only had one 3 and out, and scored on 4 of the 7 offensive possessions. The ‘Cats offense moved the ball more effectively as nine different Wildcats caught passes and the offensive line patched those holes that crippled them in that first half.<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Linfield's <a href="https://twitter.com/Gators15Smith?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Gators15Smith</a> found <a href="https://twitter.com/JdJdizzle?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JdJdizzle</a> in the corner of the end zone for six in the 'Cats 23-0 win over Puget Sound. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Catdome?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Catdome</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/D3fb?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#D3fb</a> <a href="https://t.co/G1LbV46OFZ">pic.twitter.com/G1LbV46OFZ</a></p>— Catdomealumni.com (@catdomealumni) <a href="https://twitter.com/catdomealumni/status/927369596205547520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Defensively, Linfield dominated Puget Sound in every aspect you could imagine. The Loggers came into Saturday with the 2nd best passing attack and Linfield made the Puget Sound offense look like a bad intramural football team with the pressure and physicality the 'Cats put on Puget Sound in all three levels of the game. It was the first time that Puget Sound has been shutout since the 2012 season and it wasn’t a fluke. I could go on and on as it seemed that every starter for the Wildcats at one point made a stand-out play or another. Offensive coordinators would be better off in trying to solve the disappearance of DB Cooper than trying to solve the mystery in how to score points on this Wildcat defense. There are zero weak links on this side of the football and the defense continues to deliver the mail day after day.<br />
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Even with clinching the NWC title outright, there is still work to be done this regular season. Linfield will head back to Forest Grove for the second consecutive season to face a tough as nails Pacific Boxers team that currents sit in a 3-way tie for second place in the NWC at 4-2. The ‘Cats have had their hands full at Pacific since the Boxers relaunched their program back in 2010 and I’m not expecting anything different in 2017. The motivation is going to be huge for Pacific and Linfield needs to meet that motivation, and then some, as the ‘Cats are looking to continue to grow on offense and try to establish the best possible playoff seeding position. Let’s get to work!<br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i>The Good</i></span><br />
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Getting the Shutout</span></u>: This Linfield defense has been so darn good and should have had a shutout against George Fox, and let’s not kid ourselves, the ‘Cats should have blanked Willamette as well. So it was great to see this defense finally get that big old donut on the scoreboard against the Loggers. To go along with the 99 yards of total offense, Linfield’s defense racked up 7 three and out possessions against the Puget Sound offense. The ‘Cats ate up the Loggers offense like a birthday cake and asked for seconds.<br />
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Linfield's <a href="https://twitter.com/wransom02?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@wransom02</a> is a walking stick of dynamite in the 'Cats 23-0 win over Puget Sound. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Catdome?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Catdome</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/D3fb?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#D3fb</a> <a href="https://t.co/uW8ZEHMTIr">pic.twitter.com/uW8ZEHMTIr</a></div>
— Catdomealumni.com (@catdomealumni) <a href="https://twitter.com/catdomealumni/status/927361682019532800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Passing Attack</span></u>: Puget Sound put eight men in the box to take away the Linfield rushing attack and dared the Wildcats to beat them in the air. The response by the Wildcats was a 300-yard passing game by freshman quarterback Wyatt Smith in his first career start. It felt like that number could have even been bigger if not for a few drops and a couple of misses on open deep routes. Bottom line, this was the best the passing attack for Linfield has looked all season and it’s coming at the right time.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Pure Effort</span></u>: Running back Dawson Ruhl changed the tied of the game all by himself last in the first half. The 'Cats were knocking on the door looking to take a 14-0 lead at the break. The 'Cats lined up at the UPS 12 yard line and Wyatt Smith dropped back to pass and had the ball knocked out of his hand while throwing the ball. Everyone stopped playing because it looked like an incomplete pass but the officials let the play continue. A Logger safety picked up the ball and took off like a shot down the UPS sideline. Only one Linfield player immediately reacted and that was Ruhl. The Logger changed direction about the Linfield 45 to shake Ruhl but Dawson pressed on and was finally able to take him down at the Linfield 5. The Linfield defense turned UPS away 3 times and then blocked another field goal to keep the game at 7-0. Ruhl made a winner’s play that happens purely by effort and desire. It’s amazing that a disaster of a play for Linfield turned out to be a beautiful piece of football. That is something that isn’t drawn up or you can run a drill for. A big tip of the cap to Dawson changing the completion of the game in favor of the ‘Cats on a hustle/desire play.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Pressure</span></u>: As an old defensive end the 8 sacks the ‘Cats stacked up made my chest pump up with pride. Linfield defensive end, Asa Schwartz had a career game in piling up 4 sacks against UPS. That will put Asa in a tie for 4th in Linfield football single-game history. Along with Asa, the ‘Cats were all over Tanner Diebold like a cheap suit. Pressure can make diamonds, but in this case, the pressure makes the Logger offense crumble.<br />
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Linfield's <a href="https://twitter.com/Asa_Schwartz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Asa_Schwartz</a> went off with 4 sacks in the 'Cats 23-0 victory over Puget Sound. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Catdome?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Catdome</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/D3fb?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#D3fb</a> <a href="https://t.co/H53aJZZTGi">pic.twitter.com/H53aJZZTGi</a></div>
— Catdomealumni.com (@catdomealumni) <a href="https://twitter.com/catdomealumni/status/927408468079779840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Youth making an impact</span></u>: Youth was being served for Linfield on Saturday as Freshman Wyatt Smith made his first start for the ‘Cats. Freshman Wide Reciever, Kyle Kimball, led all receivers with 129 yards, 1 TD, on 9 catches. Frosh WR, Khory Day, showed a flash of his promise in a beautiful 33 yard reception, Freshman Dawson Ruhl had 50 yards of receiving out of the backfield, Frosh Colton Ramos continued to be a big field position weapon in the kicking game, frosh Zack Jenkins continues to get it done with his long snapping, and on and on I could go. While the defense is loaded with senior leadership the offense and special teams has a lot of youth making big contributions.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_XhPID67WDz0lOu3m-NjvgHnH9XkcmF0QISnHCKrmDkP9OVfjdFgxjuZqTcW3zzG7lm6nQt6puVNOfvWow-0EjVIh6S2YGNiSgrWjkO-TZP4fR27wBPKfCe1RC5Zq7COFpYPAi0TI2Gk/s1600/_DSC0989.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="615" data-original-width="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_XhPID67WDz0lOu3m-NjvgHnH9XkcmF0QISnHCKrmDkP9OVfjdFgxjuZqTcW3zzG7lm6nQt6puVNOfvWow-0EjVIh6S2YGNiSgrWjkO-TZP4fR27wBPKfCe1RC5Zq7COFpYPAi0TI2Gk/s1600/_DSC0989.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#9 Andrew Schweiterman hauled in his 3rd interception of the season against the Loggers.</td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Courtesy of Brad Thompson: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/127580577@N04" target="_blank">View Brad's Photos Here</a></td></tr>
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Blanket Coverage</span></u>: The Loggers came into the game with the 2nd best passing attack in the NWC and our defensive backfield and linebackers locked up the Loggers receivers and threw away the key. Linfield forced 3 picks and held the Logger passing game to 93 passing yards on 13 of 33 passing attempts. Dustin Harrison came in Saturday’s game as the NWC’s top receivers in terms of yards and catches but Harrison limped out of the ‘Catdome with a total of 2 catches for only 10 yards.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Special teams doing their thing</span></u>: The Wildcat special teams continue to shine for Linfield. Willy Warne continues to kick at an all-american level in knocking down three out of four field goal attempts including a huge 48 field goal that could have gone from 54 yards. Colton Ramos was once again spectacular punting the ball in averaging 40.8 yards per punt that included a 50 yarder and three kicks that were downed within the Logger 20 yard line. The ‘Cats blocked another critical field goal attempt and this time it was the big mitt of standout defensive tackle Zach Grate doing the honors. Along with the legs, Andrew Schweiterman has grown over the past few weeks as a dependable punt returner in terms of his ability to constantly field it cleanly, make good decisions, and has shown an ability to make defenders miss in space. Sweets showed off that ability with a great 24-yard return in the 3rd quarter. Overall, it was another great day on special teams for Linfield.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i>The Bad</i></span><br />
<u><span style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span></u>
<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Lack of a run game</span></u>: Yes, UPS put everyone and their mom in the box on Saturday to take away the Linfield rush but only netting 22 yards on 32 attempts doesn’t sit right. The Loggers were able to get too many guys behind the line of scrimmage, especially in the first half of play.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Red Zone offense</span></u>: Man, Linfield could have blown this game wide open if it wasn’t for the trouble in the red zone. Linfield was only able to go 3 of 6 in the red zone and get one TD out of these trips. The ‘Cats had two turnovers, dropped a sure-fire TD on a wide-open play, and a missed field goal as well. Linfield has to be much better in these situations moving forward or it could spell big trouble.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i>The Ugly</i></span><br />
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<u><span style="color: #351c75;">Nothing</span></u>: The defense gets an awesome shutout, the offense showed some growth, and the special teams continue to be a positive. Overall, while it felt like the final margin of victory should have been bigger it was a solid victory that allowed Linfield to hit two of their goals (NWC title and a playoff berth). It blows me away that Linfield has now extended their conference title streak to 9 years in a row and 15 NWC titles out of the last 18 years. What an honor to have witnessed this run of football that’s almost lasted two decades. It’s just a reminder that any day is a great day to be a Wildcat.Wildcat 11http://www.blogger.com/profile/07434979128173141655noreply@blogger.com1