SPOKANE, Wash. – Unranked Whitworth scored 19 straight points in the third quarter to stun No. 11 Linfield 19-14 in Northwest Conference football action Saturday afternoon at Puryear Field at the Whitworth Pine Bowl.
 
Pirates quarterback Leif Ericksen ran for one touchdown and passed for another in a four-minute span of the third quarter to spark Whitworth to its first victory over Linfield since 2007. The upset also halted Linfield's 23-game NWC winning streak. The Wildcats, who have claimed the last nine NWC crowns, had won 57 of of their last 58 NWC games. The only blemish came in 2014, a 31-28 loss at home to Willamette.
 
Whitworth (3-0) held Linfield (1-2) to three net rushing yards while outgaining the Wildcats 346-261 in total yards, including 217-82 in the second half.
 
Linfield scored its only touchdowns in the closing minute of each half as Wyatt Smith found open receivers in the end zone each time.
 
Both teams spun their wheels in the first half. Linfield twice denied Whitworth red zone scoring opportunities in the first five minutes. Tyler Bergeron forced a fumble on the Pirates' opening possession that Travis Swanson recovered at the Linfield 5-yard line. After Linfield went three-and-out, the Pirates followed with Garrett McKay's 44-yard punt return to the Wildcats' 17, Despite great field position, Whitworth couldn't capitalize. When that drive stalled, Chris Stinchcomb blocked Cody McDonald's 37-yard field goal attempt with 10:38 remaining in the first quarter.
 
On the ensuing drive, Linfield drove from its own 20 to the Whitworth 22, only to have Willy Warne's 39-yard field goal attempt blocked by Anthony Ruiz, keeping the game scoreless.
 
The Wildcats broke the scoreless standoff in the final minute of the first half as J.D. Lasswell pulled in juggling 29-yard touchdown catch from Smith. The extra point by Warne gave Linfield a 7-0 lead heading into the halftime locker room.
 
Both teams missed field goal tries to start the third quarter before Whitworth seized momentum. Ericksen marched the Pirates 60 yards to the end zone, capping the drive with his own 22-yard run. The extra point failed and Linfield clung to a 7-6 advantage.
 
Linfield's subsequent drive produced just seven yards and after a punt, Ericksen again moved Whitworth into scoring position, tossing a 31-yard strike to McKay with 5:31 left in the third period.
 
Whitworth controlled the clock for eight minutes of the fourth quarter. It took a desperation pass by Smith to Aiden Wilder with 12 seconds left to play to give the Wildcats one last opportunity to pull the game from the fire. But the Pirates recovered the onside kick, touching off a celebration by the home fans.
 
Smith completed 23 of 37 passes for 258 yards but was sacked four times for 41 yards in losses. Chidubem Nnoli finished with 29 yards rushing on 16 carries.
 
Whitworth's Tariq Ellis ran for a game-high 52 yards. Ericksen went 23 for 35 for 241 yards but was intercepted twice, once each by Bergeron and Duke Mackle.
 
Mackle recorded a game-high 11 tackles while Bergeron had seven stops.
 
'Cat Scratch
Saturday's announced attendance was 2,045. . . temperature at kickoff was 61 degrees. . . Linfield came into the game owning an 11-game series winning streak. . . Whitworth has managed just seven wins over Linfield in 45 meetings since the series began in 1954. . . Colton Ramos averaged 45.0 yards on eight punts . . .Linfield was flagged 10 times for 76 yards. . . the Wildcats converted just 4 of 16 third-down attempts. . .
 
Next
Linfield returns to Maxwell Field for a Homecoming matchup Saturday against the Willamette Bearcats. Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m. Live videocast coverage on the Linfield Sports Network begins at 1.