FOREST GROVE, Ore. –
Connor Morton ran for three touchdowns and
Colton Smith caught two scoring passes from
Blake Eaton as the seventh-ranked Linfield Wildcats held off the Pacific Boxers 42-21 in a Northwest Conference football game at Hanson Stadium Saturday afternoon.
Ranked No. 7 nationally by D3football.com, Linfield improved to 5-0, securing the program's 66th consecutive winning season, a national record spanning all levels of college football. The Streak, as it is known, began in 1956 when Linfield recorded the first of 66 straight plus-.500 campaigns.
The win was also significant for Linfield from a conference standpoint. The Wildcats moved to 3-0 in the NWC while dropping Pacific to 2-1 in league play and 3-2 overall.
Linfield took the lead midway through the first quarter and never relented, though Pacific kept the game within reach for the better part of four quarters.
Smith scored the game's first touchdown, pulling in a 4-yard toss from Eaton.
Gavin Dalziel booted the extra point and the Wildcats led 7-0 with 6:45 left in the period.
Early in the second period, Morton capped a 10-play, 94-yard drive, rushing 18 yards to paydirt.
The game's first turnover led to seven points for Pacific. Under duress from the Boxer defensive line, Eaton was intercepted by linebacker Hunter Brown, who returned the ball to the Linfield 19-yard line. Three plays later, Kash Taylor swept to the right side and ran untouched into the end zone, pulling the Boxers to within seven points, 14-7, with 2:36 remaining before intermission.
Wildcats freshman linebacker
Blaze Holani gave Linfield a golden opportunity to make the game a two-score affair before the break, but the Wildcats could not cash in. Holani picked off Pacific QB Ryan Helt and returned the ball 40 yards to the Boxers' 23. But a series of untimely penalties took Linfield out of field goal range and Eaton was sacked for an 18-yard loss to end the half.
Morton gained 56 yards on the ground during the first two quarters while Eaton completed 15 of 21 passes prior to halftime. Linfield doubled Pacific's total yardage output, 228-109 in the first half, but the 'Cats were flagged eight times for 87 yards, preventing them from blowing the game open.
Second-half statistics were unavailable from the source due to a software malfunction.
NEXT
After consecutive road games, Linfield returns to Maxwell Field on Saturday where the Wildcats will host the Pacific Lutheran Lutes. Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m.
