SALEM, Ore. –
Caleb Woodcock caught two touchdown passes and
Blake Rybar made a game-high nine tackles to lead a 72-0 whitewash of the Willamette Bearcats by the 22nd-ranked Linfield Wildcats in the Northwest Conference opener for both teams Saturday afternoon at McCulloch Stadium.
Linfield (3-1) recorded its second straight shutout of the season and ninth consecutive win over Willamette dating back to the 2015 season.
Willamette (2-2) could not find any rhythm offensively, finishing with 120 yards, including just 43 through the air.
Linfield rolled up a season-high 523 yards, including a season-best 215 on the ground.
The Wildcats forced five turnovers on the day. Linebacker
Blaze Holani and cornerback
Payton Anhorn each returned interceptions for touchdowns to further add to the Bearcats' misery.
Linfield wasted little time in taking a decisive 21-0 lead in the opening quarter. With the game less than five minutes old,
Luke McNabb ran 3 yards for a touchdown to cap a five-play drive. The Bearcats' second possession ended in Holani's 29-yard interception return to the endzone, and
Aaron Martinez raced 65 yards for a touchdown two minutes later following a WU punt.
The second quarter featured more Linfield scoring. The teams traded punts before the Wildcats needed just four plays to more points as McNabb hooked up with Woodcock for a 32-yard pass play with 7:50 left before the break.
McNabb stretched Linfield's advantage to 34-0, weaving his way for a 20-yard scoring jaunt with 4:55 left in the half. With 3:46 remaining, Anhorn picked off Bearcats quarterback Alex Rivera IV, returning the ball 34 yards to paydirt. Linfield got the ball back with two minutes to go before the break and drove 35 yards in eight plays for yet another score, a 5-yard TD pass to
Jacob Slifka from
Blake Eaton.
The Wildcats outgained the Bearcats 298-60 over the opening two quarters. Bearcat quarterbacks struggled to find open receivers, competing 6 of 16 passes in the first half.
The second half produced four more Linfield scoring plays while the Wildcats' defense held the Bearcats out of the endzone the rest of the way. Woodcock pulled in his second TD of the game, this one coming by way of McNabb at the 12-minute mark of the third quarter. Reserve tailback
Jesse Sandretzky rushed 12 yards for his first career touchdown with 8:29 left in the third period.
Gavin Dalziel made it 65-0 with a 19-yard field goal five minutes later. Then third-string quarterback
Deacon Edgar scrambled 45 yards for the game's final touchdown with 13:27 to play.
Eaton completed 12 of 20 pass attempts for 176 yards and two TDs. McNabb was 5 for 7 for 119 yards and one score.
Martinez finished as the game's leading rusher with 78 yards on five carries.
Wildcats linebacker
Blake Rybar was the game's leading tackler with nine stops, including a sack.
Johnny Miller added six tackles, including one for loss. Holani added five tackles.
Woodcock caught four passes for a game-high 121 receiving yards.
Jackson Pfeifer had four catches for 51 yards while
Maclain Stoneking collected three passes for 59 yards.
Rivera IV ended the day with 38 yards passing. He completed just 8 of 20 throws and was intercepted three times. Dominic Corado led the Bearcat defensive effort with seven total tackles.
AHEAD
Linfield returns to Maxwell Field for its annual Homecoming game next Saturday when the Wildcats will play the Lewis & Clark Pioneers. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
