Eric Evenson, a junior English major from Corvallis, will be providing commentary on the blog today.
20 min until kickoff : The crowd is starting to file in to what could be a playoff-clinching win for the Wildcats. The big key for Puget Sound todaywill be wheather the Loggers can put any points on the board. For a team that averages only 9.7 point per game, the matchup is not favorable for the visitors.
5 min until kickoff: Not a very big crowd here today on a Halloween afternoon. Pretty good conditions weather wise, overcast but not very cold.
Kickoff: We are underway here in McMinnville, Puget Sound will start their drive at its own 38
14:27 : Casey Larson rushes for a first down and then a pass play from Spencer Crase puts the ball at the Linfield 39.
11:58: After a 30-yard completion to the tight end Tim Fogarty, Crase rushes it in from four yards out. This is a focused group that came to McMinnville that clearly has a game plan consisting for a shotgun formation with short passes
7-0 UP
10:35 Aatron Boehme pass to Buddy Saxon for 38 yards to the UPS 12
9:25 Boehme sneaks it in from a yard out to tie the game. Good answer for the Wildcats, tying the score at 7. An exciting first six minutes here in McMinnville
7:54: The Loggers continue to move the chains with two more first downs. If there it a blueprint for pulling the upset on the road it is by moving the chains. Interestingly enough, short passes were a key element of what Oregon State did last weekend down at USC. UPS is working the short passing game very nicely.
5:32 Jaymin Jackson with the sack from the blindside on 3rd and 7.
4:41 After a screen pass to Kevin Abbott gave the ‘Cats a first down, Linfield commits a very bad holding penalty which was completly unnecessary.
4:18: Boehme dials up Chris Slezak down to the UPS 37 after a 43-yard bomb
4:02: The next play Boehme hits Patterson in the endzone ofr a 37-yard TD.
14-7 Linfield, who has regained control of the gain.
3:11 Three and out for the Loggers. P.J Sequira returns the punt 54 yards down to the UPS 11.
1:28 :Linfield can’t punch in its third TD of the day. Maika Kunioka is short from 39 yards out.
Linfield leads it 14-7 at the end of the first quarter. Crace looks good so far, completing 12-of-14 passes, good for six first downs.
Second Quarter
13:01 Interception from Damarkus Milner giving the Loggers the ball at the Linfield 34. Crase then hits Ross Zuhl for a first down to the Lin 19….good for 17 yards.
10:38 roughing the passer calls put the ball at the Linfield 2.
9:49 UPS will not go away. Crace hits Koenig for a one-yard touchdown. The Wildcats pass defense is not slowing down a very solid UPS offense that has clearly figured out a blueprint for how to attack Linfield.
14-14
9:42: Kevin Abbott returns the kickoff 37 yards to the UPS 43
8:41 Chris Saunders gets free for a 17-yard reception to the one yard-line. Boehme sneaks it in for the score. PAT good.
21-14 Linfield leads. This is much closer than more people expected. With just over eight minutes remaining in the first half, Linfield will look to slow down a very efficient UPS club. A stop here will go a long way for Linfield.
7:32 Ross Zuhl is killing the ‘Cats. 28 yard reception to the Linfield 34.
6:25: Larson scores on a screen pass for 36 yards.
21-21 we are all tied up here McMinnville.
5:18: Kevin Abbott catches a screen pass and breaks a big one for a first down, good for 27 yards to the UPS 13 yard-line
4:26: Boehme to Patterson on a fade to the back of the end zone.
28-21 Linfield leads
4:03 Zuhl on a reception for 12 yards to get a first down. Crace who is 20-for-23 on the day is down right now and appears to be injured
2:53 An interception will be brought back because of a pass interference call. First and ten for the Loggers at the Linfield 20.
38 seconds: Peter Topolski’s kick is good for a 28-yard field goal.
28-24 Wildcats lead at the half.
First Half Thoughts: For the first 30 minuts UPS proved they aren’t going anywhere this afternoon. Linfield will get the kickoff to start the second half and could get their first lead of more than seven points with a score. It will be interesting to see if the Loggers can continue this type of offensive day. Winless vs. Undefeated is turning out to be quick a ballgame. Crace has been the star so far, completing 21-of-24 passes.
13:13 Pass interference moves the ball to the UPS 36.
10:25 21-yard touchdown pass to Gunnar Cederberg. 35-24
7:20 UPS picks up a first down on a third-and-one to the Linfield 25
6:33 Zuhl with a 25-yard touchdown reception. He now has 13 catches for 134 yards, burning up the Linfield secondary.
4:56 Boehme hits Aaron Williams on a shovel pass for 15 yards and first down
2:34 Patterson makes a great catch in the endzone. 14-yard touchdown reception to put Linfield up 41-30.
End of the 3rd quarter… 41-30 Linfield with UPS driving at the Linfield 27 yard-line.
14:48: UPS converts on a 4th down and one to keep the drive alive. Linfield has not found an answer for Zuhl who now has a school-record 16 catches for 155 yards.
13:35 Zuhl with another touchdown… 22-yard reception on a screen pass.
12:23 Boehme scores his third rushing TD of the game on a 14-yard run. 47-36 Linfield.
7:33 Bryce Comfort with the interception in the endzone. Comfort takes the ball out and is tackled at the one yard-line.
5:00 Jaymin Jackson makes the big play…forcing a fumble thaat was recorverd by Drew Fisher. Linfield has a 47-36 lead that should survive the final minutes.
3:04 Touchdown Saxon in the corner of the endzone. This one is over with the ‘Cats up 54-36.
It was a fun one here in McMinnville. Hats off to a very tough UPS team. Ross Zuhl turned a lot of heads this afternoon with his remarkable performance. While the defense struggled, Linfield stays unbeaten in large part because of one of the nation’s top passing attacks.
