Jones Sets Season Rushing Record, but Pacific Outscores Bearcats, 41-24

By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

FOREST GROVE, ORE. -- Dylan Jones (Sr., RB, Santa Maria, CA/Ernest Righetti HS) of Willamette University rushed for 166 yards and two touchdowns, while setting the school record for rushing yards in a season, but Pacific University outscored the Bearcats, 41-24, in a Northwest Conference game on Saturday, Nov. 8.

Pacific improved to 6-2 on the season and remained in first place in the NWC with a 6-0 record. Willamette fell to 5-3 on the season, 3-3 in the NWC.

Jones increased his season rushing total to 1,376 yards, breaking the previous Willamette record of 1,240 yards set by Drew Ecklund in 2002. He has now scored 17 rushing touchdowns this season and is three away from school record of 20, set by John Oravec in 1934.

The game opened with Jones rushing 70 yards for a touchdown on the second play from scrimmage. Conner Mertens (Fr., PK/P, Kennewick, WA/Southridge HS) kicked the extra point to give WU a 7-0 lead.

Neither team scored during the remainder of the first quarter, but Jones added a 28-yard run late in the period. Including a 2-yard gain on the next play, Jones finished the quarter with 101 yards on the ground.

Pacific started a touchdown drive on the final play of the first quarter. The drive covered 57 yards on six plays, ending with a 19-yard run by Bobby Ladiges. Moses Villareal-Gomez kicked the conversion to tie the score.

Javin Kawai of Pacific forced a fumble by Willamette on the ensuing kickoff return a the WU 14. The Boxers recovered the ball and advanced it to the 3-yard line. On the first play, Ladiges scored on a 3-yard run, as Pacific took a 14-7 lead.

Willamette then drove from its own 25 to the Pacific 46 before punting. Brandon Harms returned the punt 39 yards to the WU 46. Pacific scored five plays later on a 37-yard field goal by Villareal-Gomez.

A short punt by the Bearcats four plays later, gave the Boxers possession at the WU 36. Pacific quarterback Warner Shaw completed a 7-yard pass to Caleb Roher on second down and a 9-yard pass to Jakob Lawrence on 3rd-and-3. After picking up the first down, the Boxers scored on a 20-yard run by Pimental ro a 24-7 lead with 2:10 left in the half.

There were three more possessions before halftime. The third drive was by Willamette and began at the Bearcats' 20-yard line with just 37 seconds left. WU quarterback Trent Spallas (So., QB, Elk Grove, CA/Franklin HS) connected with Beau Smith (Sr., WR, Roseville, CA/Roseville HS) on a 33-yard pass to start the drive.

Spallas then hit Derek Traeger (Sr., WR, Mount Angel, OR/John F. Kennedy HS) with a 19-yard pass and followed up with another pass to Traeger for 20 yards and a first down at the Pacific 8-yard line.

A false start penalty and a penalty for ineligible man downfield on consecutive snaps left Willamette with 1st-and-goal from the 18-yard line in the closing seconds. Mertens kicked a 35-yard field goal as time expired in the half to pull the Bearcats within 24-10.

Willamette stopped Pacific on downs to open the third quarter. The Bearcats took over a their own 3-yard line following a punt. On the second play, Spallas fumbled and Jeff Bajema picked up the ball for the Boxers at the 5-yard line. Bajema ran into the end zone for a touchdown. The extra point increased Pacific's lead to 31-10.

On Pacific's next possession, the Boxers drove 55 yards on nine plays. The drive was kept alive on 4th-and-1 at the WU 33 when Shaw hit Lawerence with a pass for 10 yards. Two plays later, Shaw completed a 30-yard pass to Sean Visperas to end the drive with a touchdown.

The Bearcats reduced the 28-point deficit to 14 points with one touchdown late in the third quarter and another touchdown with just under 10 minutes left in the game.

Dylan Jones earned the first score on a 1-yard run with 2:30 left in the third quarter. The touchdown was set up by a 51-yard run by Austin Jones (So., WR, Oakdale, CA/Oakdale HS) on 3rd-and-22 from the Willamette 47. The drive covered 78 yards and lasted 10 plays.

The second touchdown was recorded by Smith on a 17-yard pass from Spallas. The scoring strike came five plays after Blake Knirk (Fr., Sisters, OR/Mountain View HS) recovered a fumble by Lawrence and returned it 13 yards to the Pacific 30. The fumble was forced by Rayvon Owens (So., CB, El Cajon, CA/Christian HS) after Lawrence caught an 11-yard pass.

Pacific's lead was reduced to 38-24, but Willamette was unable to complete the comeback. Villareal-Gomez kicked a 41-yard field goal for Pacific with 2:33 remaining to score the final points of the game.

Willamette gained 407 yards and Pacific finished with 349 yards. Led by Dylan Jones, the Bearcats rushed for 240 yards. Spallas was 17 of 30 passing for 167 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Traeger led Willamette's receivers with nine catches for 73 yards. Smtih added five receptions for 66 yards.

Shaw connected on 19 of 28 passes for 219 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. Lawrence hauled in nine passes for 88 yards to lead the Boxers. Pacific rushed for 135 yards.

Inside linebackers Jack Nelson (Sr., ILB, Portland, OR/Jesuit HS) and Jimmy Roberts (Jr., ILB, Galt, CA/Galt HS) each recorded 11 total tackles for Willamette. Wendell Galvan (Sr., CB, Bothell, WA/Bothell HS) added eight tackles and broke up two passes. Jack Perez led Pacific with 13 tackles, while Avery Richardson added 10.

Willamette's final game of the season is set for Saturday, Nov. 15 against University of Puget Sound at McCulloch Stadium in Salem, Ore. Kickoff is slated for 2 p.m (PST).