PORTLAND, Ore. -- The Lewis & Clark Pioneers scored 39 of the final 53 points in Saturday's 49-26 win over the Puget Sound Loggers at Griswold Stadium.
The win evens Lewis & Clark's Northwest Conference record at 2-2 and gives the Pios their second straight victory over a NWC opponent other than Willamette for the first time since 2013.
Cruz Montana threw for four touchdowns, two to Aidan Verba-Hamilton. Elijah McGee started at running back, ran for 7.1 yards per carry and had two touchdowns. Makana LaBoy had an 86-yard interception return TD.
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Key Moments
A three-and-out forced Puget Sound to punt on the opening series of the game. Verba-Hamilton returned the kick 58 yards, the longest punt return of the season for the Pios. With a penalty on the play, the Pios took their first snap from the Puget Sound 9. McGee, who rushed 13 times for 92 yards in the game, took his first carry to the left pylon for a 7-0 lead.
The Loggers shifted into a split backs formation with quarterback Murdock Rutledge under center and rushed 29 consecutive times to score on back-to-back drives. A 14-play, 68-yard drive resulted in a 13-yard TD by Silas Washington, who received the majority of the carries during Puget Sound's run-heavy attack. Rutledge bootlegged out of a fake to Washington for an 8-yard TD run that ended the Loggers 15-play, 80-yard scoring drive and gave Puget Sound a 15-7 lead. The Loggers outrushed Lewis & Clark, 256-96, in the game.
Second-quarter touchdowns by Verba-Hamilton (58-yard reception) and McGee (10-yard reception) gave the Pios a 25-22 halftime lead. Lewis & Clark (3-3, 2-2 NWC) started with the ball in the second half. Montana found Sean Bodi for a 38-yard touchdown reception to cap off a 6-play, 65-yard drive.
With a 32-22 lead, the Pioneers defense slowed the Puget Sound offense and forced three of the Loggers' first four drives of the second half to end on downs. The Loggers only second-half score was after a botched snap on a Lewis & Clark punt gave the ball to Puget Sound at the Lewis & Clark 1, and Washington scored on the first play to cut the lead to 32-29.
Puget Sound (0-7, 0-4 NWC) almost caught a break when Ethan Kearns intercepted Montana and returned it 47 yards to the Lewis & Clark 33. Verba-Hamilton sprinted behind the play and punched the ball loose from Kearns, and Montana recovered the fumble to regain possession for the Pioneers. Verba-Hamilton had a 22-yard TD, and LaBoy had his pick six, to score the final points of the game for Lewis & Clark.
Deeper Look
- Lewis & Clark allowed a season-low two sacks, while Cameron Chang and Nicolas Lang earned sacks for the Pios
- Sam Meinhard had a game-high and career-most 14 tackles, while Anakin Mares added 10 tackles, his third double-digit tackles total of the year
- Isaac Cordova rushed three times for 19 yards and had one reception for 20 yards, the latater on a 2nd and 24 that helped the Pios score the final points of the second half
- Aaron Krause caught a two-point conversion pass
- Trey Morris took three snaps at quarterback in the first quarter
- Alex Koga missed a 37-yard field goal, his first miss in eight tries, but later made a 27-yarder
- Lewis & Clark averaged 9.4 yards per pass, and like their four touchdown passes, earned a new season high
- The Pios' 6.4 yards per play was their best average in any game this year
- 57 rushes by the Loggers are the most by a Lewis & Clark opponent this season
- Puget Sound committed nine penalties for 75 yards, the most penalties by a Pios opponent in 2021
- Lewis & Clark ran a season-low 58 plays with Puget Sound totaling 38:35 time of possession
- Rutledge went 10 for 22 for 130 yards, a touchdown and interception
- The Loggers passing yardage is the lowest by a Lewis & Clark opponent this season
- AJ Johnson caught four passes to become the Loggers all-time leader in receptions
Looking Ahead
Lewis & Clark travels to Pacific next weekend.