SPOKANE, Wash. – Solo Hines scored four touchdowns and Whitworth pulled away from visiting Chapman with 21 straight points in a 42-28 victory over the Panthers in the first round of the NCAA Division III football playoffs on Saturday at the Pine Bowl.
The 18th-ranked Pirates (10-0) advance to a second-round matchup with 3rd-ranked Wartburg (Iowa) next Saturday. The NCAA will announce the location of that game on Sunday.
The game turned toward Whitworth in the final minute of the first half, right after the Panthers (6-4) tied the game 14-14 with 1:04 left in the second quarter. The Bucs needed only 57 seconds to drive 75 yards in ten plays, taking a 21-14 lead on the third touchdown of the first half for Hines.
The Whitworth defense then shut out Chapman in the third quarter, holding the Panthers to 12 total yards. The Pirates went up 28-14 late in the third on a 5-yard touchdown pass from Austin Ewing to Luis Salgado.
After another quick three-and-out for Chapman, Whitworth took over at its own ten and scored five plays later when Ewing found Hines on a swing pass for a 66-yard catch-and-run touchdown to increase the lead to 35-14 with 14:14 left in the game.
The teams traded touchdowns in a competitive first half. Whitworth scored on its first possession, going 66 yards after Jarvis Natividad opened the game with a 37-yard kick off return. Ewing completed a 3rd and 11 pass to Evan Liggett for a first down on the drive and Hines scored out of the wildcat formation from one yard away.
Chapman answered on its first drive, going 77 yards in ten plays, capped by Gio Ursino's five-yard run.
After an exchange of punts, the Pirates went 87 yards in only seven plays to go ahead 14-7 on a three-yard run by Hines. Ewing completed a 41-yard pass to Liggett to set up the score.
The Panthers appeared to gain the momentum when they scored on quarterback Luke Peterman's 12-yard keeper with only 1:04 to play, knowing they would get the opening kickoff of the second half. Whitworth answered with its lightning-drive.
Chapman got within 35-21 with just over ten minutes left in the game after Peterman completed a four-yard touchdown pass to Nick Tawney to complete a 57-yard drive.
The Pirates killed any comeback hopes by answering right back, going 95 yards for their final touchdown. Salgado accounted for 66 yards on that drive, scoring on a 10-yard run with 6:11 to play.
Chapman got one final score when Peterman hit Jason Bruce for a 22-yard score on fourth down to finish off a 72-yard possession with 3:00 left. The Pirates easily recovered the ensuing on-sides kick.
Whitworth outgained the Panthers 557-366 and had a 28-18 advantage in first downs. Ewing completed 28 of 36 passes for 414 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Liggett caught eight passes for 126 yards, while Dillon Kuk had six grabs for 97 yards. Salgado ran for 99 yards and one touchdown on 13 carries (7.6 ypc), while Hines picked up 59 yards on 15 attempts and had 73 yards receiving for his career-high of four touchdowns.
Peterman completed 19 of 27 passes for 236 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Amir Adams caught five passes for 75 yards. Ursino ran for 73 yards on 14 carries.
Caleb Shawen led the Whitworth defense with a career-high 12 tackles, while Daniel McKeirnan made eight stops. Nathan Hummel had two of Whitworth's four sacks in the game.
Neither team turned the ball over in the cleanly played contest that featured only five total penalties.
Whitworth has advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs for the third time, following appearances in 2006 and 2018.