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Spokane, Wash. - Jared Thomas' five yard touchdown run with 7:22 left in the game lifted Whitworth College to a 38-35 win over visiting Pacific Lutheran University in a Northwest Conference football game on Saturday afternoon at the Whitworth Pine Bowl.

The win, Whitworth's first over the Lutes at home since 1965, improved the Pirates' final regular season record to 7-2 overall and 3-2 in the NWC, good for third in the final conference standings. PLU fell to 6-3 and 2-3.

The Lutes chased Whitworth on the score board all game, after Whitworth quickly built a 14-0 lead only four minutes into the contest. But PLU fought back and eventually took its first lead 35-31 with 11:01 to play on a Mark McCall four yard run, capping a 75-yard drive.

But Whitworth put the ball back in the endzone on its next drive to retake the lead and eventually win the game. The Thomas game-winning run was set up one play before when Whitworth converted a 4th and one at the PLU 45 yard line with a 40-yard bomb over the middle from Joel Clark to Kyle Snell for the first down.

Clark finished 19 of 26 for 314 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Kyle Snell caught eight of those passes for 159 yards and one score of 62 yards. Tight end Michael Allan had six catches for 58 yards and a score. Kyle Havercroft led Whitworth rushers with 92 yards on 21 carries and a score. He converted a third and five with just over a minute to play into a key first down that allowed Whitworth to run out the clock.

PLU quarterback Dusty Macauley completed 18 of 27 passes for 329 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Brian McKechnie caught four passes for 71 yards and one of the scores, while Monroe Samifua had three grabs for 40 yards and another score. Ryan Simpson ran 19 times for 73 yards and one touchdown.

Whitworth took the opening kick off 76 yards in seven plays for the first touchdown, a six yard pass from Clark to Allan. Defensive back Ryan Marshall intercepted Macauley on the Lutes' first play from scrimmage at the PLU 36 yard line. Three plays later Havercroft scored on a six yard run to give the Pirates a 14-0 lead with 11:00 to play in the first quarter.

Whitworth had a chance to make it a three score lead right away after Macauley was intercepted by Ernest Policarpio in Whitworth territory on the Lutes' next drive. But Thomas tried to throw a pass on a fake reverse and the ball was intercepted at the PLU one yard line by Geoffrey Schock.

The Lutes then went 99 yards in 18 plays to score their first touchdown, a two-yard run by Simpson on the first play of the second quarter. PLU tied the game later in the second quarter after the Lutes held the Pirates on fourth down at their own two yard line. PLU then went 98 yards, scoring on a 36 yard half back pass from Mark McCall to McKechnie with 4:43 to play in the half.

Whitworth quickly answered. On the Pirates' third play from scrimmage Snell took a screen pass from Clark and ran 62 yards to put the Bucs back on top 21-14.

After holding PLU on fourth down at their own 39 yard line, Whitworth made it 24-14 with just 26 seconds to play in the half when Cameron Collings nailed a 48 yard field goal. PLU actually got into position for their own 41-yard field goal attempt on the final play of the half, but Chris Hodel's kick was wide left.

PLU pulled within three midway through the third quarter when Macauley hit McCall for a 24 yard score. But Snell took the ensuing kick off 91 yards for a touchdown to put the Pirates back in front 31-21.

The Lutes scored on their next two drives to finally go in front. The first score was a 14 yard pass from Macauley to Samifua with 4:30 to play in the third quarter. Then Schock intercepted his second pass of the game at the Lute 25 yard line to set up McCall's run.

After Whitworth answered to retake the lead, PLU took over on their own 33 with 7:16 to play. The Lutes drove to the Whitworth 19 when on third down and two yards to go, Aaron Canger was hauled down for an eight yard loss by Austin Richard. The fourth down pass from Macauley to McCall was incomplete with 2:47 to play.

Whitworth took over on its own 27 and got a first down on three Havercroft carries. PLU was out of time outs after using two on its first possession of the second half and the Pirates were able to down the ball for three plays and run out the rest of the clock.

The seven win season is Whitworth's third in four years, only the third time in school history the Pirates have put together three seven-plus win seasons in such a span.

Whitworth's previous win over PLU in Spokane was 20-13 in 1965. The Pirates ended a long losing streak to the Lutes with a win in Puyallup in 2001.

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