Whitworth College will attempt to continue its rebound this week as the Pirates host Menlo College of Atherton, California in a non-conference football match-up in the Pine Bowl on Saturday afternoon. However, this will be the final meeting of the two teams as non-conference opponents. Beginning in 2006 Menlo will become an affiliate member of the Northwest Conference in football and will thus have an opportunity to challenge for a conference title in the sport for the first time since the school changed from a two-year institution in 1986. Whitworth (3-2) is coming off of a 46-27 win at Puget Sound, a victory that broke a two game losing streak for the Pirates. The Oaks are 0-6 and coming off of a bye week. Whitworth and Menlo are playing for the sixth time.
The Pirates: The Pirate offense continued to roll last week, scoring on seven out of eleven possessions to chop down the Loggers' hopes of ending a ten game losing streak to Whitworth. The Bucs outgained UPS 543-392 and took the Loggers out of their game plan by opening up a three touchdown lead in the first half. Joel Clark (Jr., QB, Spokane, Wash.-Mt. Spokane) directed the attack, posting one of the best performances of the year. Clark completed 24 of 32 passes for 363 yards and five touchdowns. He did not throw an interception. He also ran 13 times for 76 yards and another touchdown. For his efforts, Clark was named the NWC Offensive Player of the Week. Michael Allan (Jr., TE, Bellevue, Wash. - Interlake) caught three touchdown passes to move into a tie for the NWC scoring lead with ten touchdowns in 2005. For the second time this season, two of Allan's scoring catches came on fourth down. Nick Kuntz (Jr., WR, Boise, Idaho - Eagle) and Mathew Johnson (Sr., WR, Olympia, Wash.- Olympia) also caught touchdown passes. Kyle Snell (Sr., WR, Issaquah, Wash. - Univ. of Arizona) led the Pirates with eight catches for 83 yards.
Chris Ahsing (So., RB, Ewa Beach, Hawaii-Campbell) carried the ball 15 times for 64 yards. Kyle Havercroft (So., RB, Rathdrum, Idaho - Lakeland) ran nine times for 40 yards and a score. Whitworth's defense held the conference's top rushing offense nearly 100 yards under its previous per-game average. The Loggers did gain 216 yards on the ground on 48 carries, but they broke only one long gain of 30 yards. Jay Tully (So., SS, Spokane, Wash. - Mead) had a big game with 10 tackles, one pass interception and another pass break up. His interception came in the endzone on the Loggers' first possession of the second half. He was named the NWC Defensive Player of the Week. Nick Portrey (Jr., LB, Ritzville, Wash. - Ritzville) totaled 11 tackles, including one for loss, with a break up and a QB hurry. Radio Broadcast Notes : Eastern Washington has switched its broadcasts to another local radio station, so all remaining Pirate games will be carried live on KSBN 1230 am. Each broadcast begins 15 minutes prior to kick off with the pre-game. Bob Castle, the voice of the Pirates for seven seasons, brings you every play. The games can also be heard over the internet at http://www.ksbn.net/listen.pls. L&C Game Cancelled: Lewis & Clark College has officially cancelled its conference games this season. Because the Pioneers are going into the year with only 30 players on the roster, the school's authorities felt it would be unsafe for the team to play an entire schedule. They will only play their first four games (all non-conference). Whitworth's game at Lewis & Clark, scheduled for October 29th, is officially cancelled. Statistics Leaders: At the midway point of the 2005 season, the Pirates are ranked highly, both in the Northwest Conference and the NCAA, in several statistical categories. Whitworth is ranked highly in passing offense and total offense. Joel Clark is ranked nationally in two categories. Kyle Snell and Michael Allan are also ranked nationally.
National Poll: While the Pirates were ranked by a pair of preseason football publications (22nd by USA Today Sports Weekly and 25th by Street & Smiths), they didn't appear in a weekly national poll until September 26th when the Bucs were ranked 25th by D3football.com. But they have since fallen back into "others receiving votes" in both the D3football.com poll and the AFCA poll. NWC Poll: Whitworth finished fourth in the NWC preseason coaches poll with 20 points, one behind PLU. Defending champion Linfield finished first with all six first place votes. Link to NWC Football Coaches Poll.
The Opponents: Menlo College is 0-6 this season, but the Oaks have played a demanding schedule and are coming off of their only bye week during the 2005 season. Menlo has played NCAA DII Humboldt State, NCAA DI-AA (non-scholarship) Univ. of San Diego, and at NWC-member Willamette University. Sophomore quarterback Dustin Guglielmelli, who made his Oak debut in last season's Whitworth-Menlo OT shootout, has taken the most snaps at quarterback this year. He has completed 53.4% of his passes for 669 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions. Senior WR Eddie Eyo has been the top receiver with 33 catches for 443 yards and a touchdown. The Oaks have struggled to run the ball. Eddie Connor has run for 210 yards and three touchdowns to lead the ground game. On defense, junior LB Antione Barlow leads the team with 44 tackles, one interception and one fumble recovery. Menlo's most recent contest was a 54-0 loss at home to Cal Lutheran on October 8th. Four Oak turnovers led directly to 24 points for the Kingsmen. Menlo finished with only 139 yards of total offense. Adam Hazel took most of the snaps at quarterback and was 10 of 20 for 97 yards with one interception. Eddie Connor carried seven times for 45 yards. Menlo allowed 402 yards off offense to CLU. Sophomore LB Travis Correa lead the Oaks with 12 tackles (nine solo). Last Year: Whitworth pulled out a 41-35 overtime victory in Atherton. The Oaks outgained the Pirates 520-453 and had a 30-25 edge in first downs. Whitworth was held to a season-low 128 yards rushing and committed a season-high nine penalties for 78 yards. But Joel Clark threw a 25 yard touchdown on the first play of Whitworth's second overtime possession to give the Pirates the victory. Clark completed 23 of 32 passes for 325 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. He also ran for 48 yards and another score. Mathew Johnson had five catches for 85 yards, while Kyle Snell also had five grabs for 53 yards and the other score. The Pirate defense made enough plays to allow the Pirates to win the game. The Bucs kept Menlo off of the scoreboard during their first five trips deep into Whitworth territory. Then, after Menlo scored on three straight possessions to tie the game at 28-28 and then take a 35-28 lead in overtime, the defense stiffened again. Whitworth did not allow Menlo a first down during its second overtime possession, giving the offense a chance to win the game. In his Menlo debut, Guglielmelli passed for 358 yards and four touchdowns, while rushing 14 times for 95 yards. Series Notes: The Pirates hold a 4-1 edge in the series. This will be the third time the teams have played in Spokane. Whitworth is 2-0 against Menlo at home and 2-1 at the Oaks' Connor Field. Whitworth has won the last three meetings. Whitworth's biggest win in the series was 30-7 at Menlo in 2002. The Oaks' only win in the series was a 24-21 overtime thriller in 1999. Menlo is the only team Whitworth has played more than one overtime game against. Coach Tully's Quotes: On the UPS game: "UPS was a good football team, and they presented a great challenge for us on the road. But our guys responded. The defense made crucial stops and we made some big plays offensively that turned the game. I was especially pleased that our special teams improved last week, showing progress on kick off and punt coverage. Getting your first league win of the year is always important, especially if you can do it on the road." On Menlo: "Menlo looks very athletic, like all of the Menlo teams we've played in the past. They have players who will challenge our offensive and defensive personnel. I fully expect them to be ready since they have had a week off after playing a very rigorous schedule." The Coaches: John Tully is in his eleventh season as head coach of the Pirates, the longest football coaching tenure in school history. He has a 48-51 record at Whitworth. However, he has led the Pirates to a 34-18 record over the past six years and was named the 2001 NWC Coach of the Year. Overall he is 79-73 in his 15th season as a head coach. Mark Kaanapu, a graduate of NWC-member Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon, is in his fifth season leading the Oaks. His record at Menlo is 22-23 through the first six games of this season. Other Division III Football Links: American Football Coaches Association |
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