Complete Box and Play by Play

SPOKANE, Wash. -- Willamette University came from two scores behind twice in the second half to force overtime, and the visiting Bearcats went on to defeat Whitworth College 40-34 after one overtime period in a Northwest Conference football contest on Saturday afternoon in the Whitworth Pine Bowl.

The magical run continued for Willamette (5-3 overall, 3-0 NWC), who opened the season with three losses but have since won five in a row. The last four wins have either come in the last minute of play or in overtime. The Bearcats will host defending NCAA Division III champion Linfield College next Saturday for the Northwest Conference title.

Whitworth fell to 4-3 and 1-2. The Pirates will conclude the season next Saturday at Pacific Lutheran University (3-5, 1-2).

Michael Allan tied the TD reception record

Chris Ahsing's two-yard touchdown run gave Whitworth a 34-23 lead with just under ten minutes to play in the game. But Cameron Walton found Jarvis Tanquary on a 23-yard fade to the left corner of the endzone with 3:22 to play and Quentin Brock ran in the two point conversion to pull Willamette within 34-31. Then Matt Bicocca kicked a 21-yard field goal with three seconds to play in regulation to force overtime.

Tyler Gill intercepted Whitworth QB Joel Clark's pass in the endzone to end the Pirates' overtime possession. Brock then carried twice, the second time a 20-yard touchdown run, to win the game for the Bearcats in the extra period.

Brock carried 25 times for 144 yards and two touchdowns to lead Willamette. Ryan Hernandez ran eight times for 68 yards and a score for the Bearcats, who rushed for 271 yards as a team. Walton was 13 of 23 for 143 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Michael Plank caught seven passes for 58 yards. Hernandez and Tanquary each caught a touchdown.

Clark was 19 of 28 for 211 yards and two scores for the Pirates. His lone interception was in overtime. Kyle Snell caught nine passes for 68 yards and a touchdown. Michael Allan caught five passes for 94 yards and a touchdown. Nick Kuntz caught five balls for 49 yards. Kyle Havercroft carried 21 times for 114 yards and a score. Clark ran 14 times for 69 yards and a touchdown.

Allan got the Pirates on the board first, early in the second quarter, when he took a screen pass and broke two tackles on the way to a 71-yard touchdown. His touchdown reception was his 13th of the season, tying the Whitworth school record for most TD receptions in one year. Doug Long set the record in 1976.

Havercroft lifted Whitworth to a 14-0 lead with a two-yard run on the Pirates' next possession.

Willamette's offense was bottled up most of the first half. The Bearcats had only three first downs until they took over on their own 25 with 2:52 to play in the half. But they scored a touchdown on a one yard carry by Brock with :28 to go before halftime, covering the 75 yards in 10 plays.

On Whitworth's first possession of the second half, Clark scrambled 17 yards for a touchdown to cap a 46 yard drive that was set up by Jay Tully's 45-yard kick off return. Whitworth led 21-7 at that point.

But Willamette tied the game on a 30-yard touchdown completion from Walton to Hernandez and a four-yard Hernandez sweep to pull into a 21-21 tie with 7:29 to play in the third quarter.

The Pirates responded with a 54-yard touchdown drive, set up by another long kick off return by Tully. Clark found Kyle Snell on an 11-yard fade to give the Pirates a 27-21 lead. But the extra point never got off the ground, and Wesley Randall returned the ball for a defensive two-point conversion to make the score 27-23.

Ryan Marshall had an interception and 9 tackles

Whitworth seemed to take control of the game early in the fourth quarter. The Pirates forced Willamette to punt and then drove 65 yards in ten plays to score on Ahsing's run. But the Pirates would not gain a first down on either of their final two possessions in overtime and Willamette staged its second comeback of the half to force overtime.

Greg Caster led the Pirate defense with 12 tackles, while Casey Clifton and Peter Clark each had two tackles for loss. Ryan Marshall intercepted his fourth pass of the season and had two other pass breakups.

Mike Reeves led Willamette's defense with 10 tackles. Mitch MacCready had two stops for loss. Gill forced a second half fumble in addition to his pass interception in overtime.