PUYALLUP, Wash. -- (From Nick Dawson, PLU SID) Whitworth controlled the ball, the game clock and Pacific Lutheran, defeating the host Lutes, 19-7, in a Northwest Conference football game played Saturday afternoon at Sparks Stadium.

Havercroft ran for 126 yards and two TDs

Whitworth improved its overall record to 5-0 - the second time since the 1960 season that the Pirates have opened a season with five straight wins - and also won their conference opener. Pacific Lutheran falls to 1-4 overall and 1-1 in the Northwest Conference with the defeat.

The Pirates’ offense had the ball for almost 44 of the game’s 60 minutes, and they ran a total of 89 plays to just 44 for the Lutes. While the final score didn't clearly show the dominance, the total yardage did as Whitworth rolled up 442 yards to just 200 for the Lutes. In addition, PLU turned the ball over five times, including four interceptions.

Whitworth scored the first 10 points of the game in the second quarter. They got on the board first on a four-yard run by Kyle Havercroft, which capped a 16-play, 62-yard drive. That score came at the 12:52 mark, and with just 25 seconds remaining in the half the Pirates added three points on a 37-yard field goal by Cam Collings.

Clifton led the Pirate defensive effort

At the half, Whitworth had out-gained Pacific Lutheran, 170-59, and had run 45 plays to just 22 for the Lutes.

The Pirates took a 13-0 lead at the 6:06 mark of the third period on a 23-yard field goal by Collings, which capped an 11-play, 59-yard drive.

It was at that point that the Lutes had their one great moment on offense. On their first play from the 29-yard line, quarterback Brett Gordon threw a lateral to second string quarterback Chris Maine, whose long pass down the middle found Craig Chiado for a 42-yard gain. Chiado out-jumped a pair of Whitworth defenders to catch the ball. On the next play, Chase Reed bounced off a Whitworth defender and raced around the left end for a 29-yard touchdown, that coming with 5:16 remaining in the third quarter.

As was the case throughout the game, however, the Lutes barely saw the ball after that, running just 11 more plays while the Pirates continued to control the ball and the clock with a running game. Only once, when the Lutes had a nine-play, 22-yard drive, did they have more than four plays in any one possession. Meanwhile, the Pirates had only two possessions in which they went three-and-out. They had drives of 16, 11 and 10 plays, and their five second half possessions never lasted less than seven plays and that one ended with Havercroft's game-clinching touchdown with 5:37 remaining in the game.

Havercroft carried the ball 30 times for 126 yards and the Pirates amassed 192 rushing yards on 58 attempts. Quarterback Joel Clark was an efficient 17-of-31 for 250 yards with two interceptions. His favorite target was 6-7 Michael Allan, who had eight catches for 145 yards.

For the Lutes, Reed had 48 yards on 12 carries and he added 38 receiving yards on four receptions. Gordon finished 10-of-27 for 99 yards with four interceptions.

Pacific Lutheran's defense had a stellar performance, limiting the Pirates to only 19 points despite spending almost three quarters of the game on the field. PLU linebacker Chad Blau had a huge game with 19 total tackles, including 12 solo, and Jon Hergert added 10 tackles. Robert Thomsen had eight tackles and two quarterback sacks.

Whitworth's Casey Clifton led the team with four tackles. He had one for loss and also forced Gordon into a drive-ending intentional grounding penalty. Four different Pirates came away with interceptions, they were Ryan Marshall (third of the year), Jay Tully (3rd), Phil Entel (2nd) and Justin Rundle (first of his career). Peter Clark came away with a fumble.

The Pirates will return home to host Lewis & Clark next Saturday. Whitworth will celebrate Homecoming 2006, along with Hall of Fame inductions and the 100 year football reunion. The game will kick off at 1:00 pm.