Willamette Shocks No. 12 Linfield on Last Second Field Goal

The game featured five lead changes, including three in the decisive fourth quarter.

Photo courtesy: Linfield Athletics

SALEM, Ore. - Willamette kicker Matt Biccoca nailed a 42-yard field goal in the closing seconds, sealing a nail-biting, back-and-forth 33-32 Northwest Conference victory over Linfield Saturday afternoon at McCulloch Stadium.

The underdog Bearcats (2-3, 1-0 NWC) beat the 12th-ranked Wildcats for the first time in eight seasons, rallying from a 19-point first-half deficit.

The game featured five lead changes, including three in the decisive fourth quarter.

Minutes before Biccoca’s clinching kick, Linfield appeared to have kicked its own game-winning field goal.

Scott Birkhofer split the uprights with a 31-yarder with less than three minutes to play, giving the Wildcats a precarious 32-30 advantage.

Linfield quarterback Trevor Scharer passed for 350 yards and four touchdowns, including two to speedy wideout Travis Masters, but the Wildcats were their own worst enemy in the second half, coughing up up two fumbles and an interception.

Led by Scharer’s three touchdown passes, Linfield bolted to a 19-0 lead in the first 16 minutes.

Andrew Bean recovered a fumble at the Bearcats’ 40-yard line set up a 43-yard TD strike from Scharer to Travis Masters.

The extra point by Birkhofer made it 7-0 with 9:23 left in the first quarter.

Following a short punt, Scharer threw for his second long score, this time a 43-yarder by Tyler Kaluza with 3:07 remaining in the period. Birkhofer’s PAT was no good and Linfield led 13-0.

Masters and Scharer hooked up on an 80-yard score on the first play of the second quarter.

The PAT failed, leaving the visitors in front 19-0.

The Bearcats awoke to score the next 20 points.

C.J. Washington plunged into the end zone on a 2-yard blast off tackle five minutes into the quarter, and backup quarterback Ryan Whitcomb broke loose for a 65-yard touchdown romp less than three minutes later.

Willamette’s defense tightened, holding Linfield on fourth down, and on the next play, Grant Leslie passed 64 yards to Merben Woo for a 20-19 Bearcats lead.

With time ticking down in the half, Scharer marched the Wildcats 54 yards to the Bearcats 21, setting up Birkhofer’s 38-yard field goal as time expired.

Linfield played turnover-free in the first half and outgained Willamette in total yards, 261-132, but led by only two points at intermission, 22-20.

The Wildcats’ opening two drives of the third quarter both ended in turnovers, including a fumble by Drew Ragan near the goal line that erased a nifty 45-yard kickoff return by Pete Cruickshank to begin the half.

With Willamette driving into Linfield territory and the momentum on the Bearcats’ side, Leslie threw a costly interception to Keone Tawata, who returned the ball to the WU 39.

Leslie, the Bearcats’ starting quarterback, then had to be helped off the field after an apparent knee injury halted the game for more than five minutes.

Moments later, Cruickshank plowed through a pile of Bearcat defenders for a 14-yard TD.

The extra point extended the Wildcats’ cushion to 29-20.

Willamette scored the game’s next 10 points, first on a 25-yard field goal by Bicocca with just under four minutes left in the third quarter, then on a 1-yard run by Washington with 13:23 to go that put the Bearcats narrowly in front, 30-29.

Scharer moved Linfield into field-goal range as the clock ticked under three minutes, setting up a go-ahead 31-yard field goal by Birkhofer.

That left sufficient time for Whitcomb to march the Bearcats down the field and into Bicocca’s range, advancing 39 yards in seven plays to the Wildcats’ 25.

Whitcomb carried five times on the drive and completed a key 27-yard pass to Drew Shepherd on fourth-and-5.

Linfield outgained Willamette 406-391 but the Bearcats had one fewer turnover and controlled the ball for 36 minutes.

They also converted three fourth-down plays, including the back-breaker by Shepherd on the final drive.

Josh Vierra finished with eight catches for 83 yards for the Wildcats. Masters had three grabs for 128 yards.

Whitcomb was the game’s leading rusher with 127 yards on 23 carries.

COMING UP

Linfield hosts Puget Sound (2-2, 0-1 NWC) Saturday at Maxwell Field in the annual Family Weekend game.

Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m. Willamette is idle until Oct. 13 when the Bearcats visit Puget Sound.

Source: Linfield Atheltics

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