Box Score
TACOMA, Wash. – After allowing Puget Sound the first 17 points of the game Saturday, Pacific used big pass plays and big second half defense to score 44 unanswered points as the Boxers came back for a 44-17 win over Puget Sound in Northwest Conference football action at Baker Stadium.
The upset-minded Loggers (2-2, 1-1 NWC) allowed the Boxers just 107 yards of total offense in the first half and only 23 in the first quarter. The tide turned incredibly in the final 30 minutes, with the Boxers outgaining the Loggers 252-125. The Pacific defense held the Loggers to just 19 yards of offense in the third quarter and intercepted Puget Sound quarterbacks three times."
Head coach Keith Buckley challenged his team's leadership to change the tide against a Puget Sound team that, in his estimation, came in better prepared than his own. "I specifically challenged our team leaders to take charge both on the field and vocally. And they did," Buckley said. 'It was a wake-up call and hopefully we've learned and will continue to learn to play a full four-quarter game."
Buckley also gave credit to a greatly improved Puget Sound team that looked much different than the teams the Boxers have seen the last three years. "They came more ready to play in the first half than we did today," he said. "They have come a long ways. They proved the quality of football in the NWC."
For the game, Pacific (2-2, 2-0 NWC) outgained Puget Sound 359-297, with 214 yards coming in the air. Quarterback Warner Shaw (Jr., Waimea, Hawaii) completed 13 of 26 passes for 214 yards and a touchdown. He was also the Boxers' leading rusher, carrying 12 times for 70 yards and three touchdowns. Darin Kamealoha (Sr., Waipahu, Hawaii) caught three balls for 67 yards and a touchdown while Jakob Lawrence (Sr., Sherwood, Ore.) caught four balls for 65 yards.
Puget Sound quarterback Braden Foley completed 19 of 44 passes for 205 yards and a touchdown, but was sacked four times and picked off twice. Kevin Miller caught 13 balls for 94 yards while Nick Espinosa led the rushing game with 21 yards on seven carries.
Defensively, Jack Perez (Jr., Petaluma, Calif.) led the Boxers with nine tackles while Brandon Harms (Sr., Canby, Ore.) finished with seven tackles and seven pass break-ups. Trey Kodama (So., Pearl City, Hawaii) added seven solo tackles, one sack and two tackles for loss. Nassel Abdelrasul led Puget Sound with nine tackles.
After both teams saw their first drives falter, Puget Sound jumped on the board first after a block of Nathan Suyematsu's (Jr., Tualatin, Ore.) punt allowed the Loggers to start their next series on the Pacific 46-yard line. The Boxers' defense, however, ground a nine-play drive down with short gains and forced the Loggers to settle for a 36-yard Petre Sawyer field goal for the game's first score at the 4:12 mark of the first quarter.
The Loggers scored their first touchdown on their first next drive, with Foley finding Parker Brisebois for a five-yard scoring pass on fourth and goal. The play completed another nine-play drive and put Puget Sound ahead 10-0. After stopping another Pacific drive, Kevin Miller returned Suyematsu's punt 51 yards to set the Loggers up for their next score. Foley did the job himself, rushing in from 13 yards out to give the Loggers a 17-0 lead with 7:53 left in the first half.
That proved to be Puget Sound's last score as the Boxers buckled down over the final 36 minutes. After being forced three-and-out, the Boxers forced Puget Sound's Aidan Law to fumble the catch on the punt, which Pacific recovered at midfield. Nine plays later, Shaw rushed into the end zone, fumbled and recovered the ball to put his team on the board.
Brandon Harms' (Sr., Canby, Ore.) 34-yard return allowed the Boxers to begin their final series of the half on the Puget Sound 24-yard line. Shaw needed one play to find paydirt, connecting with Kamealoha for the 24-yard touchdown pass, which brought the Boxers within 17-14 at halftime.
Pacific's defense came alive in the second half, setting each of the Boxers' second half scoring drives at midfield or in Puget Sound territory. After forcing the Loggers three-and-out on their opening drive, a 15-yard punt set the offense up at midfield. The Boxers turned to the ground for much of the drive, which ended on Shaw's 12-yard scoring run that put Pacific ahead 20-17 midway through the third quarter.
Another three-and-out ended with a punt to midfield, Shaw found Kamealoha to a 36-yard line reception that set the Boxers up in the red zone again. A Puget Sound defensive stand made the Boxers settle for the field goal as T.J. Fitzsimmons (Fr., Waialua, Hawaii) scored his first collegiate points with a 30-yard field goal that put the Boxers up 23-17 with 3:57 left in the third quarter.
The Loggers were two plays into their next drive when Chase Rogers (Sr., Lahiana, Hawaii) had the first of Pacific's three interceptions, returning the ball back to the Puget Sound 25-yard line. Shaw ran it the rest of the way on the next play, while Ian Escutia (Fr., Palos Verdes, Calif.) found Jack Michels (Jr., Kirkland, Wash.) for the two-point conversion that opened up a 31-17 Pacific lead entering the fourth quarter.
Puget Sound got into the red zone twice in the fourth quarter, only to turn the ball over on downs each time. The Loggers' third drive of the quarter ended on downs at midfield, and Shaw immediately found Jordan Fukumoto (Sr., Mililani, Hawaii) for a 39-yard reception that set the Boxers' up at the Loggers' 10-yard line. Bobby Ladiges (Jr., Escalon, Calif.) rushed in from 11 yards out three plays later to make it a 37-17 game with 4:20 left.
Jaquari People (Jr., Merced, Calif.) put the punctuation point on Pacific's comeback on the Loggers' next play from scrimmage, intercepting Foley and running back 29 yards for the touchdown and the 44-17 lead. Puget Sound worked quickly to get to the Pacific 29-yard line with three minutes left, but Shahin Marzband (Jr., Hayward, Calif.) closed the game with the Boxers' third interception of the game.
Pacific returns home next weekend to host the other Tacoma team. The Boxers welcome nationally-ranked Pacific Lutheran on Saturday at 1 p.m. Live audio and video webcasts will be available at GoBoxers.com.
Boxers Use Passing, Defense For Come From Behind Victory
/seasons/2014/boxscores/20141011_n144.xml
2014
Pacific
44
Puget Sound
17
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific (2-2) | 0 | 14 | 17 | 13 | 44 |
| Puget Sound (2-2) | 3 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
Oct 11, 2014