McMINNVILLE, Ore. – No. 2 Linfield took sole possession of first place in the Northwest Conference football race Saturday afternoon, drubbing 25th-ranked Whitworth 52-10 at sunny Maxwell Field. Spencer Payne weaved his way for 127 yards rushing and added another 93 yards receiving for the unbeaten Wildcats. Quarterback Sam Riddle had five touchdown passes among his 12 completions.
On Saturday, a week after Linfield clinched its record-extending 60th consecutive winning season, the Wildcats took the inside track to their 31st outright NWC crown during that span; they have also shared seven titles in that time.
"We're not really into making statements, but I liked how we played," Linfield head coach Joseph Smith said. "The score probably reflected where we are as a team. We're a good football team and today we hit on all three phases. Any time we play well in all three phases, we're very explosive."
Even with three games remaining, Hoff said the 'Cats did approach Saturday as a de-facto NWC title game.
"One hundred percent," said Hoff. "We knew they were standing in the way of an awesome opportunity to have a lot of home playoff games and just that standing in our way is all the motivation we need as a team."
Added Payne: "We prepare for every game like it's the conference championship game. The day we take it for granted, that's the day we slip up. We just come out here ready to improve each week, and that's our goal every time."
Against a Whitworth defense that began the afternoon allowing an average of 11 points and 298 yards per game, the Wildcats rolled up 587 yards of total offense. Linfield's defense, meanwhile limited Whitworth to 133 yards of offense and a 2-for-17 mark on third-down conversions. The Wildcats recorded eight quarterback sacks.
Hoff contributed his usual quarterback sack, but also managed a touchdown catch and a blocked punt.
Payne, a junior running back, carried 12 times for his 127 yards, averaging 10.6 yards per carry. He had four catches for his 93 yards, including a 52-yard scoring pass from Riddle.
"It was so much fun," Payne said. "It's always fun to be out here with my good friends and teammates, my brothers. I have to give it up to our offense and defense as a whole – we had everything clicking today. I just felt right, the energy was right. We came in ready. It was a fun game to be a part of."
Riddle, a junior quarterback, finished 12-for-21 passing for 233 yards and those five scores. He also ran 10 times for 73 yards and a touchdown.
Linfield broke the game open with a 21-point second quarter, taking a 28-3 lead into halftime. In the decisive period, the Wildcats rolled up touchdowns on three successive drives; those came during a stretch when Whitworth was forced to punt on its last six possessions of the half, and the Pirates failed to gain a first down on four of those possessions.
By halftime, the Wildcats had a 283-69 edge in total yardage and Payne had run for 91 yards and caught passes for another 81. At that point, Whitworth had 5 yards rushing and was 0-for-8 on third-down conversions.
Linfield had gone in front 7-3 by the end of the first quarter, with Riddle taking the ball over the right side and cutting back inside for seven yards and a touchdown at the 5:19 mark of the period. That wrapped up a four-play, 52-yard drive keyed by Payne's 40-yard dash off right tackle to the Whitworth 12-yard line. Those were the first points allowed by Whitworth in the opening quarter this season.
The Wildcats' next drive came up empty and a bad snap on the punt put Whitworth in business at the Linfield 38. Three plays and a penalty lost 17 yards to end the threat, and from that point the Wildcats took control.
First was a 5-play, 80-yard drive concluding with Riddle's 52-yard pass to Payne, who had streaked past a Pirate defender down the right sideline. That made it 14-3 with 6:41 left in the quarter.
After another punt, the Wildcats marched 62 yards in 10 plays with Riddle covering 42 of those on a quarterback draw to the Pirate 18. On fourth-and-goal from the 2, Riddle found Hoff – who has blocked as a tight end from time to time this season – in the right side of the end zone. Hoff leaped and outfought a Whitworth back for the ball and his first career touchdown, giving Linfield a 21-3 lead 6:41 before halftime.
Hoff said it was the first time he'd been the primary receiver going into a play.
"That was the first one. Coach Smith had been saying the last couple weeks, 'We're going to get it to you,'" said Hoff, who enjoys his turns on the offensive side of the ball. "I always get excited about that. Going out and making plays is what I like to do, and I only have so much time left here. It was great to go up and make the catch, and maybe I'll get the call again."
Whitworth's next punt was blocked by Hoff, setting Linfield up at the Pirates 10. From there, it took three plays to score, Riddle connecting with an open Levi Altringer in the middle of the end zone for a 28-3 Wildcat advantage.
After halftime, Linfield extended its lead to 35-3 on Riddle's 22-yard pass to Brian Balsiger in the middle of the end zone. That wrapped up a 90-yard, 10-play drive with 9:49 left in the period.
Whitworth ended the run of Linfield points with 2:58 remaining in the quarter, Duke DeGaetano running it in from the Wildcat 3 to make it 35-10. The Pirates went 80 yards in 16 plays, aided by a roughing-the-passer penalty against Linfield.
Linfield answered on its next drive, taking just four plays to go 72 yards. The touchdown came on Riddle's 30-yard pass to Altringer with 1:26 left in the third period to put Linfield up 42-10.
The Wildcats added a 29-yard field goal by Michael Metter early in the fourth quarter that upped the advantage to 45-10. Backup quarterback Tom Knecht hooked up with wide receiver Zach Kuzens on a 63-yard pass over the middle to key the drive.
Whitworth had nabbed its only lead of the game on the opening drive, going 45 yards in eight plays to set up Rehn Reiley's 45-yard field goal. Linfield answered with a 70-yard drive to the Pirate 5 before a fumble short-circuited the scoring opportunity.
For the Pirates, sophomore quarterback Ian Kolste completed 21 of 33 passes for 140 yards. DeGaetano, a junior, led Whitworth ballcarriers with 17 yards.
'CAT SCRATCH: Linfield's series vs. Whitworth dates back to 1952, when the teams played to a 13-13 tie in McMinnville. Linfield now leads the all-time series 34-5-2; Linfield has a 18-1-2 record against Whitworth in McMinnville and a 16-4 record in Spokane … Linfield has won the last eight meetings, including 65-13 last season in McMinnville; Whitworth's last win was in 2007 by a 10-6 score in Spokane, and the Pirates' last win in McMinnville was in 2006 by a 17-13 score … Linfield's widest margin was 61-0 in 1966 in McMinnville; the Wildcats' widest margin in Spokane was 35 points, 49-14 in 1982. Whitworth's widest margin was 34 points, 41-7 in 1954 in Spokane; the Pirates' widest margin in McMinnville was four points, 17-13 in 2006.