ST. PAUL, Minn. - Senior quarterback Jordan Rasmussen threw four
touchdown passes, including the game winner in the third quarter,
to lead Pacific Lutheran to a season-opening 27-20 football win
over the host Hamline Pipers on Saturday afternoon at Klas
Field.
Rasmussen connected with Kyle Whitford on a 9-yard scoring
strike with 8:01 remaining in the third quarter for what proved to
be the winning touchdown. The score broke a 20-20 halftime tie, and
from there the PLU defense managed to hold off several fourth
quarter drives by the Pipers.
Trailing 27-20, Hamline drove 69 yards in 13 plays only to miss
a 38-yard field goal. Later in the final quarter, the Pipers
started a drive at their own 42-yard line. They marched down the
field with Blake Cook carrying nine times, including seven in a
row, and got to the 2-yard line where a fourth-down pass fell
incomplete. The 15-play drive took 7:34 off the clock, but the
Lutes got the ball and were able to run off the final nine
second to secure the victory.
Rasmussen hooked up with Isaac Moog for the game's first score,
converting a four-down play with a 27-yard scoring pass. Hamline
tied it at 7-7 on a 2-yard run capping a 66-yard,
11-play drive, and then took the lead with a quick-strike
53-yad pass from Adam Meyer to Tim Queck following a blocked
punt.
The Lutes sandwiched a pair of Rasmussen-to-Greg Ford scoring
aerials around a pair of Hamline field goals. First, Rasmussen
connected with Ford on a 35-yard touchdown, capping a 74-yard
drive, to make the score 14-14 with 12:39 left. After John Broback
knocked through 25- and 42-yard field goals for the Pipers, Ford
caught a 56-yard touchdown pass from Rasmussen to make the score
20-20 at the intermission. The last scored came at the end of a
four-play, 91-yard drive.
At the half, the Lutes had out-gained the Pipers, 280-238 in
total yards. The second half, however, was much more of a defensive
battle as the Lutes finished the game with 383 yards on 51 total
plays compared to 365 yards on 88 plays for the hosts. Hamline
dominated time of possession, nearly 38 minutes to just 22 for the
Lutes.
Rasmussen finished 19-for-29 for 278 yards with the four
touchdowns and one interception. Ford caught 10 balls for 152 yards
and Moog added four receptions for 89 yards. Alec Simmons paced the
running attack with 65 net yards on nine carries.
Defensively, linebacker Richard Isett finished with 13 tackles,
followed by defensive lineman Mychael Tuiasosopo with 12, and
safeties Sean McFadden and Jordan Davison with 11 and 10,
respectively. Both Tuiasosopo and McFadden are freshmen. Trevor Fox
and Davison both had interceptions for the Lutes.
Meyer was effective through the air for the Pipers, going
21-for-38 for 232 with one touchdown and the two picks. Alex House
had seven receptions for 73 yards and Queck finished with six grabs
for 99 yards. Rhmondo Rodriguez toted the football a total of 30
times for 94 net yards. Hamline had a total of 50 rushes for 133
net yards and an average of 2.7 yards per carry.
Pacific Lutheran returns to action at 12:30 p.m. next Saturday
at Puyallup's Sparks Stadium when it hosts California Lutheran
in the home opener.
- PLU -
