TACOMA, Wash. - The Pacific Lutheran University football team is headed to cross town rival University of Puget Sound this Saturday, gearing up for the 93rd all-time meeting between the Tacoma and Northwest Conference rivals.
The Lutes competed with George Fox University last Saturday going into the half tied at 14, but the Bruins outperformed the Lutes in the second half resulting in a 37-14 setback.
The running back for the Lutes,
Cody Brown, had a great game carrying the offense with 127 yards on 16 carries and a touchdown. His 82 yard touchdown came in the first quarter that evened the score at 7-7.
"It was perfectly blocked by the offense line which made it really easy. At that point it was just about outrunning the defense," said Brown. "We really tried to establish the run early, but some mistakes later in the game caused us to shy away from the game plan and start passing more."
The junior from Portland, Oregon came into this season well prepared for his opportunity to go out and perform.
"I did a lot of lifting and speed agility work this summer with some trainers back home. My biggest goal at this point is to get our team back in the win column and to have us play a complete four quarter game."
The Lutes who are now 1-3 on the season (0-1 NWC), but continue to stay positive and love the game they play.
"It's football. The ball doesn't always bounce the way you hope for it to bounce, but we always have fun playing football and that's why I am here, football and school. It's the greatest game in the world and that's why I play." Said Brown.
Brown is studying business management and he explains the "Why PLU?".
"I picked PLU for the great academics and it's a great business school. Those combined with the opportunity to play football at a high level, with great teammates were very important. After college I am thinking about going back to Portland and working for my dad's home building company."
Now almost half way through the season and five games remaining, Brown and the Lutes are excited about what is to come.
"We just want to get our team back winning again. We got to take it one game at a time. Like I said earlier, we are really close, but we still need to figure out how to play a full four quarter game to the best of our ability by limiting the mistakes. It's the little things."
The next matchup for the Lutes football team is the Loggers. A long time cross town rivalry matchup for the Lutes. Last year they fell short in overtime to the University of Puget Sound. Now looking forward to their travel to the north end of Tacoma where they can get redemption against the Loggers and bring back home the rivalry trophy.
"I'm excited to play against the fast and athletic UPS defense. I also love playing at their stadium where they bring a lot of fans out. It creates a great atmosphere to go out and compete and play college football."
Oct. 19: PLU vs. Puget Sound at Baker Stadium in Tacoma, Washington (1 p.m.)
Series History: The Lutes and Loggers have met 93 times since the rivalry began in 1931 with Puget Sound holding a slim 46-42-5 edge in the all-time series. PLU has won 11 of the last 13 in the series with Puget Sound getting the upper hand last season, prevailing 28-21 in overtime.
About the Loggers: Puget Sound (3-2, 1-1 NWC) opened Northwest Conference play with a 24-23 overtime win over George Fox before getting overmatched 77-22 last weekend on the road against nationally-ranked Linfield College.
The Loggers' top offensive weapon is wide receiver A.J. Johnson who is the NCAA All-Division leader in receptions per game this season, hauling in 12.2 catches per game. Murdock Rutledge is the team's passing leader with 880 yards through the air with seven touchdowns and eight interceptions while Silas Washington powers the ground attack with 154 yards through the opening five games with a trio of scores.
