TACOMA, Wash. - The Pacific Lutheran University football team heads to southern California on Saturday, closing out its brief non-conference slate against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges. 

The Lutes (1-0) head to the Golden State with a win already under their belt after outlasting California Lutheran University 17-10 last Saturday at Sparks Stadium. It was a game the Lutes relied heavily on its defense that generated four Kingsmen turnovers.

Max Larson was among the standouts on Saturday, finishing with five tackles and 1.5 sacks, including a sack-fumble early in the first quarter that set up PLU's first touchdown of the afternoon.

"Honestly it was good coaching," said Larson. "I know my interior guys like Oscar Cantu and Mykah Tuiolemotu are holding their gaps so it's pretty easy for me to come off the edge after reading the play. Trey Henderson, our defensive line coach, has really grilled us on where our eyes go and reading the offensive line which is a huge difference, being able to identify the play."

"The energy is so good, everyone is feeding off each other. If one person makes a tackle, eight other guys are right there. Everyone has bought in and goes back to our offseason of being on the field and in the weight room together."

A junior kinesiology major, Larson made the most of the offseason after finishing the 2018 campaign with 22 tackles and four TFLs.

"I was consistently in the weight room. I've always been good about going and going often, but this summer, the biggest thing was I stayed (around campus) and had all my boys here this year. So that was a huge difference for building more comradery. We consistently got on the field as a unit. A lot of 7-on-7s. We did position work before playing and each unit got closer as a result."

While the veterans bonded over the summer, they faced a Herculean task of meshing with a large incoming class of first-year players once fall camp began. 

"We have 57 freshman, that's a huge number. There was a large group from Hawaii which kind of worked to our advantage because a lot of them knew each other already and a lot of them knew the older Hawaiians on the team so we kind of used that as a bridge and was able to connect quickly. We went to breakaway and got to know each other and became one team."

For Larson, the lessons learned in his Kinesiology classes at PLU can be immediately put to practice. 

"Being a student-athlete, it's an advantage having this major. The things I learn in the classroom I immediately apply in the weight room and on the field."

When not in the classroom or on the gridiron, Larson can be frequently seen on the riding mower as a student worker for facilities management. He's one of several Lute football players that work on the grounds crew. 

"It was super fun, especially during the spring. We'd work out on the field at 6 in the morning and then after that we'd throw on our work boots and go to work for a few hours and then classes together. It's fun because you get the extra time together." 

As the Lutes gear up to face Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, the defending Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Champions, Larson and the rest of the defensive unit looks to capitalize on its speed and tenacity to head into the bye week undefeated. 

"Our huge advantage as you got to see last week was our speed. We don't have a lot of size but we're quick to the ball and we're all going to be there and that's what makes us so effective. Claremont has some big guys but we like playing physical so it should be a good matchup."

Sept. 21: PLU vs. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps in Claremont, Calif. (1 p.m.)
 
Series History: This is just the second all-time meeting between the Lutes and Stags. The team's previously met in the Lutes' home opener last year on Sept. 15 with PLU coming away with the 10-7 win after a CMS 48-yard field goal sailed short as time expired. 
 
About the Stags: Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (1-1) was on the road for the first two weeks of the season, dropping a 21-7 heartbreaker to University of Puget Sound before pounding University of Northwestern 30-7 last Saturday in Minnesota.
 
The Stags led the Loggers 17-14 in the season opener but the host Puget Sound scored a touchdown late in the third quarter and used a lengthy drive in the fourth to salt away the clock and earn the win. Against Northwestern, the Stags scored three touchdowns in the first quarter and kept the host Eagles off the scoreboard until the final three minutes of the game. 
 
Zach Fogel has completed 62.2 percent of his passes for 354 yards and two touchdowns while on the ground Garrett Cheadle has 118 rushing yards and two scores.