SPOKANE, Wash. – Trailing 17-0 late in the first half, the Pacific Lutheran University football team rallied to eventually tie the score at 17 in the fourth quarter, but simply ran out of steam at Whitworth University on Saturday, and succumbed to the Pirates 31-17. 
 
"I'm incredibly proud to coach this group of players," said PLU Head Coach Brant McAdams.  "With everything they processed emotionally this week, they came out and played their tails off on the road versus a good opponent."
 
With just 27 seconds left in the first half and already up by three scores, the home team tried to get greedy with the ball on their own 33-yard line.  The Lute defense was up for the challenge and produced one of their six turnovers on the afternoon to setup PLU's first touchdown.  After an incomplete pass on first down, Nasier Ford sacked the Pirate signal caller and forced and recovered a fumble at the Whitworth 23-yard line.  On the very next play, Erik Bainter hooked up with John Walker for a touchdown strike with just one second left on the clock. 
 
On the Lutes second drive of the second half, they marched on a 12-play drive, that featured just two passes, one of which was the final play, a 28-yard touchdown pass from Bainter to Walker.  The PLU possession ate up almost seven minutes of game clock. 
 
The visitors parlayed their momentum into an interception on Whitworth's first play of the ensuing drive by Cheyn Tam-Switzer and the Lutes took over at the Pirate 45.  The offense slowly moved down to the Whitworth 28 to set the stage for a Peiyton Hilliard 45-yard field goal, the longest by a PLU kicker since 2010, that knotted the score. 
 
Unfortunately for the Lutes, the Pirates reached paydirt on their next two possessions and the PLU offense was unable to enter enemy territory. 
 
"Our defense played lights out in the first half and then our offense got the ball moving in the second half," said McAdams.  "We dominated the time of possession, we just need to finish drives in the red zone and come away with points."
 
The Lutes held the ball for an incredible 45:26 of the contest and chewed up 184 rushing yards on 47 attempts.  Bainter ran for 108 on 17 carries, but Malik White was held to just 32 on 18 totes.  Walker led the receiver corps with two catches, both touchdowns, and 51 yards.  Bainter was 9-for-28 for 93 yards passing. 
 
Defensively, Tam-Switzter and Michael Gurr both led the team with seven tackles each and the duo also had two interceptions apiece.  Ford and Ashton Barton both recorded a sack, while Ford and Jared Elwin forced fumbles. 
 
"We are still working towards a game where we put three phases of football together for four quarters," said McAdams.  "We'll take another step in that direction on Monday."
 
The Lutes will look to even their record next Saturday and spring the upset of No. 7 Linfield University at Sparks Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 1:00 p.m.