REDDING, Calif. — Darius Chaffin tossed four touchdowns, including a 94-yard strike to Thor Stepina on the first play from scrimmage as the Pacific Lutheran University football team dismantled host Simpson University 43-0 on Saturday night inside Bill Johnson Community Stadium.

It was an inauspicious start for the Lutes (1-0), starting the game on the one-yard line. An offside call against the Red Hawks (0-2) gave PLU some breathing room before Chaffin hit Stepina for a 94-yard touchdown to set the tone for the night.

Kyson Young blocked a Simpson field goal the ensuing drive, setting up the offense at their own 43-yard line. PLU needed just five plays to find the endzone with Chaffin hitting Jase Ellamar on a 17-yard pass and Steele Swinton on a 32-yard pass before Jacob Schuh rumbled in from two yards out to make it 13-0.

Chaffin hit Jacob Schuh with 13:23 left in the second quarter, putting the Lutes up 20-0 to cap off a four-play, 52-yard drive. Later in the quarter, Chaffin hit two-way threat Sam Morasch for a 12-yard touchdown strike, taking a 27-0 advantage into the halftime break.

Stepina tallied his second touchdown of the day midway through the third quarter scoring from 22-yards out off a Chaffin pass to put an exclamation point on a seven-play, 77-yard drive.

Kalen Davis-White recorded a safety with 50 seconds left in the third to push the PLU edge to 36-0 before Swinton hauled in a 34-yard touchdown strike with four minutes left in the fourth for the final score of the night.  

Chaffin connected on his first nine passes of the night, finishing the night 21-for-24 with 340 yards and four touchdowns. Stepina led the receiving corps with 116 yards and two scores while Swinton had three receptions for 76 yards. Jase Ellamar was the most popular target with a team-high five receptions. ON the ground, Schuh tallied 48 yards, averaging 4.8 yards per touch.

Sam Morasch did a bit of everything, scoring on offense while also getting an interception and four tackles. Davis-White led the defense. In addition to the safety, the senior had nine tackles and three TFLs while Layne DePeralta and Cole Becker had seven tackles.

"Proud of how our guys responded to the game situations we found ourselves in. Simpson did some good things and got after us and our guys kept bouncing back," said Head Coach Brant McAdams.

"Winning on the road is always tough and our guys traveled well and kept a business mindset throughout the trip. We executed some things really well and there is also plenty to learn from on film so we're back at it this week for the home opener versus a good Concordia team."

PLU was simply dominant, rolling up 478 yards of total offense while limiting Simpson to just 269 yards, including a paltry 1.9 yards per rush on the ground. It was the Lutes' largest win since thumping Willamette University 62-7 in week three of the Northwest Conference season last fall and the program's first shutout win since victimizing the Bearcats 53-0 back on Oct, 29, 2022.

The Lutes open their home slate next Saturday, facing Concordia University Moorhead at Sparks Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.

To follow Lutes coverage all season long, please follow us on social media; PLU Athletics on Facebook, @GoLutes on X.com and Instagram.