PUYALLUP, Wash. — Emmett Holt scored his second touchdown of the season but the Pacific Lutheran University football team learned the hard way why Trinity University (Texas) is the nation's 23rd ranked team, falling 45-8 to the Tigers in the non-conference finale on Saturday at Sparks Stadium. 

"Hats off to Trinity. They traveled 2,000 plus miles and performed at a very high level," said Head Coach Brant McAdams.
 
"We have to live in our fundamentals against top opponents. We got outside of ourselves in too many alignments, assignments, and decision making."
 
Trinity (3-0) scored on the game's opening drive, marching 70-yards on eight plays, doing most of the damage through the air, including a six yard touchdown reception from Lamont Nickleberry.

The Tigers made it 10-0 later in the first quarter after Hayden Rhoades booted a 48-yard field goal with 11:44 left. Trinity opened things up in the second quarter, scoring three touchdowns, including two off Lute turnovers, taking a 31-0 lead into the locker room at half.

The Lutes (1-2) got on the board with 5:51 left in the third quarter with Holt tapping his foot in the back of the endzone for a four-yard completion from Darius Chaffin, capping off a 73-yard, nine play drive. It was a drive that had big catches from both Dayton Savea and Jase Ellamar, getting receptions of 22 and 27-yards, respectively.  
 
PLU kept the Tigers out of the endzone in the fourth but was unable to bite into the Tiger advantage.


Savea was the top receiver on Saturday, catching four passes for 62 yards. Quarterback Darius Chaffin threw for 141 yards and a score.
 
Eli Fernandez, Will Frank, and Avery Coleman led the defensive charge, all three collecting 10 total tackles. Frank, Coleman, and Zachary Gable all had sacks while Fernandez had the Lutes' lone interception. Ryan Dikover had four punts on the day, netting 163 total yards and averaging 40.8 yards per boot. 
 
"The bye week will be a time to hammer the fundamentals, fire up the competition across the depth chart, and do a serious gut check going into conference play."

The Lutes take the rest of the month off before opening Northwest Conference play on Oct. 4, welcoming Willamette University to Sparks Stadium for the annual Homecoming game.