Occidental lost to Whitworth 27-23 in a hard-fought NCAA
Division III first-round playoff contest Saturday at the Pine Bowl
in Spokane, Wash. The Tigers, champions of the
Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference for the
third straight season, end their season at 9-1 overall.
Whitworth (9-0), the Northwest Conference champion, entered the
game ranked 14th in Division III in points allowed (10.0
per game) and held high-powered Occidental to a
season-low 273 yards of total offense. Momentum-changing
plays and missed opportunities on both sides in the second half
were pivotal to the outcome.
With 5:47 remaining in the third quarter, Matt Andersen '08
capped a ten-play, 88-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown scamper
to give Occidental a 23-20 lead.
James Leonard's tackle of Jay Tully on 4th and two
halted Whitworth's next drive but the Pirates sacked Andy
Collins on two consecutive plays and regained possession at their
own 23.
A Kyle Havercroft fumble at the Whitworth 24 gave Occidental
another chance to increase its lead but an eight-yard loss knocked
the Tigers back to the Whitworth 32 and a ten-yard holding penalty
erased a seven-yard pass to Andersen.
Pressure from the Pirates' Peter Clark led to an incompletion on
third down and Collins rushed six yards on 4th and 14
before a tackle by Nick Portrey at the Whitworth 22.
Anthony Ostland '08 intercepted Whitworth quarterback Joel Clark
at the Oxy 40 moments later and the Tiger defense held serve on the
next possession as well, stopping the Pirates on 3rd and
two at the Whitworth 39. But the Tiger offense went three
plays and out after both stops.
With 2:13 remaining, Whitworth mounted an eight-play, 64-yard
drive, highlighted by a 42-yard pass to Nick Koller to the Oxy four
yard line. The Tigers held on two-goal line attempts by
Havercroft before Clark completed a one-yard pitch to Drew Griggs
for the go-ahead touchdown.
Collins completed 27 of 37 attempts for 227 yards, including a
ten-yard touchdown pass to Jason Lehman '10 that cut the Whitworth
lead to 13-9 early in the second quarter. Jordan Inabnit '10
caught a 18-yard pass from Chris Washington on a trick play that
gave Occidental its first lead 16-13.
Thomas Joraanstad '07 put the Tigers on the board with a 33-yard
field goal midway through the first quarter.
Fifth-year senior TimTanous led the Oxy defense with nine
tackles, returning an interception 19 yards to set up the
touchdown to Inabnit. Ostland recorded 8 ½ stops while
Leonard collected seven. James Sabo '08, Robert Theofanis
'07, and Alex Wertheimer '10 combined for three sacks.
Whitworth advances to the second round for the first time
in its history and will host St. John's (Minn.) next
Saturday in Spokane.
