PORTLAND, Ore.—Lewis & Clark College football continued their steady rise in both National Polls, after improving to 5-0 with a 28-20 win over rival Willamette University on Saturday.
The Pioneers, who improved to 5-0 for just the seventh time in program history, received 17+ points in both polls for the first time this season. Lewis & Clark earned votes in the D3football.com Top-25 Poll for the fifth-straight week. They jumped from 15 points to 17 points - to set a new program-record high in the D3football.com Top-25 Poll for a third-straight week. Football doubled their points in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Poll from 12 to 24. Lewis & Clark is the fifth-ranked team outside the top-25 in the D3football.com Poll and sits sixth outside the top-25 in the AFCA Poll.
Football secured the Wagon Wheel for an eighth-straight year with a win over Willamette in Salem. Sophomore quarterback
Dashiell Weaver ran for one touchdown and threw for three more to help Lewis & Clark jump out to a 21-0 lead midway through the third quarter. The hosts cut the deficit to 28-20 with just over five minutes to play but Lewis & Clark blocked the PAT and then ran out the clock with a 10-play, 40-yard drive. Seniors
Garrett Lee (eight catches for 87 yards) and
Dez Holton (four catches, 26 yards, two touchdowns) combined for three touchdown catches in the win. Senior linebacker
Daryl Scott racked up a career-high 13 tackles, 2.5 tackles-for-loss and 1.5 sacks. Junior defense end
JT Chavez chipped in seven stops, two tackles-for-loss and 1.5 sacks.
The Pioneers are 5-0 for the first time since 2011 and second time since 1963. The program has only started the year 6-0 on five occasions (1948, 50, 56, 63 and 2011). Lewis & Clark is one of 16 undefeated teams left in NCAA DIII and one of just two on the West Coast (Cal Lutheran University).
Lewis & Clark has multiple players who rank in the top-25 in NCAA DIII. Weaver sits third in the country with his 126 points and 25.2 points per game. He also sits sixth in passing touchdowns (18), 10
th in passing efficiency (187.2), 12
th in completion percentage (71.0). Senior defensive lineman
Jack Warren ranks tied for third with two blocked kicks (one FG, one PAT). Junior safety
Charlie Murrin sits tied for sixth with two fumble recoveries. Chavez sits 12
th with his 1.10 sacks per game (5.5 total).
The Pioneers will travel to Newberg on Saturday for a Northwest Conference matchup against George Fox University at 1 p.m. In their first meeting this year, Lewis & Clark defeated the Bruins 38-10 in Portland. With the win, the Pioneers secured a spot in the Oregon Cup Finals next Fall.
