Whitworth Football’s home opener on the afternoon of Military Appreciation Day was the definition of a slow yet successful fall, much like the pregame parachute jump. Once the American flag left the field and the kickoff was completed, the Pirates went to swift work against the Eastern Oregon Mountaineers.
The first half was full of high-octane offensive drives for Whitworth, with four touchdown drives back-to-back and a single field goal to end the half. Whitworth’s offense put up 444 yards on offense by the end of regulation. There were 211 passing yards and three passing touchdowns from Quarterback Ryan Blair (3), accompanied by an impressive ground performance by Luis Salgado (20), putting up 150 of Whitworth’s 166 rushing yards and a touchdown.
But don’t let the offensive stats fool you – the highlight of this game truly was the Whitworth defense. They shut out Eastern Oregon’s offense in the first half, with Daniel McKeirnan (22) pulling off a fumble recovery on Eastern Oregon’s second drive and an interception to seal the game. When Whitworth’s offense floundered in the second half, the defense held strong. Despite the attempted comeback, the Pirates held the Eastern Oregon University (EOU) offense to a two-possession game by the end of regulation with a final score of 31-19 Whitworth.
Just like the offense, the crowd itself faded after the first-half high of an EOU shutout. A once bellowing crowd was plunged into a fateful silence nearing the end of the game. The only break from the silence was small cheers from the Eastern Oregon travelers. Thankfully, the win by the Pirates was met with thunderous applause and a myriad of parents and students traveling down the stands onto the field to celebrate with the 2-0 Whitworth Pirates.
Despite the win. Head Coach Rodney Sandberg was not pleased with the team’s performance, stating postgame, “We lost focus, we sabotaged ourselves in the second half, and that’s not Whitworth football.” When asked what lessons needed to be learned after the game, Sandberg responded, “Stay hungry, learn how to handle success and finish. We have to finish.”
Whitworth faces Chapman next at the Pine Bowl, a rematch of last year’s first round of the NCAA DIII Playoffs. Both teams will walk in undefeated: Whitworth up 2-0 and Chapman up 1-0.
