SALEM, ORE. -- Willamette University senior running back Dylan Jones (Santa Maria, CA/Ernest Righetti HS) kept running and running and running on Saturday, Oct. 11 in the Bearcats' game at Whitworth University. He carried the ball 30 times and gained a Willamette school record 350 yards. His outstanding performance earned him a spot on the D3football.com Team of the Week.
Jones scored against the Pirates on a runs of 67, 75, and 4 yards. He also had carries of 43, 32, 26 and 10 yards for the Bearcats. He gained an impressive 200 yards on 10 carries in the first half, before rushing for another 150 yards on 20 carries in the second half.
He recorded the game's first touchdown on his 67-yard run with 12:45 left in the opening quarter. His achieved his second touchdown -- the 75-yard run -- with 11:36 remaining in the second quarter to tie the score at 28-28. His third touchdown, from 4 yards out, was earned with with 14:30 left in the game and pulled the Bearcats within 47-45.
Despite Jones' excellent running, the Bearcats lost the game to Whitworth, 61-45. Willamette moved to 3-1 on the season, 1-1 in the NWC, while Whitworth improved to 4-2, 2-1 in the NWC.
Jones has rushed for 776 yards this season on 110 carries, an average of 5.3 yards per attempt. He has gained more than 100 rushing yards in fall four games this year. He leads NCAA Division III in rushing yards per game with 194.0 yards per contest.
He also ranks sixth in Division III in scoring with 13.5 points per game. He has earned nine rushing touchdowns for the Bearcats this year.
Jones, in his fourth season with the Bearcats, has rushed for 2,034 yards on 357 carries in his career. He has scored 25 rushing touchdowns, plus two touchdowns on pass receptions, for a total of 162 points. He has rushed for over 100 yards in eight games during his career.
The Bearcats will return to action on Saturday, Oct. 18 when they will host Lewis & Clark College in NWC action. Kickoff at McCulloch Stadium is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. (PDT).
Dylan Jones rushed for 350 yards on 30 carries against Whitworth. He set Willamette's single game rushing record. (Photo courtesy d3photography.com)