Salem, OR - For the second home game in a row Willamette Football needed a drive to pull out a victory, this time scoring a touchdown and adding a two-point conversion to defeat Simpon University by a score of 21-18.
Things did not start well for the Bearcats on the day as the Redhawks received the opening kickoff and started a 72-yard drive that ended with a 5-yard touchdown pass from Kaleb Anderson to James Webster. Willamette's first possession would see the Bearcats get two first downs before Alex Rivera IV's pass intended for Brandon Johnson was intercepted at the Simpson 45-yard line.
Willamette would force a three-and-out from the Redhawks on the next possession but Simpson's punt would leave the Bearcats inside their own 10 yard line to start their second possession. After a fumble on the second play that was recovered by Willamette, the next play saw a bad snap lead to a safety and a 9-0 lead for the visitors.
After the kick, Simpson would again drive into Bearcat territory and line up for a 43-yard field goal. Willamette's Salah Hill came charging off the right side to block the kick that was scooped up by Landon Waters and returned 59 yards for the touchdown to make the score 9-7.
The teams would exchange interceptions until Simpon was able to score again, this time on a QB keeper by Anderson from eight yards out. The PAT would be no good and the Redhawks would leave 15-7.
Willamette would take over with 2:15 left in the half and move the ball downfield thanks to the strong running of Gabriel Herrera and Rivera IV would find Elijah Romero open on the right side for a Bearcat touchdown with ten seconds remaining in the half. Willamette would attempt a two-point conversion and would get a second chance after a Redhawk penalty, but Jerrick Little would be stopped and the game headed to halftime with Simpson holding a 15-13 lead.
The third quarter would not see any scoring, but Simpson was able to sustain a 17-play drive at the end of the third and start of the fourth that would end with a Toben Michaud 30-yard field goal to give the Redhawks an 18-13 lead.
Neither team was able to move the ball on their next possession and Willamette took over on their own 28 yard line with 3:46 left on the clock needing a touchdown to win the game. The same connection that set up the game-tying drive in week one versus La Verne, caught fire again and Rivera IV found Brandon Johnson on a 4-yard pass for a first down, then a 19-yard completion and a 40-yard reception that got Willamette down to the Simpon 12 yard line with under a minute remaining. Rushes by Herrera and Rivera IV and a penalty on the Redhawks got the ball to the five, where Rivera IV was able to connect with Trajan Clark on a 5-yard touchdown to the left corner of the endzone. The duo connected again on the two-point conversion, giving the Bearcats a 21-18 lead with just 36 seconds remaining.
The Willamette defense stepped up big on the final possession, deflecting three of the Redhawks' final four passing attempts and creating the turnover on downs. Rivera IV took a knee on the final play to end the game.
The Bearcats only managed 231 yards of total offense for the game but made the yards count, especially at the end of each half. Herrera led the Bearcats with 65 rushing yards on 14 carries. Johnson was the leading receiver with 5 catches for 62 yards.
Hogan Smith led the defense with 10 tackles, followed by Orion Woods with 9 and Javi Rodriguez with 7. Salah Hill added an interception to his blocked field goal, and Malik Green had an interception of his own.
Willamette is home again next weekend as they start Northwest Conference play against Linfield University. Game time is scheduled for 4:00 pm because of the Charles Bowles Cross Country Invitational taking place in Bush Park earlier in the day.
