The University of La Verne Football team takes their first trip of the year to face the Whitworth Pirates Saturday morning.
The Details:
Kickoff: 11 a.m.
Stadium: Pine Bowl, Spokane, Wash.
La Verne (1-0, 0-0), Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Whitworth (2-0, 0-0), Northwest Conference
The Match-up:
La Verne is coming off a 33-25 win over Northwest Conference member Puget Sound in the season opener two weeks ago. Whitworth opened the season with 56-13 win over Central (Iowa) and beat SCIAC opponent Whittier College 49-10 last week. The Pirates enter the game ranked No. 20 in the latest D3football.com poll.
Last Season:
Last year's match-up at Ortmayer Stadium was a shootout between the two schools. Quarterback Josh Evans gave Whitworth issues all game, rushing for 239 yards and three touchdowns and passing for 156 yards and two more scores in the game. La Verne led the Pirates midway through the fourth quarter, but Whitworth rallied for a 48-42 win.
Recent Series:
This is the fifth year in a row the Leopards and Pirates have squared off against each other with Whitworth leading the stretch 3-1.
Who to watch:
Look for Evans to have another big game against the Pirates. The junior finished with 148 yards through the air on 9-14 passing in the Leopards' opener. Whitworth will also have to look out for the dual rushing attack of Robert Fernandez and Michael Medina. Fernandez broke the century mark against the Loggers finishing with 104 yards on 4.7 yards per carry. Medina added 58 yards on 13 attempts. With the Pirates giving up nearly 150 yards on the ground per game, look for the pair to be busy during the contest.
Whitworth will also have to contend with the Leopards' tough defensive front that held the Loggers to just 25 yards on the ground in the opener.
The Pirates are led by quarterback Ian Kolste who's already thrown for 726 yards with nine touchdowns this season. Kevin Thomas leads Whitworth's receiving corps with 12 receptions.
What's at stake:
Both teams look to keep their respective records blemish free. This is the last non-conference game for both squads so both the Leopards and Pirates will look for a win to gain momentum heading into conference play.
How to Watch:
Whitworth will be covering the game on several platforms. Click the links below to follow the game.
