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Daniel Mosier ran for 202
yards and three touchdowns, including this one to take the lead in
Cal Lutheran's upset of Linfield.
Photo by Dan Harris,
d3photography.com
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Facing the team that ended its season in 2009, No. 25 Cal
Lutheran exacted revenge with a 47-42 victory over No. 4 Linfield
on Saturday at Mt. Clef Stadium. The Kingsmen overcame a 21-point
first half deficit and received 202 rushing yards and three
touchdowns from junior Daniel Mosier en route to the upset win.
In the fourth quarter Cal Lutheran used 24 points, including
touchdown runs of 45 and 49 yards from Mosier to complete the
comeback.
"Our inexperience playing together showed in the first half.
Linfield came out and punched us right between the eyes," CLU head
coach Ben McEnroe said. "We went in at halftime and told our guys
to relax and have fun."
At halftime Mosier had 8 yards on eight carries and he came back
with 10 carries and 194 yards in the second half.
After Linfield scored 28 unanswered points during the first half,
the Kingsmen responded by scoring in bunches themselves. They
scored the next 24 points of the game including a 17-point run in
just over seven minutes of game time. Late in the fourth, CLU
posted 17 more unanswered points with just over five minutes
ticking off the clock.
The two teams combined for 932 total yards of offense with the
Wildcats racking up 507 and the Kingsmen accounting for 425.
Trailing 28-7 with five minutes to play in the first half, CLU
junior quarterback Jake Laudenslayer orchestrated a 10-play, 67
yard drive that included three consecutive first down passes with
completions of 18, 20 and 22 yards. Mosier capped the drive with a
1-yard touchdown run, his first score of the contest.
Laudenslayer completed 11 of 21 passes for 173 yards with one
touchdown and one interception in his CLU debut.
Momentum seemed to switch to CLU's sideline when the Kingsmen
forced a fumble on the ensuing kickoff and it was recovered by
junior kicker Jackson Damron. With a chance to cut the halftime
lead to 11, Damron missed a 32-yard field goal attempt wide right
at the end of the half.
On its second possession of the third quarter, Cal Lutheran
displayed effectiveness with its run game as Mosier and junior
Bobby Rodrigues accounted for 72 yards on the drive, highlighted by
a 59-yard carry from Mosier down the right sideline that would
eventually setup a 29-yard field goal by Damron and cut Linfield's
lead to 28-17.
"Against a great rush defense like they have you just have to be
patient and take the opportunities," McEnroe said. "I thought Clay
Richardson did a great job getting our quarterbacks ready and
calling the right plays at the right time."
After a pair of first downs for the Wildcats on their next drive,
CLU junior linebacker Loren Powers intercepted Aaron Boehme for the
second time and returned it 44 yards for a touchdown and after a
failed extra point, the Kingsmen trailed by five.
Although Boehme finished with 361 yards through the air and four
touchdown passes, the Kingsmen intercepted him three times. Powers
accounted for two and the other came on Linfield's first drive of
the game after it held the ball for over seven minutes, CLU senior
defensive back Brett Lewis snagged a batted pass and returned it 97
yards to the 1-yard line, setting up the first score of the game, a
1-yard touchdown run by Rodrigues.
CLU forced a punt and took eight plays to go 84 yards for the
go-ahead score on a 28-yard touchdown pass from Laudenslayer to
Richard. The quarterback found sophomore wide receiver Eric Rogers
for a two-point conversion and CLU led 31-28.
Richard and Rogers each hauled in three passes for the game and
they totaled 53 and 50 yards, respectively.
Linfield quickly ended the celebration as Aaron Williams took a
handoff on the first play from scrimmage and scampered 71 yards
down to the CLU three and two plays later he scored and reclaimed
the lead for the Wildcats.
A Damron field goal on the next CLU drive cut the Kingsmen deficit
to 35-34 and then a three-and-out forced by CLU setup Mosier's
45-yard touchdown run for a 40-35 lead after a failed two-point
attempt.
Another three-and-out gave the Kingsmen the ball back and on the
second play from scrimmage, Mosier was at it again with a 49-yard
scoring run to put CLU up 12.
Senior defensive end Jordan Barta, who had been a pest in the
Linfield backfield all day, helped put the game away as he sacked
Boehme and forced a fumble that was recovered by junior Sean
Post.
Barta had three sacks on the day, part of his 6.5 tackles to go
along with two pass breakups.
The Wildcats would add a late touchdown to account for the 47-42
score, but the ensuing onside kick attempt was handled by CLU
senior safety Wes Garwood to seal the victory.
CLU sophomore safety Broc Galbreth led the Kingsmen with seven
tackles and Erik Chavez tallied six.
The season-opening victory for CLU was the first since the 2006
campaign and the first under McEnroe. With the win the Kingsmen
snapped Linfield's 21-0 record against teams from California since
joining the NCAA in 1998.
"We like to play a tough game early and we've been close the last
couple of years in that opener but just haven't found a way to get
it done," McEnroe said. "Today we made some breaks and got it
done."