Bearcats fight well, but Loggers chop them down

TACOMA, Wash. — Puget Sound defeated Willamette 45-28 at Peyton Field at Baker Stadium, despite a 35-yard interception return for a touchdown by Willamette.

Puget Sound opened with a drive culminating in a 9-yard touchdown run by Dre Dukes, benefitting from a face mask penalty against the Bearcats. The Bearcats struggled to gain momentum, with only two first downs and multiple incomplete passes resulting in a punt. Puget Sound extended their lead with a 12-yard touchdown pass from Hayden Teeter to Isaac Tran, capitalizing on solid rushing from Dukes. The period ended with Puget Sound holding a 14-0 lead.

In the second quarter, Puget Sound's Hayden Teeter completed a 23-yard pass to Darius Bailey, setting up a drive into Bearcats territory. Teeter capped the drive with a 9-yard rushing touchdown, extending Puget Sound's lead. The Bearcats' Luke Rasmussen connected with Trajan Clark on a 38-yard pass, advancing to Puget Sound's 33-yard line, but the drive stalled after a sack by Gregory Wallace.

The Bearcats began the third quarter with a strong 52-yard kickoff return by Austin Snodgrass, setting up field position at the Puget Sound 40-yard line. Rasmussen connected with Jerrick Little for a 14-yard touchdown pass, leveling the score at 21-21 with 11:59 remaining. Jonjon Delgado intercepted a pass from Hayden Teeter, returning it 35 yards for a touchdown, giving the Bearcats a 28-21 lead. However, Dre Dukes found the end zone on a 1-yard rush with 17 seconds left, tying the game at 28-28 at the end of the quarter.

Puget Sound opened the fourth quarter with a 10-play, 81-yard drive, culminating in a 13-yard touchdown pass from Hayden Teeter to Khaleel Robinson. The Bearcats' subsequent drive ended quickly with a Colton Willard interception, which he returned 6 yards to the Bearcats' 48-yard line. After a 27-yard pass completion to Aidan Butler and a subsequent unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, the Bearcats scored on a 7-yard touchdown pass from Rasmussen to Trajan Clark, narrowing the gap to 38-22. Rasmussen connected with Clark again for a 45-yard touchdown with 02:29 remaining, but Puget Sound sealed the game with a late 16-yard touchdown to Joe Gallagher, securing a 45-28 victory.

Trajan Clark led the offense with six receptions for 116 yards and scored two touchdowns. Rasmussen completed 15 of 36 passes for 195 yards and added three touchdowns through the air. On defense, Javi Rodriguez posted a team-high 16 tackles. Delgado contributed four tackles and intercepted a pass, returning it 35 yards for a touchdown.

The Bearcats stand at 1-5 overall and 0-3 in conference play. Puget Sound holds a record of 1-5 overall and is 1-2 in the conference.

In their next game, the Bearcats will travel to Forest Grove, Oregon, to face Pacific University on Saturday, October 25. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.