Sports - Local Colleges

POSTED: Saturday, Dec. 06, 2008

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Vikings win Rotary Bowl

ST. GEORGE - The host city's relative indifference to the Rotary Bowl certainly didn't waft over to the Western Washington sidelines.

If you were on the field after the game, you needed to keep your head on a swivel lest you get barreled over by a Viking performing a gig.

Imagine "Soul Train" and "So You Think You Can Dance" rolled into one.

WWU had every reason to be joyous after erasing an early 10-0 deficit and pushing Colorado School of Mines all over the field in the second half en route to a 25-10 win on Saturday, Dec. 6, in front of 2,598 spectators at Hansen Stadium.

"It's a great ending for our season," said Western Washington coach Robin Ross. "I'm really happy with our effort."

Who wouldn't be? Adam Perry threw for 275 yards and a pair of scores, in addition to running one in himself, and was named Rotary Bowl MVP. Randall Eldridge rushed for 134 yards on 24 carries in a performance so workmanlike that his longest rush was for 16 yards. And the Vikings' defense, at times maligned throughout the season, held their opponent scoreless the final three quarters.

"Last year was a down year for us, but we stayed confident in what we were doing on offense," said Perry, who broke single-season WWU records in passing yards, completions and total yards, while tying the mark for touchdown passes. "We had confidence in our system. It was tough last year because it was put in so quick, but everyone took it upon themselves to learn it in the off-season. It really paid off for us this year."

It's a contrast from the way 2007 turned out, when WWU, then 2-8‚ never quite figured out the new offensive system. With a year of it under their belts, the Vikings (6-5) have flourished - as displayed in a 15-minute stretch beginning late in the second quarter.

Ironically, it started with a Perry interception with 2:17 remaining in the first half. The WWU signal-caller marched his team 55 yards to the CSM 20, but was picked off by Drew Ferren as he tried to find Zach Hekker in the corner of the end zone.

The Vikings' defense answered three plays later when Zach Schrader intercepted the Orediggers' David Pesek on a deflection after cornerback Anthony Zackery and Adam Saur collided going for the ball.

"Anthony Zackery made a great play on the ball," said Schrader, who picked off another pass in the fourth quarter. "He knocked it up and I was lucky enough to get the tip."

Buoyed by the turnover, WWU got a 16- and 3-yard run by Eldridge before the drive stalled and Josh Lider kicked the first of two field goals to tie the score at 10.

Confidence can sometimes be a fickle thing in college football. A three-point deficit after a squandered opportunity can eat at a team. Yet the Vikings were able to force a turnover and cruise into the break focused on what was ahead instead of stewing.

"That was big because now we were going back to 0-0 heading into the locker room - and we get the ball starting the second half," Ross said.

WWU made the most of its opening possession of the third quarter, marching 60 yards for a touchdown after Rick Copsey returned the kickoff 34 yards. The drive culminated with an 8-yard scoring pass from Perry to tight end Logan Cullen - the first of two times the Vikings burned the Orediggers (8-4) on a play-action bootleg toss. Cullen caught an 11-yarder in the fourth quarter.

The possession was aided by a 15-yard face mask penalty by CSM's Hunter Wardlaw, just one of 12 penalties for 106 yards the Orediggers accrued on the afternoon.

"We shot ourselves in the foot with penalties," said Orediggers coach Bob Stitt. "The momentum was on their side and we were never able to get it back."

With a 16-10 lead - Lider's extra-point attempt was blocked - the Vikings began a drive at their own 1. Avoiding a three-and-out with a five-yard completion to Travis McKee (six catches, 71 yards), Perry led WWU on a 78-yard jaunt while completing 6-of-8 passes for 73 yards. The big play was a 29-yarder to Pat McCann (6-86).

The possession ate up 7 minutes, 42 seconds as the Vikings took a 19-10 lead. CSM never pierced the red zone from then on.

"That was huge to put us up two scores," Perry said. "It kind of took the wind out of them a little bit."

Two drives later, Pesek (18-of-35, 137 yards, 29 rushing) threw his second of three interceptions.

"We stopped them on the screen so I knew they were going to start striking deep," said Schrader, who made the grab with nothing but blue shirts in the neighborhood. "I just was patient and he threw it right toward me."

Perry interjected.

"Was there even a receiver around there?" the quarterback asked.

"There wasn't a guy around, so he gave me that one," Schrader said.