THANKSGIVING WEEK: Turkey, dressing and Linfield football
One in a special series of stories –
‘Linfield Football Remembrance of Games Past’ by Linfielder Rusty Rae, McMinnville N-R/News-Register. N-R Friday, Nov, 27, 2020, print edition
During the final week in November, it’s normally about turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, and, of course, pie unless you’ve won your first-round playoff game, then the spotlight shines on the next opponent and the Saturday after Turkey Day.
That adversary is more likely to include a higher level of competitiveness, requiring a laser focus in preparation by both coaches and players.
“I can’t think of a single second-round match-up that wasn’t against a top-10 team,” said Linfield head coach Joseph Smith.
These days with a 32-team tournament, winning it all requires five victories in as many weeks. In NAIA days, the road to the title required a mere three wins and generally the Thanksgiving weekend was open for a family celebration.
Smith calls the holiday week game, “A blessing and a curse. Certainly we’re happy to be playing, but the logistics for the game are more complex.”
A home contest remains a double-edged sword, according to Smith. On one hand, if players live somewhat close, they have an opportunity to go home for a family celebration.
“We’ll have an early Thursday morning practice and then if the guys live within a four-hour radius they can get home and be back for a Friday practice,” Smith said. While home for Thanksgiving is a positive element, in fact, few students on campus for the game is a negative.
“Home field advantage is difficult to quantify, but having the crowd behind you is significant motivation,” Smith added.
Playing on the road Thanksgiving week entails a different level of operational challenge. Smith tries to overcome the chaos of travel with a team Thanksgiving meal at Covenant Church. Darla Smith, Joe’s wife, organizes and manages the preparation, which is supported by local Wildcat fans and player families who live close to campus. Then the team boards buses for the trip to the airport and points, usually, east.
Competing away from home equals a myriad of additional challenges, not the least of which is changing time zones. Smith feels chagrined with the dogmatic rules set by the NCAA.
In 2011, the ‘Cats second-round contest took them to Wesley College in Dover, Delaware, where Linfield fell by a 49-34 margin. The game began at noon — or 9 a.m. Pacific Time.
“Changing time zones is both a tactical and physical advantage. Your biological time clock simply isn’t ready to play at that time. And there is no reason for the game to start at that time. It used to be an early start was required due to fields not having lights, but now everyone has lights,” Smith said.
A 1991 second-round contest against fourth-ranked Pacific Lutheran wound up a 23-0 loss — a game in which Smith played in the last contest coached by Hall of Fame head coach Ad Rutschman.
“We fought the good fight, but on this day PLU was a better team. Our offense simply was annihilated by their defense,” Smith recalled.
Rutschman, quoted in the News-Register, said, “We did not move the ball consistently. Credit their defense.”
The Lutes advanced to the title game.
In 2003, Linfield survived a second-round contest against Wartburg with a 23-20 victory, played on Willamette’s home field in Salem because Linfield’s grass field was a mud bog. It was won by a 31-yard field goal by Garrett Wales as time expired.
Playing on the road has never been kind to the Wildcats, reflected in a 2010 second round contest the eighth-ranked ‘Cats played in St. Paul, Minnesota, against fourth-rated St. Thomas. During the second overtime, with Linfield down by a score, a fumble near the goal line recovered by the Tommies ended with Linfield on the losing end of a 24-17 result.
Over the years, Linfield and University of Mary Hardin-Baylor engaged in a number of memorable games.
Smith believes the Crusaders have always boasted some of the best talent of a DIII team in the nation, but that hasn’t stopped Linfield from wins, though lately the wins have favored UMHB.
In 2009, Linfield laid the wood to the Cru’ in a second-round contest at the Cat Dome, 53-21.
While there have been a number of significant competitions with UMHB, perhaps no second round contest has been more meaningful than the ‘Cats 31-28 victory on the Crusaders’ home field in Belton, Texas, in 2014.
A second-round victory is always something to celebrate. This marked the first time a Linfield squad took a playoff win on the road since the 1964 upset win over Sul Ross State in Texas.
Though Smith remembers the game not being as close as the score indicated, he said, “We took it to them — it was a fun day,” his memories don’t match the actual margin of the contest.
A key sequence turned out to be a 46-yard Michael Metter field goal as time ran out to end the first half, giving Linfield a 17-14 lead. Linfield would expand its lead to 31-21, but UMHB scored late in the third period on a 56-yard punt return and kept the ‘Cats off balance with a pair of fake punts.
Linfield’s defense forced a pair of fumbles which the ‘Cats recovered and picked off two passes, nullifying UMHB drives.
The Crus mounted a late fourth-quarter drive which appeared on the brink of scoring, either to tie with a field goal or win with a score. However, Jordan Giza intercepted an errant pass at the nine-yard line. Giza returned the pick to the Linfield 44-yard and Linfield ran out the clock for the victory.
There’s no better way to celebrate Thanksgiving than with a win on the road. Certainly, Linfield players and coaching staff savored their Thanksgiving leftovers on returning home.
