:::Linfield College's 1965 season opened at home with a varsity 21-14 loss to the alumni. (Lose or win, varsity-alumni games didn't count in records.) The real season opener saw the Wildcats beat Pacific Lutheran, 17-0, Sept. 18, at night on Maxwell Field. It was Paul Durham's 100th win as Linfield football coach and the first Northwest Conference football game for PLU, which had previously been in the Evergreen Conference. Linfield QB Mike Barrow had a "brilliant performance" in the game, according to the Salem Capital Journal. On the night of Sept. 25 at Cal Poly SLO (a member of the CCAA/California Collegiate Athletic Assn.), the 'Cats won, 10-7, at Poly Stadium before 5,500 fans. Wildcat running backs Leroy Fails and Odis Avritt had strong performances in the non-conference game.:::
'DODGING with DURHAM' sports column
By Paul Durham, McMinnville N-R/News-Register, September 1965
LINFIELD MIDGET QUARTERBACK MIKE BARROW had a great night against the Pacific Lutheran Knights Saturday completing 14 of 23 passing attempts. He threw every kind of aerial in the book, drop backs, roll outs, screens, bootlegs, shovels and pitch outs. An most of them were successful. BARROW has to be the big surprise of the Wildcat team so far this season. He stepped into the signal calling spot when TERRY DURHAM injured his right shoulder and has already shown plenty of ability to move the football.
BARROW, a junior from Prineville, letter last fall as a third stringer.
Although he claims a height of 5-10 (at least that's what he convinced publicity man GEORGE MURDOCK to put in the pressbook) BARROW quickly turned down a bet which proposed that he wasn't 5-9 in his bare feet.
BARROW does seem to be a shade taller than Linfield wingback ROGERS ISHIZU, however. ISHIZU is listed in the pressbook at 5-6.
Most of BARROW's Saturday night passes were to ISHIZU. Some wag suggested after the game that the QB could only see ISHIZU down field. To everyone else he had to throw up hill.
ISHIZU, by the way, received a rather severely battered right leg in the Lutheran tilt and is a doubtful performer against Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo Saturday night ... ISH was in the college infirmary Sunday, Monday and Tuesday for treatment of the damaged pin.
