SOU-Willamette Boxscore 

A 23-17 Southern Oregon advantage quickly turned into a 31-23 Willamette victory today in Salem thanks to a 46-yard punt return by the Bearcats Jose Green

Willamette improved to a perfect 3-0 on the season with the win. Southern Oregon fell to 1-3 and travels to Linfield next Saturday.

The Willamette victory ruined a big day by SOU senior running back Marlon Rosales (San Jose, Calif./Santa Teresa). Rosales finished with a career-best 166 yards rushing on 27 carries.

The Raiders jumped on the board early as Corey O'Neill nailed a 27-yard field goal following a Willamette fumble on their opening drive for a 3-0 lead with just over 4 minutes gone in the game.

Rosales plowed his way in from a yard out for a 10-0 SOU lead to wrap up the first quarter scoring.

After a Mitchell Rowan field goal cut the lead to 10-3 to start the second quarter, the Raider defense took over. A forced fumble gave SOU the ball at the Willamette 11, but the offense couldn't punch it in on four straight running plays. It took two plays before the Raider defense again gave the ball back to the offense, this one on an interception by Akeem Jackson (Mesa, Ariz./Mesa). Jackson returned the ball to the Willamette 3-yard-line. After a one-yard run, senior quarterback Bryan Lee-Lauduski (Carlsbad, Calif./Carlsbad) connected with Brent Koontz (Minden, Nev./Douglas) from two yards out for a 17-3 SOU lead with 3:03 remaining in the second quarter.

Willamette closed out the half with a 19-yard touchdown pass from Grant Leslie to Scott Schoettgen. Senior Will Watson (Myrtle Creek, Ore./South Umpqua) blocked the point after touchdown attempt to keep the score at 17-9 heading into halftime.

The Bearcats turned to their defense to tie the game at 17-17 at the beginning of the third quarter on a 52-yard fumble recovery for a score.

A pair of third quarter O'Neill field goals pushed the SOU lead to 23-17 before Willamette forced the Raiders to punt early in the fourth quarter.

The SOU punt went off the side of Steve Palmer (Eugene, Ore./Sheldon)'s foot and Green picked the ball up on the run and gave the Bearcats their first lead of the game.

Willamette added another score late in the fourth quarter to win the game 31-23.

Lee-Lauduski finished the game 17 of 34 for 215 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Senior Darryl Price (Corona, Calif./Ontario) finished with five catches for 36 yards. Senior tight end Brian Harding (Clackamas, Ore./Clackamas) had two catches for a team-high 70 yards.

Jason Young (Los Angeles, Calif./St. Marys) and Kevin Harrell (Napa, Calif./Vintage) led the SOU defense with nine tackles each.