SPOKANE, Wash. – Omari Williams led a dominant defensive effort for the Whitworth Pirates in 45-0 exhibition football win over the Utah Islanders on Saturday afternoon at the Pine Bowl.

The Bucs held the club program from Salt Lake City to only 2.4 yards per play and ten first downs.  Williams had two interceptions, one of which he returned 29 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter to make the score 14-0.

Williams also had a 57-yard interception return in the second quarter that set up another touchdown.

Logan Lacio completed 14 of 19 passes for 156 yards with one touchdown and one interception in just over one half of work.  That touchdown went to Chayce Gomes from 15 yards at the start of the second quarter to increase the lead to 21-0. Gomes led the squad with six receptions for 74 yards.

Kurt Solano ran five yards for the first touchdown on Whitworth's second possession of the game. 

Austin Schildt brought the crowd to life with a 77-yard punt return for a touchdown in the second quarter before Grant Spillman broke off a 17-yard touchdown run near the end of the period to give the Pirates a 35-0 lead at the break.  Both Schildt and Spillman are freshman.

Carter Steinwand threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to Wyatt Doran for the only touchdown of the second half in the third quarter. 

Iden Bone, a preseason All-American placekicker, uncharacteristically missed two 44-yard field goal attempts in the first half, but drilled a 52-yard effort to close out the scoring in the third period.

Reid Petschl led the Whitworth defense with six tackles.  Twenty-five players had at least one tackle in the game and more than 30 saw action on that half of the field.  Islanders' quarterbacks Trustin Gomes and Tu'i-Taniela Fonua combined to complete only 10 of 25 passes for 68 yards with the two interceptions.

None of the stats from today's game are official.

Whitworth will officially open the season next Saturday at home against Eastern Oregon.