LINFIELD AT CHAPMAN
NCAA Division III Playoffs, First Round
Ernie Chapman Stadium, Orange, Calif.
Saturday, Noon
 
Linfield faces a daunting task on Saturday when the Wildcats battle the unbeaten Chapman Panthers on the road in the first round of the NCAA Division III playoffs. History is on Linfield's side as the Wildcats are 28-3 against teams from California. Chapman is ranked No. 12 in the latest D3football.com Top 25 poll and 13th by the American Football Coaches Association. Linfield is rated 15th in the AFCA poll and 20th by D3football.com.
 
TICKETS
Game Tickets may be purchased on the visitor side of the stadium, located off of Center Street, or in advance through the Chapman tickets portal:
General Admission: $10
Seniors (55+) and Military: $5 with valid ID
Students: $5.00 with valid (current) ID
 
PARKING
There is a large parking lot beneath the football field called Lastinger Structure. The access point to the underground lot is located on Walnut Avenue. Parking is free to all spectators who register in advance online. Simply enter chapman.nupark.com/events into your device browser (or at home prior to travel on your PC or laptop). Once entered, search for "football." After clicking "Register," you will be taken to a second screen to enter your car information (license plate number, color, make and model).
 
LINFIELD TAILGATE
The Visitor Tailgate Area is located at Walnut Avenue and Cypress Street, 5 blocks from the football stadium (C-5 on the campus map on opposite side). Fans are responsible for providing their own tailgating amenities (i.e. tables, chairs). Please be sure to use tarps for covering areas where propane grills or any spillage may occur. Propane tanks will need to be checked by fire safety officials prior to use. There is also additional space provided for visitor parking, should parents and visiting fans want to park in the Cypress Parking Lot.
 
LIVE COVERAGE
Audio play-by-play coverage of the game will be streamed on the Linfield Sports Network. Graeme Fineman and Dave Hansen will call the action. Chapman is providing a live video stream of the game free of charge. Live statistics will also be available. To access either broadcast or the live stats, go to the online Linfield football schedule.

WATCH PARTY
Portland-area Wildcat fans are invited to a watch party at the Beaverton Buffalo Wild Wings at 11995 SW Beaverton Hillsdale Hwy. Doors open at 11 a.m. for the noon kickoff. Seating is first come, first serve, with a section set aside for Wildcat fans. RSVP is not required, but registering ahead of time will give you an entry to win some Wildcat swag at halftime. Contact alumni@linfield.edu for more information.

CHAPMAN OFFENSE
This season has been a year of firsts for the Panthers program. Chapman won its first game over nationally ranked Whitworth then defeated Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Confernence rival Redlands. Chapman finished the 2019 regular season with the first undefeated season in program history and comes into Saturday's first-round playoff with a sparkling 9-0 record. This will be the Panthers third trip to the NCAA postseason and the first time hosting a postseason game.
 
The 2019 SCIAC champions run a two-quarterback offensive system, with junior Jonston MacIntyre and sophomore Reed Vettel at the reigns. MacIntyre is a great athlete who has the ability to pass and run the football. His 415 rushing yards put him just outside the top-10 of all SCIAC rushers, and he has four rushing touchdowns to go along with his seven passing scores. The 6-foot-5 Vettel is more of a pure pocket passer, throwing for nearly 1,000 yards and 11 touchdowns, the fifth-most passing scores of any SCIAC field general.
 
Chapman uses both QBs throughout the game, though in the regular season finale against La Verne, Vettel only attempted five passes and suffered two interceptions. MacIntyre, who is listed as the starter on the depth chart, was 17 for 20 passing and 246 yards last week, throwing with a touchdown and two INTs.
 
The real strength of this Chapman team is its running game. No other team had more total rushing yards or rushing yards per game than Linfield's first-round host. Chapman uses a committee of running backs with sophomore Tanner Mendoza and freshman Marcos Reyes seeing the most action. Reyes ranks second in the SCIAC in yards per game with Mendoza close behind in fourth. The two have combined for 19 trips to the end zone in 2019 and both have the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. Isaiah Woods is another name to pay attention to, if he is available. The freshman had put together five strong games, averaging 68 yards per game and scoring three TDs before missing Chapman's last four games. It's crucial for Linfield to slow the Panthers' rushing attack if the Wildcats are to advance to the second round.
 
The receiving corps is a bit of a question mark as Chapman opens the playoffs. Sophomore Spencer Corona leads the team in catches and yards, but the second- and third-leading receivers are Zach Shorts and Caleb Henshaw, both of whom have not played in the last two games. Should they continue to be unavailable, it would likely be Nico Ragas and Wyatt Hardin to fill in. The two also handle kickoff returns and punt returns, with Ragas leading the conference in kickoff return yardage and return touchdowns.
 
LINFIELD OFFENSE
Last week's Hall of Fame Game against cross-county rival George Fox was a worthy test for Linfield. The Wildcats generated nearly 500 yards of offense against the second-best defense in the NWC. With the playoffs now underway, the Wildcats must continue their strong offensive production, which averages around 46 points per game.
 
Tailback Artie Johnson has continued to rush the football effectively, carrying a heavier workload each and every week. Against a more-than-capable run defense, Johnson exploded for 117 yards on the ground, including a red zone touchdown. As has also been the norm as of late, Johnson added five catches with 31 yards. In three very meaningful November contests, the junior is averaging 130 all-purpose yards a game to go along with five touchdowns. Stepping in as the starting tailback this season, Johnson was honored with first team all-conference recognition this week. 
 
Wyatt Smith's successful season at quarterback continued, as the junior was named Offensive Player of the Year in the Northwest Conference following a strong performance against the Bruins. Smith threw for 376 yards and two scores. No one in the nation has thrown for more yards per game than the McMinnville native, who finished the regular season among the top five in the nation in efficiency, completion percentage, passing touchdowns and completions per game.
 
After finishing 2018 as a second-team all-conference performer, Keegan Weiss improved to the first team in a fantastic senior campaign. Weiss took his game to a new level last week with a career-high 14-catch performance. His 113 yards and one touchdown paced the Wildcats receivers. Newly-named NWC Freshman of the Year Colton Smith had eight more grabs for 86 yards and another score, making that three straight games with a touchdown.
 
First team all-conference selection Jacob Calo had 43 yards receiving and second team selection Keaton Wood had a big 51-yard catch en route before leaving the game with an injury. Wood's status for Saturday is unknown. Payton Person had two catches in relief of Wood and Gilbert Pizzaro, Spencer Lee and Nolan Mickenham stand as potential replacements for Wood, if necessary. 
 
Three Linfield offensive lineman received all-conference accolades for their performances this year. Matt Metcalf brought home first team honors. Tyler Critser and Julien Sears landed on the all-NWC second team. After allowing only two sacks in last week's win, the offensive line turns its attention to a very stout Chapman defense that led the SCIAC in sacks.
 
CHAPMAN DEFENSE
Only allowing 17 points per game on the year, Chapman's defense is at times suffocating. Teams have only averaged 61 rushing yards per game on the season and the Panthers have forced 28 turnovers. Chapman also boasts the 15th-best red zone defense in the nation.
 
There are several extremely talented players on the defensive side of the ball. Dillon Keefe is a name you can expect to hear called a lot on Saturday. At the linebacker position, Keefe leads the conference in tackles for loss and sacks. Chapman has three of the top five sack leaders in the SCIAC, including sophomore linebacker Duncan Heger from Redmond, Washington.
 
Seniors Noah Kjos and Ricky Medeiros each have seven tackles for loss on the season as part of a solid defensive line. Senior Jonathan Bunnel rounds out the linemen in Chapman's base 3-4 defense. The Panthers also rotate in two juniors and one freshman along the line.
 
Teams have found success throwing against the Panthers in 2019. Franky Narez leads the team in pass breakups, followed closely behind by Keefe. Cornerback Nathan Parkin has five interceptions on the season, putting him in a tie for third in the league in that category. Three of those thefts came in the tight game against Pomona-Pitzer that cemented the win. Two veteran safeties, Sal Ochoa III and Chris Tsirtsis, round out the secondary.
 
LINFIELD DEFENSE
George Fox's run-heavy offense provided a great preview for the type of matchup that the Linfield defense faces this weekend against Chapman. No team was better in the NWC at stopping the run then the Wildcats, averaging only 90 yards rushing per game. Allowing 15.8 points per game, Linfield sits just outside the top 25 in the nation in scoring defense.
 
Senior Day was the best game of 2019 for Tony Krauss. The Canby, Oregon, native was an menace on defense, leading the team with seven tackles. With 2½ sacks and another ½ tackle for loss, Krauss spent plenty of time in the George Fox backfield. Linmates Chase Lydig, Travis Swanson and Ray Thomas were right at home in the Bruins backfield, too, combining for five tackles for loss and 2½ sacks. Linfield hopes to apply the same kind of pressure on Chapman to open the playoffs.
 
Tyler Good has played some great football since stepping into the starting lineup in recent weeks and kept that play going with six tackles to pace the group. Brock Klosterman returned to action and made his presence felt with five hits and 1½ takles for loss. Question marks in regard to health of the linebacking corps Saturday, but Linfield has gotten really strong play from any linebacker who has found the field.
 
Malik Campbell stepped in for the injured Tyler Bergeron on Saturday and played well. The senior added another interception to his total, now with three in the last three weeks. Chris Adamo had five tackles and Tyler Sitton had three. Against the Bruins, the Wildcats faced more passes than usual but the secondary continued to perform well. Dusten Ramsayer-Burdett added a pass breakup.
 
The depth of this defense, as well as the team as a whole, has been tested all season. Each time a new defender has been called upon, they have been up to the task for defensive coordinator Jackson Vaughan. Linfield's offensive success has been helped by a great job by the defense, who has had another stellar season.
 
OVERALL
Simply making the playoffs will not be enough for Linfield coach Joseph Smith and the Wildcats. The key for Saturday will be to get off to a good start, something that Linfield wasn't able to do the last time they traveled to southern California. But the 'Cats have demonstrated all year they have the talent, depth and coaching to make a strong postseason run. The second season starts this week and it's going to be an exciting one.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Linfield has an all-time record against Chapman of 5-0 in a series dating back to 2014. Linfield is 3-0 at home in the series and 2-0 on the road … The last meeting was in 2017, with Linfield winning 27-12 in McMinnville … one of the previous meetings was in the postseason, in 2014 with Linfield winning 55-24 in McMinnville in the first round of the NCAA Division III playoffs … Linfield's biggest margin of victory was 38 points (52-14) in 2015; the closest game was 7 points (21-14) in the 2014 regular season matchup in Orange, Calif.
 
PLAYOFF HISTORY
This is Linfield's 30th trip to the national playoffs in either the NAIA or NCAA … Linfield returns to the postseason after a school-record string of nine straight in the NCAA Division III playoffs from 2009-2017 was snapped last season … Linfield has won four national championships: 1982, 1984, 1986 (all NAIA Division II) and 2004 (NCAA Division III). The Wildcats have played in three more national championship games: 1961, 1965 (both NAIA) and 1992 (NAIA Division II) … Linfield has an all-time national playoff record of 42-25 (.627) … in the national playoffs, the Wildcats are 35-7 (.833) at home, including a Maxwell Field mark of 32-7 (.821); on the road they are 5-15 (.250) and on neutral fields, the 'Cats are 2-3 (.400).
 
THE STREAK
In 2019, Linfield has clinched its 64th consecutive winning seasons; the Wildcats' streak, which began in 1956, is the longest in the history of college football at any level … During the streak, Linfield is 515-117-10 for a winning percentage of .810. Linfield's record at home during the streak is 280-42-4 (.865), and at Maxwell Field it is 277-42-4 (.864) … Linfield's Northwest Conference record during the streak is 259-33-5 (.880).
 
BY THE NUMBERS
2019 is Linfield's 105th season of football, dating back to 1896. The Wildcats' all-time record is 619-268-28 (.692) … Linfield's all-time home record is 346-91-16 (.781), including a Maxwell Field record of 326-79-11 (.797) … Linfield's all-time NWC record is 294-111-11 (.720) in 79 seasons dating back to the conference's initial formation in 1926.
 
Linfield returned to the top of the Northwest Conference standings in the 2019 season. Prior to finishing second in 2018, the Wildcats had won or shared the NWC title nine straight seasons. That is the longest such streak in NWC football history … Linfield has won 42 NWC championships, including 34 outright.
 
RECENT HISTORY
Since the start of the 2009 season, Linfield is 109-16 overall (.872), 92-7 (.929) in the regular season, 61-3 (.953) at home and 70-2 (.972)  in NWC games … During that span, Linfield is 17-9 (.654) in the postseason.
 
COACH JOSEPH SMITH
Joseph Smith is in his 14th season as Linfield's head coach; he has an overall record of 127-25 (.836), which is the highest winning percentage of any head coach in Wildcat football history … Smith's record includes marks of 110-16 (.873) in the regular season, 84-6 (.933) in Northwest Conference games, 17-9 (.654) in the postseason and 71-7 (.910) at home.