The Linfield Wildcats return to the comforts of home this weekend to take on their cross-Yamhill County rivals, the George Fox Bruins. Tied for first place in the Northwest Conference standings, Linfield (6-0, 4-0) and George Fox (4-2, 4-0) remain the only two NWC teams undefeated in conference play.
Following its win last Saturday against Pacific Lutheran, Linfield is ranked No. 6 in the AFCA Division III Top-25 poll and No. 7 in the D3Football.com Top-25 poll, unchanged from the week prior.
The game kicks off at 1:30 p.m. at Maxwell Field. Live coverage begins on the Linfield Sports Network at 1 p.m. with the Farnham Electric Pregame Show.
Joe Stuart and Dave Hansen will provide play-by-play coverage. Links to the game's live stream broadcast and live stats can be found above.
GEORGE FOX SO FAR
The Bruins are off to their best start in conference play since their program was restarted in 2014. They are led by head coach Chris Casey, a Linfield alum who played for the Wildcats from 1978-81 and coached as an assistant under
Ad Rutschman and Ed Langsdorf from 1985-94.
The Bruins are coming off a 21-14 win against Pacific, holding the Boxers to their lowest scoring total and second-lowest mark of total offense on the year. Dual-threat junior quarterback Haiden Schaan had an incredibly efficient day, completing 10 of 14 passes for 144 yards and a touchdown while also rushing 10 times for 63 yards and a touchdown for an average of 6.3 yards per attempt.
Schaan was complemented by junior running backs Ethan Kassebaum and Josiah Schmidt. Kassebaum ran 18 times for 77 yards and a touchdown while also catching Schaan's lone touchdown pass on a 37-yard reception. Schmidt contributed 51 yards on 10 carries with a touchdown.
Senior linebacker Josh Poppleton led the Bruin defense with 10 tackles and a pass breakup. Junior safety Justin Montijo forced the game's only turnover with an interception on Pacific's opening drive of the second half.
The Bruins have also beaten Pacific Lutheran, 27-14, Willamette, 44-14, and Puget Sound, 49-28. At the beginning of the season, they lost their two non-conference games to SCIAC contenders Redlands, 24-14, and Chapman, 23-21.
George Fox played a two-game, home-and-home schedule against Pacific in the spring of 2021, losing at home but winning in Forest Grove.
LINFIELD SO FAR
Linfield rolled to yet another dominant win last weekend to keep its record unblemished, winning at Pacific Lutheran, 52-7. It was Linfield's fifth game this year scoring at least 50 points and the Wildcats' fourth game holding their opponents to 10 points or less.
Although senior quarterback
Wyatt Smith was contained to just 216 yards and two touchdowns, the Wildcats found ample success in the ground game, rushing for 189 yards and three touchdowns. Junior
Connor Morton ran for 79 yards on 16 attempts and junior
Connor McNabb ran for 58 yards and two touchdowns on 11 attempts. McNabb also led the Wildcats in receiving, catching five passes for 67 yards.
Linfield's scoring was supplemented by a 52-yard punt return touchdown by freshman
Maclain Stoneking, the Wildcats' first special teams touchdown of the year, and junior monsterback
Ben Baxter's 50-yard "pick-six," Baxter's first interception of his career. Linfield picked off PLU quarterback Erik Bainter three times, with interceptions also coming from freshman rover Caiden Biegei-Wetherbee, also the first of his career, and senior cornerback
Tyler Sitton, the fifth of his career but first of the season.
Linfield's three interceptions, plus a fumble recovered by senior linebacker
Brian Pullman, were the most turnovers the 'Cats have forced in a single game all year. They also held PLU to just 115 yards of total offense, the lowest mark allowed by the 'Cats in a game this year.
The rest of Linfield's wins on the year have come against Division II Simon Fraser, 56-20, Redlands, 51-10, Puget Sound, 56-7, Whitworth, 42-7, and Pacific, 52-23.
THE BRUIN OFFENSE
George Fox runs the slowest-paced offense in the NWC, running just 335 total plays on the year, dead last in the league. They've created 1,846 yards of total offense this season, 307.7 per game, sixth in the NWC, and are averaging 29.3 points per game, fifth in the NWC.
The Bruins do average 5.5 yards per play, fourth in the league. Their focus on offense is in the running game, rushing the ball 33.3 times per game compared to just 22.5 pass attempts per game. They've averaged 123 rushing yards per game on the season, fifth in the NWC, and 3.7 yards per attempt, fourth in the NWC. 11 of their 19 touchdowns have been on the ground. Despite throwing the ball less than any team in the conference, George Fox leads the NWC in yards per completion at 8.2. The Bruins' 184.7 passing yards per game sit at sixth in the NWC.
Schann leads the Bruin offense in his first full season as the starting quarterback. He has completed 62.6 percent of his passes for 1,096 yards and eight touchdowns with five interceptions. His completion percentage is third-best among NWC quarterbacks. Schaan also has been able to run for 119 yards and two touchdowns on 46 rushing attempts.
Kassebaum leads the Bruins with 302 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the season, running the ball 63 times for an average of 4.8 yards per attempt. His total yards, touchdowns and yards per game average of 50.3 are all good enough for seventh in the NWC. The junior has also caught 11 passes for 146 yards and two touchdowns. He is backed up by Schmidt, who has run for 162 yards and a touchdown on 38 attempts. Fullback Faufano Atele has contributed 109 yards and three touchdowns on 31 carries.
Sophomore wide out Leon Johnson III has been the top target for Schaan, catching 18 passes for 306 yards and two touchdowns. The 2019 Honorable Mention All-NWC honoree is top-10 in the league in receiving yards, yards per catch and receiving yards per game. Senior slot receiver Adam Hawker has also caught 18 passes this season, going for 280 yards and two touchdowns. Freshman Elias Polanski has contributed eight catches for 79 yards and a touchdown.
THE WILDCAT OFFENSE
Through six games this year, Linfield continues to pace the NWC in nearly every offensive category and sits among the Division III leaders in many. The Wildcats are fourth in the nation in scoring offense, averaging 51.5 points per game, and 14
th in total offense at 491.7 yards per game. Linfield's 6.7 yards per play, 2,950 yards of total offense and 39 touchdowns all lead the NWC. The Wildcats have been excellent in both the pass and run game, leading the league in both passing yards per game at 321.5 and rushing yards per game at 170.2.
Despite a slight dip in numbers against PLU,
Wyatt Smith must still be considered the front runner for NWC Offensive Player of the Year. Smith has thrown for 1,822 yards and 22 touchdowns with just one interception, all NWC-leading numbers. His 67.8 percent completion rate ranks second in the NWC. Smith also sits in the top-15 of Division III in passing yards per game (303.7), touchdowns and completion percentage.
Smith has slung the ball all around the yard in his senior campaign with at least seven different receivers catching a pass for the 'Cats in every game this year. Sophomores
Devon Murray,
Joel Valadez and
Colton Smith all sit tied for second in the NWC receiving touchdown leaderboard with five apiece. Murray leads Linfield in receptions with 27, turning them into 317 yards. Valadez paces the 'Cats in receiving yards with 426 on 19 catches. His 426 yards sit second in the NWC, his 71.0 yards per game leads the league, and his 22.4 yards per reception leads the NWC and is fourth in Division III.
Colton Smith, the 2019 NWC Freshman of the Year, has caught 16 passes for 200 yards. Smith and Murray both caught touchdowns against PLU.
Linfield's two-headed running back threat of sophomores
Connor McNabb and
Connor Morton continues to look more dangerous every game. Both talented as ball carriers and receivers, they are third and fourth in the conference in all-purpose yards per game with McNabb at 113.0 per game and Morton at 108.7 per game. McNabb leads the team in not just all-purpose yards at 678 (400 on the ground and 276 through the air) but also total touchdowns with seven, five rushing and two receiving. He trails only Murray in receptions with 24. Morton has contributed 262 yards and four touchdowns on 54 rushing attempts while adding 19 catches for 168 yards and two touchdowns.
THE BRUIN DEFENSE
Defense has been the bread and butter of the George Fox program since it was resurrected in 2014. The Bruins are second to only Linfield in both scoring defense and total offense allowed in the NWC, allowing opponents 19.3 points and 330.5 yards per game. The Bruins have excelled in limiting the pass game, allowing just 187.2 yards per game through the air (second in the league), but have been susceptible to the run game, allowing 143.3 yards per game on the ground (fifth in the NWC).
The strength of the Bruins' 3-3-5 defense lies with their safeties, senior Wyatt Adams (a McMinnville High School product), junior Justin Montijo and freshman Kiegan Schaan. They are flanked by junior cornerbacks Lucas Schwin and Chris McCoy.
Montijo leads the secondary and is second on the team with 40 tackles, good enough for eighth in the NWC. He's also intercepted two passes, broken up two more and recovered a fumble. Schaan is third on the team in tackles with 30 to go with two pass breakups and two fumble recovery. Schwin has also picked off two passes and is tied for first in the NWC in pass breakups with nine. Adams and McCoy each have five pass breakups as well, Adams adding an interception and McCoy adding a fumble recovery.
George Fox's linebackers are led by senior Josh Poppleton. He is joined by sophomores Joe James and Austin Brockamp. Poppleton leads the team in tackles with 43, fifth in the NWC, and his 20 assisted tackles lead the conference. His 10 tackles against Pacific tied his career high, set earlier this season against PLU. James is the Bruins' leading force behind the chains. Of his 29 tackles, he's had a team-leading six for loss for 36 yards and a team-leading three sacks for a loss of 29 yards.
The defensive line is made up of junior tackle Aaron Venezuela and ends junior Anthony Pasion and sophomore Jaron Marks. Pasion leads the unit with 21 tackles, two for loss, and one sack. Senior defensive end Kyle Brabec will also likely figure into the battle at the line of scrimmage, putting together three tackles for loss, two sacks and two quarterback hurries.
THE WILDCAT DEFENSE
Like the offense, the Linfield defense is among the elite in Division III and sits atop the NWC. The defense allows just 12.3 points per game, 18
th in the nation, and 201.8 yards per game, sixth in the nation. Opponents have averaged 151.7 passing yards per game, 19
th in the nation, and just 50.2 rush yards per game, sixth in the nation. The Wildcats' 3.83 sacks per game and 8.80 tackles for loss per game are seventh and eighth in the nation, respectively. Most impressively, they lead all of Division III in third down defense, allowing opponents to convert on just 13.5 percent of third down opportunities.
It all starts up front for the Wildcats, having racked up a whopping 52 tackles for loss for 235 yards and 23 sacks for 148 yards. The D-line is led by senior defensive end
Travis Swanson, a leader in the NWC Defensive Player of the Year discussion as well as the All-American discussion. Of Swanson's 29 team-leading tackles, 16 have been tackles for loss and nine have been sacks. He leads Division III in TFL per game and is second in sacks per game.
Junior defensive tackles
Chase Lydig and
Grayson Cosier, sophomore tackle
Nick Severson, and defensive ends, senior
Josh Hanigan and junior
Vinny Niosi, will all figure heavily into the defensive line as well. All of them have at least two tackles for loss and one sack on the year. Lydig has posted 4.5 tackles for loss and Severson has 3.5 sacks. Niosi has racked up 15 tackles, 3.5 for loss, and has gotten his hands up for four pass breakups, tied for the team lead.
Linebacker continues to be a rotating door for Linfield, but all who have entered are clearly talented. Freshman
Blake Rybar leads the linebacker corps with 15 tackles, 10 solo and 1.5 for loss, as well as adding one pass breakup and one quarterback hurry. Senior
Cedric Agcoili-Ostrom has 14 tackles, one for loss and one quarterback hurry, while senior
Brock Klosterman has 12 tackles, 10 solo, with 2.5 for loss and one sack. Senior
Brian Pullman tied Rybar to lead the position group in tackles against PLU with three, including 0.5 a sack.
Despite losing captain and standout safety
Tyler Bergeron to injury during practice last week, the Linfield secondary still posted one of their best days against PLU. It's a group that features seniors
Tyler Sitton and
Jon Sedy at the corners, sophomore
Ben Baxter at monster, freshman
Caiden Biege-Wetherbee at rover and now freshman
Cutter Hillock at the starting safety position.
The Wildcats had a season-high three interceptions against the Lutes after having just two all season leading into last weekend, coming from Baxter, Biege-Wetherbee and Sitton. Baxter returned his for a 50-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter for Linfield's first touchdown of the second half. Baxter is tied for second on the team in tackles with 25 and has also broken up three passes. Sitton sits behind him with 23 tackles, but is tied for the team lead in solo tackles with Bergeron at 19. Biege-Wetherbee has 22 tackles, three for loss, and a team-leading four pass breakups. Hillock recorded five tackles, second-most on the team, in his first-career start against PLU.
THE SERIES
All-time, the Wildcats lead their cross-county rival 16-4 across their 20 meetings and 6-0 since football returned to George Fox's campus in 2014. All four wins for the Bruins came before 1900. The last three meetings between the teams have been well-fought defensive battles, Linfield winning 12-6 in McMinnville in 2017, 14-0 in Newberg in '18 and, most recently, 24-17 in McMinnville in '19.
WYATT IN THE RECORD BOOKS
Wyatt Smith continues to rise up the all-time records for Linfield quarterbacks, having already passed Sam Riddle in completions and attempts. Against PLU, he passed current co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Brett Elliot to become the all-time leader in passing yards. Smith currently sits at 8,742 passing yards for his career, shattering Elliot's record of 8,614.
His 90 passing touchdowns still trail Elliot (110) and Riddle (97). Smith trails only Elliot in all-time completion percentage, but with an efficient end to the season, he could take that mantle as well. Elliot's record is 68.1 percent while Smith currently stands at 66.4 percent.
COACH JOSEPH SMITH
Joseph Smith is in his 14th season as Linfield's head coach. He has an overall record of 133-26 (.836), which is the highest winning percentage of any head coach in Wildcat football history. Smith's record includes marks of 116-16 (.878) in the regular season, 88-6 (.936) in Northwest Conference games, 17-10 (.630) in the postseason and 74-7 (.913) at home.
SPECTATOR POLICY AND COVID-19 PROTOCOLS
All individuals (age 12 and over) entering any athletics venue must provide proof of vaccination along with photo identification. Since all Linfield faculty, staff and students have completed this task in order to be on campus this fall, the Linfield individual must simply show their current Linfield ID.
Masks must be worn by all spectators at all times. Participants, including players, coaches, support staff and media on the sidelines, must wear masks throughout the duration of all athletic events, both indoor and outdoor, and during pregame and postgame activities.
