The No. 4/5 Linfield Wildcats face yet another tough road test this weekend, as they make the quick trip across Yamhill County to take on the George Fox Bruins at Stoffer Family Stadium in Newberg.

The Wildcats (6-0, 4-0) will look to stay unbeaten on the season and continue their dominance in the series against the Bruins (6-1, 3-1), having won all seven contests between the programs since football returned to George Fox in 2014.

Kickoff is set for 1:35 PDT.
 
TICKETS
Both general admission and reserved grandstand seating are available to purchase at the Stoffer Family Stadium gate or online through the George Fox website.

Reserved tickets are $25 while general admission tickets are $10. Tickets are only $5 for seniors 65 and over, kids ages 10-18 and non-George Fox students with their student ID. Children under 10 can attend the game for free.

LIVE COVERAGE
The Linfield Sports Network will provide live audio coverage for Saturday's game, as they will for all Linfield football road games all season long. Play-by-play announcer Joe Stuart is joined by former Wildcat running back Gary McGarvie on color commentary and analysis. Live audio coverage begins at 1:00 with the Farnham Electric Pregame Show.

The game will also be available to watch online through the George Fox website as well as on Portland's CW, KRCW-32. Both broadcasts will be produced by George Fox.

Live stats will also be available, provided by George Fox.
 
THE SEASON SO FAR
The Wildcats have gotten off to yet another unbeaten start, rolling through their schedule at 6-0. With their win over Pacific Lutheran last weekend, the Wildcats now stand alone at the top of the NWC standings with a 4-0 record and three games left to play in the season.

They are now a consensus top-five team in the country, ranked fourth in the AFCA Coach's Poll and fifth in the D3Football.com Top 25.

The Bruins got off to a high-flying start to the year with three non-conference wins, but won all three by 10 points or less.

The dropped their NWC opener to PLU on Oct. 1 in a 13-12 stunner in Newberg. Since then, they've rattled off three straight wins, outscoring their opponents 99-24 during that span. At 6-1 overall and 3-1 in conference play they sit tied with the Lutes for second place in the NWC.
 
THE LINFIELD OFFENSE
The Wildcats continue to click on all cylinders when they have the ball under co-offensive coordinators Brett Elliott and Aaron Boehme.

Against PLU, Linfield amassed 269 yards through the air and 136 yards on the ground for 405 yards of total offense. The Cats' have now totaled 400 yards or more in four straight games and in five out of six contests this season.

Linfield is now averaging 435.8 yards of total offense per game and 42.7 points per game, which is 18^th in Division-III. Both numbers lead the NWC by significant margins.

The Wildcats are averaging 135.2 rushing yards per game, third in the NWC, and lead the league in passing with 300.7 yards per game, which is also 14^th in the country.

Sophomore quarterback Blake Eaton continues to impress in his first season under center. He set a new career best in completion percentage against the Lutes, connecting 27 times on 32 passes (84.4 percent, the third best completion percentage in a single game by a Linfield quarterback), for 259 yards and three touchdowns.

On the year Eaton's completed 70.3 percent of his passes, second in the NWC and 13^th in the nation, and is averaging 23.67 completions per game, 7^th in the nation. His 282.7 passing yards per game are second in the NWC and 14^th nationally.

He's racked up 17 touchdowns while throwing just four interceptions all season. He's also added four touchdowns on the ground.

Eaton's top targets continue to produce with seniors Colton Smith and Devon Murray and junior Joel Valadez.

Smith led the group against PLU with 11 catches, tying his career best, for 86 yards and two touchdowns, his second two-touchdown performance in as many games.

Valadez and Murray recorded six grabs apiece against the Lutes, with Valadez going for 72 yards and Murray for 37 and a touchdown.

On the year Valadez leads the trio in yardage with 547 yards (second in the NWC) on 35 catches with four touchdowns. Smith also has 35 receptions, for 461 yards and seven touchdowns (second in the NWC). Murray has contributed 289 yards and six touchdowns on 25 catches.

The talented wide receiver group is complemented by a deep stable of running backs.

Seniors Connor Morton and Connor McNabb have led the way for Linfield out of the backfield all season.

Morton has totaled 278 yards and four touchdowns on the ground this year, with an average 4.8 yards per attempt, and has added nine catches for 71 yards. Against PLU he ran it 10 times for 51 yards and a touchdown and caught one pass for 15 yards.

McNabb has added 264 yards and two touchdowns and eight catches for 90 yards. He was fairly limited against the Lutes, producing just 13 rushing yards on five attempts. He did have Linfield's longest reception of the game, a 39-yard catch-and-run that would have been a 67-yard touchdown had it not been called back on a penalty.

Junior Aaron Martinez actually ended up as Linfield's leading rusher on the day against PLU, carrying the ball 13 times for 71 yards, both career highs, late in the second half to seal the win for the Wildcats.

Graduate transfer Bishop Mitchell and juniors Zach Young and Tyler Larson all saw action against the Lutes as well and should mix into the backfield rotation against George Fox.

The tight ends for the Wildcats are senior Isaac Hoidal and junior Franco Keplinger. Both had a catch apiece against PLU; on the season Hoidal has 14 catches for 141 yards and a touchdown while Keplinger has seven receptions for 54 yards.

All-American right guard Julien Sears leads a Linfield offensive line that has set the tone physically for the 'Cats in every game this year.

He's joined by fellow fifth-year seniors Taylor Adams at right tackle and Matt Metcalf at center. Sophomore Bailey Lee starts at left guard, while playing time at left tackle has been split between fifth-year senior Tyler Critser and junior Diego Rodriguez.
 
THE GEORGE FOX OFFENSE
Although the Bruins have ran a program built on stout defenses the last several seasons, it's the strength of the offense that has fueled George Fox to 6-1 start this season.

The Bruins average 400.3 yards of total offense a game, second in the NWC only to the Wildcats, and 32.7 points per game, third in the league.

They've moved the ball through the air with success, averaging 291.7 passing yards per game, but just 107.6 rushing. They've scored 19 touchdowns with the pass and nine with the run.

The Bruin attack begins with senior quarterback Haiden Schaan, in his second year at the helm of the offense. An Honorable Mention All-NWC selection in 2021, Schaan leads the conference this season with 1,996 passing yards (285.1 per game) and 19 touchdowns. He's completed 64.0 percent of passes and has thrown six interceptions.

He's been a threat to run the ball as well this season, running 59 times this year for 148 yards and leads the Bruins in rushing touchdowns with three.

Schaan's top option in the offense has been junior wide receiver Leon Johnson III, a second team all-league honoree last season.

Johnson, standing tall at 6'5", has dominated this season and although he's second in the league in receptions with 40, leads the NWC in every other receiving category.

Already he's racked up 901 yards (128.7 per game) and 11 touchdowns while averaging 22.5 yards per catch. Johnson had posted at least 4 catches, 100 yards and a touchdown in every game this season before the Bruins' win over Pacific, in which he left due to injury. Should he be healthy on Saturday, he will be the key to success for George Fox's offense.

Johnson is joined at receiver by junior slot man Dillan Dobbins, who has 20 catches for 397 yards and three touchdowns, and sophomore Elias Polanski, who has nine catches for 103 yards this year.

Tight ends Chad Bletko, Josh Hausenstein and Thomas McMillan could all play a role in the George Fox passing game as well.

Freshman Taylor Saben is the lead tailback for George Fox after the Bruins lost junior starter Logan Candanoza following an injury on October 8 at Willamette.

Saben has logged 44 attempts for 155 yards and two touchdowns. He's coming off a potential breakout game against Pacific in which he rushed for 65 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries, in addition to catching three passes for 40 yards and a touchdown.
 
THE LINFIELD DEFENSE
Coming off their first shutout since 2019, the Linfield defense looks as confident as ever six games into the season under defensive coordinator Jackson Vaughan.

Utter dominance was on display by the Wildcats whenever the Lutes had the football last weekend, holding PLU to 114 yards of total offense and an average of 2.2 yards per play. They forced three turnovers, including two interceptions returned for touchdowns.

They also limited PLU to just five first downs. All five came in the second half, with three coming in the final eight minutes of the fourth quarter.

On the season Linfield has been by far the best statistical defense in the league, allowing just 12.8 points of scoring defense, 24^th in D-III, and 225.2 yards of total defense, 13^th in D-III. They have excelled on third downs, allowing opponents to convert just 23.6 percent of the time, eighth in D-III.

Although strong at every position group, the Wildcats are elite on the defensive line.

Senior All-American defensive end Travis Swanson is joined by fellow seniors Vinny Niosi at defensive end and Chase Lydig at tackle. Junior Nick Severson rounds out the group, joining Lydig at defensive tackle.

Senior Grayson Cosier, juniors Caleb Sell and Alex Frazier, sophomore Connor Stevens all figure to mix into the d-line rotation, among others, in what may be the deepest position group on the team.

As a unit they've helped Linfield produce 42 tackles for loss, 23 sacks and 11 takeaways.

Juniors Blake Rybar and Logan Carr hold down the starting linebacker slots. Rybar leads the team with 45 tackles this year, 32 solo, and nine tackles for loss, including 2.5 sacks. He led the Wildcats against PLU with eight tackles and two tackles for loss.

Carr is third on the team in tackles with 25, 13 of them solo, including two tackles for loss and a sack.

They're joined by junior Caiden Biege-Wetherbee at the rover position, who is second on the team in tackles with 27, 19 solo, with 1.5 for loss. He's also added an interception and two pass breakups.

Senior Tyler Good, junior Zack Kanahele-Mone and freshman Blaze Holani will also likely factor into the linebacker rotation.

The Wildcats secondary has shown tremendous growth over the course of the season, and put their "big-play" ability on display against the Lutes as starting cornerbacks Evan Fisette and Chance Sparks had a "pick-six" apiece, Sparks to open the game and Fisette to open the third quarter.

It was the first interceptions of the season for both corners. Sparks has totaled 13 tackles to go with his interception and three pass breakups while Fisette has 10 tackles and two pass breakups.

Senior Ben Baxter is the most experienced member of the Linfield secondary, holding down the monsterback position. Sophomore Colby Kalukoa joins him at safety.

Kalukoa has racked up 21 tackles in his first season as a starter, to go with one interception and a pass breakup. Baxter adds 10 tackles, seven solo, with two interceptions and a pass breakup.

Seniors Jett Searle and Justin Pfau, junior Cutter Hillock, sophomore Makai Williams and freshman Johnny Miller have all played a role in defensive back alignments this season and should continue to do so against George Fox.
 
THE GEORGE FOX DEFENSE
The Bruins defense struggled a bit to start the year and George Fox was forced to win games on the strength of their offense early in the calendar. But they have found their footing since the start of NWC action.

Their most points allowed to an NWC opponent this year was in their 13-12 loss to PLU. They've allowed just 9.3 points per game against conference opponents, best in the NWC.

Overall on the year they're second in the league in scoring defense at 19.3 points per game and fourth in total defense at 314.1 yards per game.

The Bruin defense is led by senior safety Justin Montijo, a second team all-league selection at safety and first team as a return specialist in 2021.

Montijo's 59 tackles, 36 solo, lead the team and are second in the NWC. He also has five pass breakups and an interception. Against Pacific Montijo posted the team high in tackles with eight, including his first tackle for loss of the season, and added a breakup and a fumble recovery.

He's joined at safety by sophomores Austin Canchola and Kiegan Schaan, the younger brother of the Bruins QB.

Schaan has 38 tackles this year, including two tackles for loss and a sack, to go with two interceptions, a pass breakup a fumble forced and a fumble recovered.

Canchola has added 26 tackles, 16 solo, and a sack.

The three safeties are joined in the backfield by seniors Chris McCoy and Kross Knoll at cornerback.

McCoy is third on the team in tackles with 48, 32 solo, and has two tackles for loss. He's recorded just one interception but a team-best nine pass breakups, tied for the highest mark in the NWC.

Knoll has contributed 23 tackles, 19 solo, with 2.5 for loss in addition to an interception, two breakups and a forced fumble.

Sophomore Nash Wylie leads the George Fox linebackers this season with 51 tackles, second only to Montijo. He's also second on the team in tackles for loss this season with four, including 1.5 sacks. He's also forced three quarterback hurries and has recovered two fumbles.

Wylie is joined at linebacker by junior Kobe Andrews, who has 29 tackles with 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks, in addition to two interceptions and three quarterback hurries, and sophomore Cooper Rogien, who has 14 tackles, two sacks and two quarterback hurries.

Although just a freshman, defensive end Jacob Erickson has been a disruptive force on the defensive line with 26 tackles, including an NWC-leading nine sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss. He is coming off the second two-sack performance of his young career.

He's joined on the line by sophomore Bryce Goetz and senior Anthony Pasion, a Second Team All-NWC selection in 2021.

Pasion has 21 tackles this season but has been limited to just half a tackle for loss. Goetz has 14 tackles including 1.5 sacks, plus four quarterback hurries and a pass breakup.
 
LINFIELD SPECIAL TEAMS
Three young specialists have handled kicking responsibilities for the Wildcats this season. 

Freshman punter Cade Johannsen has impressed on 16 opportunities this season, averaging 39.19 yards per punt (second in the NWC), including two over 50 yards. His punts have five led to five fair catches and four have been downed inside the 20-yard line.

Freshman Nolan Ahhmann has been the kickoff specialist, averaging 56.8 yards per kick with eight touchbacks. Sophomore placekicker Gavin Dalziel has attempted four field goals this season, making two. Both makes have been from 36 yards. He is 34 for 36 on PAT attempts this season.

Sophomore Maclain Stoneking and senior Paul Thie have handled kickoff and punt returns this season. 

Stoneking has returned 17 punts for 290 yards (17.06 yards per return) and two touchdowns, and six kickoffs for 118 yards (19.67 yards per return). Thie has returned nine punts for 113 yards (12.56 yards per return) and a touchdown, and three kicks for 66 yards (22.0 yards per return).
 
GEORGE FOX SPECIAL TEAMS
Senior Ethan Hoffman handles both kicking and punting responsibilities for the Bruins. He's seen more action than any NWC placekicker this season on field goal attempts with a league-high 10. He's connected on seven, including the longest made field goal in the NWC this season, a 47-yarder on Sept. 17 vs Chapman.

He also averages 56.5 yards per kickoff and 40.1 yards per punt, tops in the conference.

Montijo, reprising his role as lead return specialist this season, is averaging 22.27 yards per kickoff return and 11.14 yards per kickoff return. He has returned one punt for a touchdown.
 
THE SERIES 
Linfield's series vs. George Fox dates back to the first game of Linfield's football history, played in Newberg on October 31, 1896, with George Fox winning 54-0. Linfield was then known as McMinnville College and George Fox as Pacific College ... Linfield leads the all-time series 14-4; the Wildcats are 9-3 against the Bruins in McMinnville and 5-1 in Newberg … Linfield has won the last 13 games in the series, including 2021's 38-7 win in McMinnville … the last game in Newberg was in 2018, a 14-0 Linfield victory … George Fox's last win in the series was in 1898, a 6-0 victory in McMinnville; the Bruins' last win in Newberg was in 1896 by a 54-0 score in that first-ever Linfield game … the series resumed on a yearly basis in 2014; prior to that, the teams hadn't met since 1942, a 50-0 Linfield win in Newberg; before that game, the last meeting had been in 1926, a 52-0 Linfield win in McMinnville … Linfield's widest margin of victory was 59-0 in 2014 in McMinnville, while George Fox's widest margin was 56-0 in a second meeting in 1896, in McMinnville. Linfield's widest margin in Newberg was 50-0 in 1942, while George Fox's widest margin in Newberg was that 54-0 win in the first meeting of 1896 … of the 18 previous meetings, only 6 games have seen both teams score. Linfield has posted 8 shutouts and George Fox 4 .
 
HEAD COACH JOSEPH SMITH
Joseph Smith is in his 17th season as Linfield's head coach; he has an overall record of 144-27 (.842), which is the highest winning percentage of any head coach in Wildcat football history … Smith's record includes marks of 114-16 (.877) in the regular season, 95-6 (.941) in Northwest Conference games, 80-7 (.920) at home and 19-11 (.633) in the postseason … in Smith's time as head coach, Linfield has won 11 NWC titles, 10 of those outright … during Smith's tenure, Linfield has put together 6 unbeaten regular seasons. 
 
SINCE 2009
Since the start of the 2009 season, Linfield is 126-18 (.875) overall, 107-7 (.939) in the regular season, 70-3 (.959) at home and 81-2 (.976) in NWC games … In that time, Linfield has won 11 NWC titles, including 10 outright … During that span, Linfield is 19-11 (.633) in the postseason … since 2009, Linfield has recorded 6 unbeaten regular seasons … in its last 100 regular season games dating back to the 2011 season, the Wildcats are 94-6.