After missing the 2020 season, the Linfield football program returned without missing a beat in 2021. Going 11-1, claiming their 43^rd conference title, averaging a margin of victory of 43.0 points, reaching the NCAA quarterfinals and ending the year ranked fifth in the country, the Wildcats maintained their position as one of the premiere Division-III football programs in the nation.

Now the pressure stays on at Maxwell Field heading into the 2022 slate. With 16 starters returning for 17^th year head coach Joseph Smith, the Wildcats enter the season ranked seventh in the country in the D3Football.com Preseason Top-25 and, as they so often are, are considered the favorites to take the Northwest Conference Championship.

It's the combination of talent and experience up and down the roster that creates these lofty expectations, and in the end will be the keys to Linfield's success.

"I wouldn't pick one position on our team at all that's the strongest group." Said Smith. "I think our d-line is unbelievable, I think our running backs are unbelievable, I think our receivers are one of the finest groups we've had. I think we've got four or five groups that are pretty strong coming into this season."

THE OFFENSE
After finishing sixth in the nation in scoring offense with 47.8 points per game and twelfth in total offense at 488.8 yards per game last season, a unit that returns ten starters faces high expectations in 2022 under co-offensive coordinators Brett Elliott and Aaron Boehme.

The one position that doesn't feature a returner is quarterback, with several Wildcats battling for the spot vacated by 2021 Gagliardi Trophy finalist and All-American Wyatt Smith.

Junior Dawson Lieurance and sophomores Michael Schutz and Blake Eaton are the three frontrunners for the job, with a decision on who will be the long-term starter expected to shake-out over the first few weeks of the season.

Lieurance saw the most consistent playing time of the three as Smith's primary backup last season, completing 14 of 22 passes for 140 yards, one touchdown and one interception in six games. Schutz completed seven of nine passes for 67 yards and a touchdown while Eaton completed just one pass for nine yards on three attempts.

"We've got more depth in the skill positions than we have had in a long, long time," said Smith. "So, whoever the guy ends up being I know they'll do well, they've got a lot of talent and experience around them. They've got a good race car – it's set up well, all the parts are there, they just got to drive it, and it's a pretty explosive machine."

Whichever of the three wins the starting job will not only have plenty of weapons to throw to but will also be well-protected behind a staunch and experienced offensive line.

"Those guys are playing physical; they're playing with experience. And obviously we've got to always improve our technique," said Smith. "But everyday they're matched up against one of the better defensive lines that we've had in a long time so there's a lot of give and take there, but they're getting sharpened quite nicely by a great position group."

Leading the unit will be fifth-year seniors All-American right guard Julien Sears and All-Region center Matt Metcalf. Both were picked as D3Football.com Preseason All-Americans heading into this season.

They'll be joined by seniors Taylor Adams at right tackle and Tyler Critser at left tackle with sophomore Bailey Lee at left guard. Adams and Lee joined Sears and Metcalf as All-NWC selections last season.

Junior Diego Rodriguez and sophomores Julius Lugo and Ethan Hoppe all saw significant opportunities in 2021 and could also mix into the o-line this season.

Maybe even more loaded than Linfield's offensive line this season are their skill position players.

The running back stable is as deep as it has ever been and features two of the best in the NWC as the lead horses.

Senior Connor McNabb will resume his role as the starting tailback, sharing time with junior Connor Morton.

Two of the most dynamic players in the league, both excelled in rushing and receiving the football in 2021. McNabb, a first team All-NWC selection, finished the season second in the NWC in all all-purpose yards at 1,333 yards with Morton following shortly behind at 1,262.

In rushing alone McNabb finished third in the conference with 705 yards while Morton was fourth with 566. They were third and fourth as well in rushing touchdowns, McNabb with nine and Morton with six.

McNabb essentially acted as a fourth wide receiver in many instances last year, finishing fourth in the league in receptions with 52, sixth in receiving yards with 557 and ninth in touchdowns with four.

Morton recorded 36 catches for 236 yards and two touchdowns through the air while starring on kickoff returns, leading the NWC with 504 return yards.

A deep bench at the position features sophomores Aaron Martinez and Tyler Larson as well as graduate transfer Bishop Mitchell.

The star power continues at the wide receiver position, where the Wildcats produced three first team all-conference selection in 2021.

Sophomore slot receiver Joel Valadez led the group last season on his way to NWC Freshman of the Year, leading the league in receiving yards with 837, touchdowns with 13 and finishing second in receptions with 59.

Valadez is flanked on the outside by juniors Colton Smith and Devon Murray. Murray finished second in the league behind Valadez in both yards and touchdowns with 751 yards and 11 scores, and third in receptions with 54.

Smith, who took home Freshman of the Year in 2019, finished third in the league in touchdowns at 10, fourth in receiving yards with 629 and sixth in receptions with 49.

Thanks to Linfield's prolific offense, 2021 was just the second season in program history that three different receivers finished with 10 or more touchdowns apiece.

The depth continues in the receiver room, with Linfield's top trio being supported by junior Paul Thie and sophomores Chance Sparks and Connor Wolfe.

The offense is rounded out by junior tight ends Franco Keplinger and Isaac Hoidal. Keplinger resumes the starting role at the position, where he recorded 23 catches for 201 yards and two touchdowns in 2021.

Hoidal, making the switch this season from wideout to tight end, caught 14 passes for 150 yards as a sophomore.

THE DEFENSE
As explosive as the Linfield offense was in 2021, the defense was just as formidable under defensive coordinator Jackson Vaughan. The Wildcats finished twelfth in the nation in total defense at 237.8 yards allowed per game, while leading the NWC in scoring defense at just 16.0 points allowed per game.

One of their greatest strengths was stopping their opponents on third down, allowing conversions just 23 percent of the time, second in the nation.

"We want to stop the run, make you have to throw the football and then try to rush the passer. So, if we can do that again we'll be very good on defense," said Smith.

The dominance was spearheaded by one of the strongest defensive lines in Division-III. They powered Linfield to finishing second in the nation in sacks with 45, second in rushing defense at 54.8 yards per game, fifth in tackles for loss with 98 while racking up the most tackle for loss yards in the nation with 488.

"The defensive line is very formidable, very experienced. They're both physical and fast, which is a great combination, and I expect them to set the tempo absolutely," said Smith.

The d-line is led by 2021 NWC Defensive Player of the Year and All-American defensive end Travis Swanson, who was named a Preseason All-American by D3Football.com heading into his fifth season.

Swanson finished tied for first in the league in sacks with 11 and in tackles for loss with 19.5. On the year he racked up 53 total tackles, second on the team, 31 of them solo.

Swanson is joined by two other 2021 all-region selections at the defensive tackles, senior Chase Lydig and sophomore Nick Severson. Lydig recorded 21 tackles with 8.5 for loss, second on the team behind Swanson, and four sacks. Severson had 29 tackles through his freshman campaign, with eight for loss and seven sacks, tied for second in the NWC.

The starting d-line is rounded out by senior Vinny Niosi, who recorded 32 tackles, 7.5 for loss while adding five pass breakups and leading the league in forced fumbles with three.

Off the bench, senior Grayson Cosier and sophomores Caleb Sell, Alex Frazier and Connor Stevens should all factor into defensive line schemes this season.

One of the Linfield's deepest position groups in 2021, the "linebacker corps" will still pose an intimidating threat to NWC offenses despite some turnover of key contributors.

"We did lose a lot there at that position and we're going to miss some of those guys. But I think we have some very fine players coming back who were in that rotation and I expect them to play well," said Smith.

Sophomores Blake Rybar and Logan Carr will move into the starting linebacker spots after seeing consistent reps as freshmen. Rybar was particularly impressive, earning an All-NWC Honorable Mention selection and had the most tackles by any Wildcat in a single game last season, recording 11 with 4.5 for loss against George Fox.

Sophomore Caiden Biege-Wetherbee returns to his starting role at rover where an excellent 2021 campaign saw him be the only freshman named to the All-NWC Defensive First Team. Biege-Wetherbee totaled 40 tackles, 19 solo and five for loss, while breaking up six passes and recording one interception.

"I think they need some time; they need some snaps to show what they can do," said Smith. "And we're still trying to find the best combination of guys on the field together and put them in positions to be successful. So, I think that will be an ongoing position as we see how they play."

Seniors Tyler Good, sophomore Zack Kanahele-Mone and freshman Johnny Miller should also all see time in the linebacker rotation.

The lone returning starter in the defensive backfield is junior Ben Baxter, once again serving as the starting monsterback. A first team All-NWC honoree as a sophomore, Baxter led the Wildcats with 54 tackles, as well as three interceptions and eight pass breakups, both top-five marks in the league.

Joining Baxter at the other safety position is sophomore Colby Kalaukoa, who saw action in six games last year. Junior Jett Searle and sophomore Cutter Hillock will both compete for reps at safety behind Baxter and Kalaukoa.

"I think we're seeing some real development there," said Smith. "We've got a nucleus of really four, maybe five, safeties that are playing those two safety spots. I think the rover position where Biege's playing, we've got a little bit of depth there too, and the corners… there's some talent there."

"We'll miss Tyler [Sitton] and Tyler [Bergeron], those are huge losses for us as a team just in experience and leadership, but I think our corners will develop as the season goes. But that's really a concern for everybody, you want to have good corners because when you get into playoff games, that's going to be who decides the game."

The starting cornerbacks will pose significant size advantages against many of their opponents with juniors Evan Fisette and Justin Pfau, both standing tall at 6'3", stepping into the starting slots.

Both saw action in eight games last year. Fisette recorded six tackles and one interception while Pfau totaled nine tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss. Senior Gilbert Pizzaro and junior Dez Phillips will also see time on the field as Fisette and Pfau's backups, while Sparks could mix into the cornerback rotation as well.

SPECIAL TEAMS
Sophomore Gavin Dalziel will lead a fresh-faced group of specialists this season as Linfield's placekicker. Dalziel appeared in three games as a freshman, hitting all three of his point after touchdown opportunities and kicking off once for 51 yards.

Freshman Cade Johannsen will immediately step into the starting punter role. Johannsen was a First Team All-State 5A selection as a senior at North Eugene High School last fall.
Sophomore Chase Michalczik will be the starting long-snapper while Sparks will join the specialists as the holder.

Morton will continue his role as lead kick returner, alongside Thie. Thie mostly handled punt returns in 2021, returning 17 times for 105 yards.

The lead punt return duties will be held by sophomore speedster Maclain Stoneking, who returned 24 punts for 221 yards and Linfield's lone return touchdown last season.

THE COACH
With over 30 years as a part of the program, and 16 as head coach, Smith returns once again to as the head man for Linfield football. The 11-time NWC Coach of the Year (including 2021) and former Wildcat All-American defensive back has led Linfield to a 138-27 record during his tenure, for an .836 win percentage, the best mark of any coach in Linfield football history.

His 138 wins trail only his former coach, College Football Hall of Famer Ad Rutschman, for the most in program history. He sits in fifth among all active D-III coaches in win percentage and twelfth in total wins.

THE SCHEDULE
Linfield opens the season with a trip down south to Montgomery, Alabama, where they will play the Huntingdon College Hawks, defending champions of the USA South Conference, on Sept. 3. It will be the first ever meeting between the two programs.

Huntindgon went 8-2 in 2021 on the way to their conference title before losing in the first round of the NCAA playoffs, 24-14, to in-state rival Birmingham Southern.

"It's different, but exciting," said Smith. "The chance to play a whole different team on the road, in a different time zone… we're a little concerned about the humidity but it's going to be a great matchup. They're a good team so we're pretty excited about it."

Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 PM CDT, 4:00 PM PDT.

The Wildcats' first home game of the year, on Sept. 17 will also serve as the homecoming game for the Linfield campus, with the Wildcats hosting the Redlands Bulldogs at 1:00 PM.

They'll open their NWC schedule on Sept 1. in McMinnville, hosting Puget Sound.

TICKETS
Both single-game and season tickets are available to purchase in advance online or at the gate on gameday. Tickets are $20 for reserved seats in the covered grandstand, or $15 for general admission. Discounts are available for senior-citizens, students and children.

LIVE COVERAGE
For the first time in the program's history, all home games for the season will be simulcast on live television on Portland's CW, KRCW-32, through a partnership with KOIN/KRCW. For non-Portland area Wildcat fans, the same broadcast will still be streamed through the Linfield Sports Network as they have for over 15 years, as will live audio streams of all away games.

Joe Stuart returns to the booth for his second year as the play-by-play voice of Linfield football. He will be joined by former Linfield running back Gary McGarvie, a two-time NAIA All-American in the early 90s, for color commentary and analysis.

McGarvie replaces long-time hall of fame commentator Dave Hansen, who stepped down this summer after nearly 50 years of broadcasting Linfield sporting events.

Chris Clayton will fill in for Stuart on the first broadcast of the year as the Wildcats take on Huntingdon.