The regular season will wind to a close this weekend with one of the most anticipated Northwest Conference football games in recent history as the Linfield Wildcats (8-0, 6-0) will host the also unbeaten Whitworth Pirates (8-0, 6-0) at 1:00 on Saturday at Maxwell Field.
 
The winner will claim the title of NWC Champion and clinch the conference's automatic berth the 2023 NCAA Division III Football Championship tournament.
 
TICKETS
Tickets may be purchased in advance online or at the gate on gameday starting two hours before kickoff.
 
Covered reserved grandstand tickets are $20 dollars apiece, while general admission tickets are $10 for adults, and $5 for seniors 65 and over, children between ages 6-13, and non-Linfield students with their IDs. Children under six and Linfield students with their university ID may attend for free.
 
COVERAGE
The Linfield Sports Network provides live-streaming video coverage for every home game. Coverage begins with the Farnham Electric Pregame Show at 12:30.

Linfield alum Joe Stuart calls the play-by-play in his third year in the booth covering Wildcat football, while Linfield Athletics hall of famer and former All-American running back Gary McGarvie adds color-commentary and analysis.
 
Linfield football games can also be heard over KLYC 1260 AM in the McMinnville area.


THE SEASON SO FAR
Both teams have rolled through the regular season to unbeaten 8-0 records, setting up the first ever meeting between two undefeated teams in the NWC regular season finale based on available history dating back to 1926.
 
Linfield is ranked No. 8 in the D3Football.com Top-25 and No. 4 in the AFCA Coaches Poll after their 42-19 win at Pacific Lutheran last week. The 'Cats are coached by Joseph Smith, who is 156-28 in 18 seasons.
 
Whitworth is unranked in both polls but received seven votes in last week's D3Football.com Top-25 and 78 in the AFCA Coach's Poll, the most of any unranked team after holding off George Fox 24-13 in Spokane last week.
 
The Pirates are on the hunt for just their fifth undefeated regular season and third NWC championship, and second under head coach Rod Sandberg. Sandberg has been one of the all-time great coaches in Whitworth football history, compiling a 72-21 record in nine seasons.
THE LINFIELD OFFENSE
The Wildcats have rolled through the season on offense, averaging 44.0 points per 455.8 yards of total offense and 44.0 points of scoring offense a game, sitting 28^th nationally in total offense and 17^th in scoring under offensive coordinator Brett Elliott.
 
Junior quarterback Blake Eaton leads the NWC in passing touchdowns with 20 against just two interceptions, averaging 231.4 passing yards per game with a 68.7 percent completion rate, strong enough for 22^nd in D-III.
 
Eaton missed last week's game at Pacific Lutheran due to injury, with sophomore Luke McNabb filling in to the tune of 249 yards and three touchdowns passing while adding 45 yards and another touchdown on the ground in his first career start. It is likely that Eaton is back under center for the 'Cats against Whitworth.
 
Fifth-year tailback Connor McNabb is third in the NWC in rushing with 81.9 yards per game and has scored five rushing touchdowns. His 6.9 yards per carry is eight in D-III among qualified rushers and he has added 147 yards and a touchdown in the pass game.
 
Seniors Aaron Martinez and Tyler Larson as well as freshman Jackson Pfeifer have all provided depth in the backfield, with each of them providing at least 222 yards and a touchdown on the ground this season. Martinez is tied for the team lead with McNabb for rushing scores with five.
 
Fifth-year wideout Colton Smith leads the Wildcats in catches with 40, fourth in the NWC, which he has turned into 419 yards and five touchdowns, while graduate student Devon Murray leads the 'Cats in receiving yardage at 508 on 38 catches, nine of which have been touchdowns, good enough for third in the league.
 
Graduate student tight ends Isaac Hoidal and Franco Keplinger, as well as senior receiver Connor Wolfe, have all added two touchdowns apiece. Hoidal has totaled 190 yards on 15 catches.
 
THE WHITWORTH OFFENSE
The Pirate offense has kept pace with the Wildcats all season long from a statistical standpoint. Whitworth is averaging 450.1 yards and 44.9 point per game, good enough for 33^rd nationally in total offense and 17^th in scoring for offensive coordinator Ian Kolste.
 
Whitworth's huge offensive season can be largely accredited to the addition of quarterback Austin Ewing, a sixth-year graduate student transfer from Division-I Southern Utah.
 
Ewing has arguably been the top arm in the NWC this season, sitting second in the league in passing with 239.9 yards per game while throwing 19 touchdowns against two interceptions, and completing 71.7 percent of his passes, the seventh best mark in D-III this season. His 10.26 yards per pass attempt are eighth in the country and he's also added 103 yards and four touchdowns in the run game.
 
Ewing's top receivers on the year have been senior Dillon Kuk and Evan Liggett. Kuk has caught 28 passes for 571 yards and 10 touchdowns, top-three in the league in both. Meanwhile Liggett leads the team in catches with 34, which he has turned in 550 yards, fifth in the league, and six touchdowns, good enough for fourth.
 
Sophomore running back Luis Salgado has led the Pirates out of the backfield for 72.5 rushing yards per game, fourth in the conference, while tied for the league leads in rushing touchdowns with eight. Senior Solo Hines has added 45.5 yards per game and five touchdowns. Both have brough in at least 15 catches with two touchdowns as receivers.
 
THE LINFIELD DEFENSE
The Wildcats defensive unit has been one of the best in D-III throughout the course of the season, leading the NWC in both scoring and total defense at just 14.5 points and 251.5 yards allowed per game, both top 25 numbers nationally under defensive coordinator Jackson Vaughan.
 
Up front, senior tackles Nick Severson and Alex Frazier-Dow have imposed their will against opposing offensive lines, with Severson totaling 28 tackles with three for loss and Frazier-Dow recording 6.5 tackles for loss with two sacks.
 
At defensive end senior Caleb Sell and sophomore Grady Kentch have been just as dangerous, with Kentch leading the team in tackles for loss and quarterback hurries with seven in both categories to go with four sacks. Sell's posted six tackles for loss with a team-best 4.5 sacks and four quarterback hurries. Both have forced a fumble on the season.
Senior linebacker Blake Rybar anchors the middle of the defense at linebacker, leading the team 46 tackles. 6.5 have been for loss with 3.5 as sacks. He's also added five pass breakups, three hurries and an interception, finding himself well on his way to a likely second-consecutive NWC Defensive Player of the Year honor.
 
He's joined at linebacker by fellow senior Caiden Biege-Wetherbee, who's tallied 27 tackles with two for loss and two pass breakups. Sophomore Blaze Holani has rotated in off the bench to sit second on the team in tackles with 30 with 3.5 tackles for loss and six hurries.
 
Senior Cutter Hillock will start at the rover position and likely take added reps after an injury last week to sophomore Johnny Miller. Hillock has 25 tackles and three breakups to his name this year.
 
In the secondary fifth-year senior monster back Ben Baxter has been the stabilizing force to a banged up position group with 26 tackles, two interceptions and two breakups.
 
At safety, senior Jett Searle, with 20 tackles this season, is expected to return after missing last week due to injury. Junior Payton Anhorn filled in for Searle last week, totaling six tackles with a pass breakup and his first career interception.
 
Graduate student Justin Pfau and junior Chance Sparks will start at the cornerback positons. Pfau has 17 tackles with four pass breakups, an interception and a forced fumble to his name this season, while Sparks has totaled 15 tackles with four breakups and four interceptions, all four coming in the last three games.
 
THE WHITWORTH DEFENSE
The Pirates have put together the second-best scoring and third-best total defense in the NWC this season, giving up 17.5 points and 330.5 yards per game this year under defensive coordinator Mac Shaw.
 
The Pirates are led on D by linebackers Zach Brooks, a junior, and Zach Loveless, a senior. Brooks has totaled 53 tackles, sixth in the NWC, with four for loss as Loveless has followed with 45 tackles and four pass breakups.
 
Along the defensive line, junior JT Munoz has been a menace off the right edge, leading the team with 10 tackles for loss and six sacks, in addition to five quarterback hurries and three forced fumbles. On the opposite edge senior Dylan Owen has added six tackles for loss with 4.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.
In the defensive backfield junior free safety Daniel McKeirnan has been a force, bringing in a NWC-leading five interceptions to go with 36 tackles and four additional breakups. He's joined at safety by senior Atticus Templeton, who has 31 tackles with five breakups.
 
Junior Joshua Lawson and freshman Omari Williams start at cornerback, with Lawson bringing in two interceptions to go with 29 tackles and a sack, while Williams has added 15 tackles with an interception and a forced fumble.
 
THE LINFIELD SPECIALISTS
Junior kicker Gavin Dalziel has gone seven for 10 on field goal attempts this season, earning four NWC Special Teams Student Athlete of the Week awards. Against PLU Dalziel went six for six on point after touchdown attempts.
 
Senior punter Thomas Tabor leads the NWC and sits sixth in the nation in punting with 42.2 yards per punt. He has pinned 14 punts inside the 20-yard line and has booted six 50 or more yards, both NWC-leading numbers.
 
On returns, junior Maclain Stoneking averages 12.4 yards per on punts and 28.86 on kickoffs, while senior Paul Thie averages 10.63 on punts and 20.0 on kickoffs.
 
THE WHITWORTH SPECIALISTS
Freshman Iden Bone has gone just 3-7 on field goal attempts this year and is yet to make one from further than 34 yards, but has managed to go 50 for 50 on PAT attempts.
 
Sophomore Spencer King handles punting duties, averaging 34.7 yards per punt. He has pinned four inside opponents' 20-yard lines.
 
Senior Jarvis Natividad is the lead return man on kickoffs, averaging 23.5 yards per return, while senior Riley Morrison averages 3.86 yards per punt return.
 
 
THE SERIES
Linfield has an all-time record against Whitworth of 40-6-2 in a series dating back to 1952 and the Wildcats have won the last 3 meetings ... In the most recent meeting in 2022, Linfield won 35-17 in Spokane. The last meeting in McMinnville was in 2021, with Linfield winning 42-7 … Whitworth's last win was 19-14 in Spokane in 2018; prior to that Linfield had won the last 11 meetings … the first meeting was a 13-13 tie in McMinnville on October 4, 1952 … Linfield has a 20-1-2 record against Whitworth in McMinnville and a 19-5 record against the Pirates in Spokane … Whitworth's last win in McMinnville was in 2006 by a 17-13 score … Linfield's widest margin was 61-0 in 1966 in McMinnville; the Wildcats' widest margin in Spokane was 35 points, 49-14 in 1982. Whitworth's widest margin was 34 points, 41-7 in 1954 in Spokane; the Pirates' widest margin in McMinnville was four points, 17-13 in 2006 … one of the games in the series was in the postseason: in 2015 Linfield won 48-10 in McMinnville in the NCAA Division III playoffs first round …
 
A PERFECT ENDING 
Based on available information, this is believed to be the first time in Northwest Conference history – which dates back to 1926 - that two NWC teams with perfect season records have met in the regular season finale … NWC teams have met in the regular season finale with perfect conference records. The most recent times were Linfield and Willamette in 2004 and 2005, with the Wildcats winning 48-14 in McMinnville in 2004 and 63-21 in Salem in 2005 …
 
HEAD COACH JOSEPH SMITH 
Joseph Smith is in his 17th season as Linfield's head coach; he has an overall record of 155-28 (.847), which is the highest winning percentage of any head coach in Wildcat football history … Smith's record includes marks of 124-16 (.886) in the regular season, 103-6 (.945) in Northwest Conference games, 84-8 (.913) at home and 20-12 (.625) in the postseason … During Smith's tenure, Linfield has won 12 NWC titles, including the 2022 crown; 11 of those have been outright, including 2022 … During Smith's tenure, Linfield has put together 7 unbeaten regular seasons …
 
CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS 
Linfield won the 2022 Northwest Conference championship; it was the Wildcats' third straight NWC title and its 12th in the last 13 years. Linfield won or shared the NWC title 9 straight seasons from 2009-17; that's the longest such streak in NWC football history … Linfield has now won 38 NWC championships, including 31 outright … Linfield also won 6 division titles, including 5 outright, while the NWC schools were folded into the Columbia Football Association from 1985-1995 …