Nearly a month into the Division-III football season, the Linfield Wildcats will hold their home and Northwest Conference opener this weekend at Memorial Stadium hosting the Willamette University Bearcats.
 
The longtime Northwest Conference rivals will face off for the 95^th time in the programs' histories, with kickoff set for 1:00.
 
TICKETS
Tickets may be purchased in advance online by 3:00 on Friday 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.

The Oregon International Air Show will be taking place at the McMinnville Airport concurrently. Fans are encouraged to leave early and plan for increased traffic heading into McMinnville on Saturday.
 
COVERAGE
The Linfield Sports Network will provide live-streaming video coverage for every home game all season long. 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 NAIA All-American 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
The Wildcats are ranked No. 8 in the D3Football.com Top-25 and No. 6 in the AFCA D-III Coaches Poll after opening their season with back-to-back non-conference road trips, beating Denison (3-1, 2-0) 28-14 in Granville, Ohio and Redlands (2-1, 1-0) 17-10 in Redlands, Calif. Head coach Joseph Smith is in his 18^th season, with an all-time record of 150-28.
 
In 2022 Willamette finished 2-8 and 0-7 in conference for last in the NWC. This year the Bearcats off to a 1-2 start. They won their season opener 24-21 at La Verne but have since been rolled at home by Lewis & Clark 38-7 and at Southern Oregon, 49-7. They are under the direction of interim head coach Time Rude since former head coach Isaac Parker was dismissed days after the first game of the year.
 
THE LINFIELD OFFENSE
Although yet to reach the statistical heights that the Wildcats have achieved in recent seasons, a developing offensive unit has proved to be balanced and consistent through two games under fifth-year offensive coordinator Brett Elliott.
 
So far on the young season Linfield is averaging 348.5 yards of total offense and 5.2 yards per play, having scored four touchdowns in the run game and two through the air.
 
The Wildcats are led by junior quarterback Blake Eaton, a First team all-NWC and D3Football.com Third team all-Region 6 selection in 2022.
 
In his second season as the starter Eaton is averaging 205.0 yards per game while completing 66.15 percent of passes and throwing for two touchdowns and no interceptions. He's also added 25 yards gained and a touchdown in the run game.
 
In the win against Redlands, Eaton completed 22 of 30 pass attempts, registering a completion percentage over 70.0 for the eighth time in 13 starts as a Wildcat.
 
The Linfield rushing attack has proven to be a strength early on. The 'Cats lead the NWC with 143.5 rushing yards per game and are second in yards per attempt at 4.1.
 
Fifth-year senior and three-time first team all-league honoree Connor McNabb leads the "'Cat-backs" with 193 rushing yards and a touchdown, averaging 5.8 yards per carry, second in the conference.
 
Senior Aaron Martinez has been an effective second option out of the backfield, with 53 rushing yards and a touchdown on 14 attempts for an average of 3.8 yards per rush. He's also added three catches for 45 yards and a score in the pass game.
 
Linfield's top-pass catchers, multi-time first team all-conference selections Colton Smith, a fifth-year senior, and Devon Murray, a graduate student, both posted strong stat lines against Redlands.
In southern California Smith racked up eight catches for 79 yards while Murray added seven grabs for 55 yards and Linfield's lone receiving touchdown of the game.
 
On the year Smith now has 14 catches for 132 yards and Murray has posted 12 for 117. Both rank in the top-10 in the NWC in receptions despite playing only 10 games while much of the rest of the league has played three.
 
THE WILLAMETTE OFFENSE
Under sixth year offensive coordinator Nick Sciacqua the Bearcats posted 24 points at La Verne, but since then have struggled to score, totaling just two touchdowns in their last two games. Their 12.7 points per game sit eighth in the NWC while their 205.3 yards per game are dead last.
 
At Southern Oregon, Willamette mustered just 170 yards of total offense, averaging 3.0 yards per play.
 
True freshman Micah Ho'omanawanui is listed as the Willamette starting quarterback and started the first two games of the year, but it was fellow true freshman Max Grizzell starting in their last game at SOU.
 
On the season Ho'omanawanui completed 44.9 percent of his pass attempts for 235 yards, three touchdowns and four interceptions in the first two games of the year.
 
Grizzell, meanwhile, completed just six of 13 pass attempts for 62 yards and two interceptions against SOU.
 
Junior running back Gabe Herrera has been the Bearcats' top option on offense. Herrera is averaging 87.7 rushing yards per game, second in the NWC only to McNabb, and 4.4 per attempt off of 263 yards on 60 attempts.
 
Against Southern Oregon he rushed for 62 yards on 16 attempts and his first touchdown of the season.
 
The number one wide receiver for Willamette this season is junior Tyler Epefanio, who's brought in 10 receptions for 138 yards and a touchdown. He's followed by senior Justin Genovia, who has nine catches for 99 yards and a score.  
 
THE LINFIELD DEFENSE
The Wildcat defense has picked up right where it left off in 2022 under 17^th year defensive coordinator Jackson Vaughan. So far Linfield has posted a top-25 scoring defense nationally at just 12.0 points allowed per game.
 
Linfield is also second in the NWC in total defense, giving up just 287.0 yards per game. On average 212.0 have been allowed through the air and 75.0 on the ground. Of the just three touchdowns given up through two games, two have come from opponents' rushing attacks.
 
Anchored as usual by a formidable front-four, the Wildcats totaled four sacks against Redlands and have already racked up 11 tackles for loss on the season.
 
Senior defensive tackles Nick Severson and Alex Frazier-Dow hold down the middle of the front four.
 
Severson, a two-time First team all-NWC selection and an all-region honoree in 2021, has faced significant double-teams and has been limited to five tackles on the year. But the attention he's drawn has allowed Frazier-Dow to shine statistically. Tied for the team lead in tackles with 11, he leads the 'Cats in tackles for loss with 3.5 and has a sack to his name as well.
 
The edge rushers have provided just as much trouble for opposing blockers, with sophomore Grady Kentch totaling eight tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss, half a sack and three quarterback hurries and senior Caleb Sell registering four tackles, two tackles for loss and a team-best 1.5 sacks with two hurries.
 
Starring in the center of the defense at linebacker is reigning NWC Defensive Player of the Year and 2022 All-American Blake Rybar.
 
Off to another stellar campaign in his senior year, Rybar is tied with Frazier-Dow for the team lead in tackles with 11, six of them solo. Rybar also has one quarterback hurry and pulled in his first career interception against Redlands.

Joining Rybar at linebacker is first team all-league selection Caiden Biege-Wetherbee. Biege-Wetherbee moves to the starting linebacker position after playing rover last season and rotating in at linebacker behind sixth-year senior Tyler Good through the first two games this year.
 
So far Biege-Wetherbee has posted five tackles and an interception at linebacker.
 
Good will still mix into the rotation along with sophomore Blaze Holani. Holani's nine tackles are third on while his 2.5 tackles for loss are second on the team. He's also registered a sack and three quarterback hurries.
 
In the secondary, sophomore Johnny Miller starts at rover while fifth-year senior Ben Baxter leads the group at safety and junior Colby Kalaukoa plays the starting monster role.
 
Miller has posted three tackles with an interception and a quarterback hurry, Baxter has registered six tackles with half a tackle for loss while Kalaukoa has totaled eight tackles, a pick, a pass breakup and a hurry.
 
Miller's backed up by senior Cutter Hillock, who's listed four tackles with half a tackle for loss and a pass breakup, while senior Jett Searle mixes in behind Baxter and Kalaukoa at the safety positions. Searle totaled eight tackles, six solo, on the year.
 
At the corners graduate senior Justin Pfau and junior Chance Sparks hold the starting roles. The duo has combined for 13 tackles while Pfau's registered two pass breakups.
 
Evan Fisette, Kenyon Johnson and Des Phillips may all see reps at corner as well.
 
THE WILLAMETTE DEFENSE
The Bearcat defense, under the direction of interim head coach Rude, got off to a strong start against La Verne, allowing just two offensive touchdowns, but since then has conceded large numbers to Lewis & Clark and Southern Oregon.
 
Willamette is allowing 367.7 yards per game, seventh in the league, and 36.0 points of scoring defense, last in the league. The Bearcats have given up 15 touchdowns, six rushing and eight passing.
 
They're led defensively by their two inside linebackers, senior La'Akea Like and junior Michael Wong.
 
Like is tied for the NWC lead in total and solo tackles with 26 on the season, 15 coming unassisted. 2.5 have been for loss with one sack in addition to an interception and a forced fumble.
 
Against SOU, Like led the team with nine tackles.
 
Wong's 14 tackles are second on the team, and he has half a sack. He and Like are flanked outside by juniors Orion Woods and Ray Pasay. Pasay has posted 12 tackles with half a sack and a recovered fumble.
 
Along the defensive line, senior tackle Michael Valtierra leads the group with 10 tackles and a sack. Sophomore Hriday Raj and senior Trevor Goldman each have a sack to their names as well.
 
The Willamette secondary had been led by senior safety Dominc Corado, who has 12 tackles to his name, but is no longer listed on the active depth chart. Sophomore Judah Aliifua will step into the starting role after totaling six tackles against SOU.
 
He's joined at safety by junior Hogan Smith, who has 12 tackles and a pass breakup.
 
The starting corners are junior Landon Waters and freshman Manu Faleola. Waters has recorded eight tackles, seven solo, and has forced more turnovers than any NWC player this season with two interceptions and a forced fumble.
 
LINFIELD SPECIAL TEAMS
The Wildcats have taken home NWC Special Teams Student Athlete of the Week already twice this season, with senior punter Thomas Tabor the recipient after Linfield's win at Denison and junior kicker Gavin Dalziel recipient following the trip to Redlands.
 
Tabor is currently averaging 40.8 yards per punt, good enough for 17^th in the nation. He has pinned six punts inside the 20-yard line and has delivered a punt over 50 yards three times.
 
Dalziel earned his first NWC weekly honor after displaying the range at Redlands, hitting from a new career high of 51 yards. It is the second-longest made field goal in Division-III this year, and he joined Scott Birkhofer as the only Linfield kickers ever to hit from 50 yards or longer multiple times in their careers.
 
Wildcat returners are averaging 5.60 yards per punt and 13.0 yards per kickoff.
 
WILLAMETTE SPECIAL TEAMS
Willamette kicker Cameron Dirnberger is 5 for 5 this season on point after touchdown attempts and made his long field goal opportunity from 30 yards, while punter George Wiles-Koehler has already punted 23 times this season, averaging 33.1 yards per punt.
 
The Bearcats are averaging 18.9 yards per kick return. Matthew Fiesta has returned eight with an average of 21.1 yards.
 
THE SERIES
The series between Linfield and Willamette dates back to 1902, when the schools played to a 6-6 tie in McMinnville. Linfield leads the all-time series 44-36-3. With 94 previous meetings, the series is the most played in Linfield history, edging the 87 games against Lewis & Clark (the 88th game against the Pioneers is scheduled for next week) … The Wildcats have won the last 7 meetings and 19 of the last 22 dating back to the 2000 season … The most recent game was in 2022 with Linfield winning 65-0 in McMinnville … Willamette's last win in the series was 31-28 in 2014 in McMinnville; Linfield had won the 5 previous encounters from 2009-2013 and also won 7 straight from 2000-2006. The Bearcats' last win in Salem was in 2007 by a 33-32 score … The Wildcats own a 31-11-2 advantage in games played in McMinnville but trail 24-25-1 in games played in Salem … Linfield's longest winning streak in the series was 14 games from 1969-1982. Willamette's longest winning streak in the series was 17 games from 1927-1948 … Linfield's widest margin of victory in Salem was 77 points, 77-0 in 2019; that tied 2021 for the Wildcats' highest-ever score in the series and was their largest-ever margin of victory against the Bearcats. It also matched the fifth-highest scoring game and tied the second-largest margin of victory in Linfield football history … Willamette's widest margin of victory was 48 points, a 48-0 win in Salem in 1948 and the Bearcats' widest margin in McMinnville was 43 points, 43-0 in 1941 …
 
HOME OPENERS
This week is Linfield's 2023 home-opener. In home-openers, Linfield has an all-time record of 77-27-3 (.734), including 68-21-2 (.758) at Maxwell Field, after beating Redlands 21-3 in the 2022 home-opener … Linfield has won four straight home-openers and 22 of its last 24 … Linfield's longest winning streak in home-openers was 12, from 1957-68; that was part of a string of 13 straight unbeaten home-openers from 1956-68 … Linfield's longest losing streak in home-openers was 5 from 1928-32 … Linfield's widest margin of victory in a home-opener was 75 points in a 81-6 victory over Monmouth Normal (now Western Oregon) in 1923; the 81 points are also the most the Wildcats have scored in a home-opener … Linfield's widest margin of defeat and most points allowed in a home-opener is 56 in a 56-0 loss to Pacific College (now George Fox) in the Wildcats' initial season of 1896 … Linfield has posted 25 shutouts in home-openers, most recently 2018's 13-0 win over Redlands … the Wildcats have been shut out 13 times in home-openers, most recently in 1972 in a 6-0 loss to Portland State …