Linfield football kicks off Northwest Conference action this Saturday with a visit to the Willamette Bearcats at McCulloch Stadium in Salem, Ore. for the 96^th meeting of the most played series in Linfield football history.
 
Coming off a "bye" week Linfield looks to build on a 2-1 start and the Wildcats' best performance of the year, a 45-0 win over Redlands on Sept. 21.
 
The 'Cats are ranked No. 22 in the latest D3Football.com Top 25 and No. 19 in the AFCA D-III Coaches Poll. In August they were picked to win the NWC by the league's coaches in the conference's annual preseason poll.
 
The Bearcats are off to a 2-1 start under first year head coach Aric Williams following a last-second, 21-18 win over first year NAIA program Simpson last week in Salem.
 
Willamette started 2-1 as recently as 2022 but went on to finish that year 2-8. Prior, the Bearcats' best start to a season was in 2014, the last time they upset the Wildcats, eventually finishing 5-4.
 
This will be the first time Linfield and Willamette have entered the matchup with identical records since both sides started 1-2 in 2018. Linfield won that meeting 59-0 and did not lose a game the rest of the season.
 
Saturday's game will kick off at 4:00 as opposed to the usual 1:00 NWC start time.
 
TICKETS
Tickets can be purchased through the Willamette Athletics website or on site at McCulloch Stadium. Fans are encouraged to buy tickets in advance or bring a debit or credit card as cash sales are not guaranteed at all Willamette Athletic events. Gates will open 90 minutes before kickoff.
 
Tickets are $10 for adults and discounted at $6 for seniors and students with with identification. Children 12 and under are admitted for free.
 
COVERAGE
The Linfield Sports Network provides livestreaming audio coverage of all road football games accessible through the Linfield Athletics website.
 
Joe Stuart is in his fourth year as Linfield's lead play-by-play announcer, while former Wildcat All-American McGarvie is in his third season providing color commentary and analysis on the broadcast.
 
Willamette will provide live stats and live video coverage through WUBearcats.com and the NWC Network.
 
THE LINFIELD OFFENSE
The Wildcats average 32.3 points of scoring offense and 375.7 yards of total offense, both fourth in the NWC. They've run a mostly balanced offense with a slight lean towards the passing game, averaging a total of 5.6 yards per play.
 
In the red zone Linfield's scored at a league-best rate of 91.7 percent with eight touchdowns and three made field goals. The 'Cats have also converted on fourth down at the third best rate in the conference and have just three turnovers, the second fewest in the NWC.
 
The Wildcats found an effective rhythm with both of their quarterbacks against Redlands in senior Blake Eaton and junior Luke McNabb, both with their best games of the year against the Bulldogs
 
On the season Eaton has thrown for 585 yards and three touchdowns while completing 68.8 percent of passes, second in the NWC among qualified quarterbacks. McNabb has thrown for 222 yards and three touchdowns. His four rushing scores are second in the conference.
 
The top targets for Linfield's dual QB's have been fifth-year seniors Connor Wolfe and Jacob Slifka as well as true senior Maclain Stoneking.
 
Wolfe has led the group with 248 yards and three touchdowns on 16 receptions, sitting in top five in the league in all three categories.
 
Against Redlands, Slifka and Stoneking both scored the first receiving touchdowns of their careers. Slifka led the group with five catches for 72 yards while Stoneking added five for 38 yards. Through three games both have exceeded a total of 10 catches and 140 yards.
 
Linfield showed significant improvement in the run game against the Bulldogs, rushing for 206 yards and 5.0 yards per attempt, both season-highs.
 
Sophomore Jackson Pfeifer has spearheaded the rushing attack in the absence of senior Aaron Martinez, who was injured on his first carry of the season on Sept. 7.
 
Martinez may return this week - in his stead Pfeifer has rushed for 108 yards, adding 14 catches for 78 yards and a touchdown. Freshmen Carson Mullins and Matthew Spurbeck have split the backup work to the tune of 140 all-purpose yards.
 
Linfield also saw continued improvement from a veteran offensive line against Redlands. Led by junior all-conference center Austin Leykam and fifth-year all-conference guard Bailey Lee, the Wildcats are second in the NWC and 11^th in D-III in tackles for loss allowed, as well as second in the NWC with just three sacks allowed.
 
THE WILLAMETTE OFFENSE
Despite a winning record the Bearcats sit in the cellar of the NWC in scoring offense at 20.7 points per game and total offense at 281.3 yards per game.
 
Willamette's seen moderate success running the ball, sitting fourth in the league with 135.7 rushing yards per game, but have only run in two touchdowns and have struggled in the air, averaging just 145.7 passing yards per game per game and a 49.4 percent team completion percentage.
 
Sophomore quarterback Alex Rivera IV is in his first year as Willamette's full-time starter. Rivera was one of five Bearcat signal-callers to play in at least five games in 2023 before eventually earning the starting job for the final three games of the season.
 
So far this year he has completed half of his passes for 347 yards, five touchdowns and four interceptions and has averaged 3.9 yards per attempt on the ground.
 
His top receiver on the season is sophomore Elijah Romero, who leads the team with 14 catches for 184 yards and three touchdowns while senior Brandon Johnson has added 161 yards and a touchdown on 10 catches.
 
The run-game is led by Willamette's best player on offense in senior running back Gabriel Herrera, a second-team all-NWC selection last season.
 
On the season he's rushed for 187 yards and a touchdown on 48 attempts. In 2022 He scored the Bearcats' lone touchdown against the Wildcats.
 
Herrera's backed up by sophomore Jerrick Little, who's rushed for 148 yards and leads the team at 4.9 yards per attempt.
 
The Willamette offensive line returns four starters, three of them seniors, except for all-NWC junior Parker Hisey at left tackle. The group has only allowed one sack through three games.
 
THE LINFIELD DEFENSE
Defensively, Linfield has unsurprisingly paced the NWC. The 'Cats lead the league in total defense, allowing just 245.3 yards per game, and scoring defense at 11.7 points per game, a top 25 number nationally.
 
Linfield has limited opposing offenses to just 143.3 passing yards per game and a 22.7 percent conversion rate on third down, 11^th in the country. The pass-rush has been a massive part of Linfield's success, sitting third in the nation in sacks with 15, racking up five in each game so far.
 
Against Redlands, the Wildcats allowed a season-low 126 yards of offense and posted their first shutout since blanking the Bearcats in 2022.
 
A talented and experienced defensive line has wreaked havoc to start the year. Fifth-year senior defensive end Caleb Sell has had a breakout start to the season, leading the NWC in sacks with 6.5 (fourth in D-III) and tackles for loss with 7.5 (ninth in D-III).
 
Sell was named to the D3Football.com Team of the Week and earned NWC Defensive Student Athlete of the Week for his career performance against Redlands, totaling 7 tackles with four tackles for loss and three sacks.
 
Sell is joined up front by fifth-year tackles Nick Severson, a two-time all-region honoree, and all-NWC selection Alex-Frazier Dow as well as true senior Connor Stevens at the other defensive end spot.
 
Frazier-Dow also excelled against Redlands with 2.5 tackles for loss with 1.5 sacks, while Severson and Stevens each have at least two tackles for loss and a sack on the year.
 
At linebacker the 'Cats are led by All-American fifth-year Blake Rybar whose 21 tackles lead the team and are fifth in the conference. He's also added three tackles for loss and a sack.
 
Rybar's joined at linebacker by junior Blaze Holani, who's expected to try to return this week after sustaining an injury at UW-Oshkosh. Senior Wyatt Zellner and sophomore Trey Dieringer may see extra snaps if Holani is limited.
 
At rover all-conference fifth-year Caiden Biege-Wetherbee has battled injuries but has started all three games, with eight tackles and a tackle for loss on the year. Junior Johnny Miller has spelled him to the tune of 10 tackles with two for loss.
 
In the secondary fifth-year Jett Searle continues to hold down the starting safety role with nine tackles and two pass breakups while senior Colby Kalaukoa has totaled 12 tackles with one for loss and a breakup at monster back.
 
All-region senior Chance Sparks and junior Kenyon Johnson have locked down opposing receivers at cornerback. Sparks leads the team with two interceptions and two breakups while Johnson's recorded nine tackles and a breakup.
 
THE WILLAMETTE DEFENSE
Willamette has managed to be in the middle of the pack in the NWC through three games on defense, sitting fifth in the league in both total and scoring defense at 383.7 yards and 26.3 points allowed per game.
 
The Bearcats are fourth against the run, allowing 126.3 yards per game and 3.9 yards per attempt, but have been exposed in the passing game with a conference-worst 257.3 yards per game allowed through the air.
 
But against Simpson they struggled against the run as well, allowing 179 yards and 5.1 yards per rush. Willamette was able to post six tackles for loss and two interceptions.
 
On the season they're led by senior linebacker Orion Woods with 19 tackles, good enough for 10^th in the NWC. He's joined in the middle of the Willamette defense by second team all-NWC graduate senior La'Akea Like, who has 13 tackles and two pass breakups on the year, and sophomore Javi Rodriguez, who leads the team with four tackles for loss and has an interception.
 
Up front the Bearcats feature junior tackle Hriday Raj, who leads the defensive line with 11 tackles with 2.5 for loss and senior edge rusher Mason Polier, who has 10 tackles and leads the team with 1.5 sacks.
 
A base nickel defense, the Willamette starting lineup features five defensive backs.
 
Seniors Hogan Smith and Landon Waters, a safety and corner, both closely follow Woods with 18 tackles apiece. Smith leads the team with three pass breakups while Waters has added an interception.
 
Senior safety Dominic Corado has added 11 tackles, junior Salah Hill's totaled 10 tackles with two breakups and a pick at cornerback and junior Judah Ali'fua rounds out the starting secondary with 10 tackles and two breakups.
 
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 56-36-3. The series is the most played in Linfield history, edging the 88 games against Lewis & Clark … The Wildcats have won the last 8 meetings and 20 of the last 23 dating back to the 2000 season … The most recent game was in 2023 with Linfield winning 70-14 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 32-11-2 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 …
 
CONFERENCE OPENERS: Linfield opened its 2023 Northwest Conference schedule by beating Willamette 70-14 in McMinnville … since the conference formed in 1926, the Wildcats are now  55-27 (.671) in NWC openers … Linfield is on a four-game winning streak in NWC openers; the Wildcats' most recent loss in a conference opener was in 2018, falling at Whitworth 19-14 … in NWC openers at home, Linfield is 24-10; in NWC openers on the road, the Wildcats are 31-17 … Linfield's longest win streak in NWC openers is 13 games, from 1972-84; the Wildcats' longest losing streak in NWC openers is eight games, from 1926-33 … Linfield's largest margin of victory in an NWC opener is 73 points, 73-0 at Lewis & Clark in 2015; the Wildcats' largest margin of defeat in an NWC opener is 71 points, 71-0 at Whitman in 1929 …
 
HEAD COACH JOSEPH SMITH: Joseph Smith is in his 18th season as Linfield's head coach; he has an overall record of 157-30 (.840), which is the highest winning percentage of any head coach in Wildcat football history … Smith's record includes marks of 126-18 (.875) in the regular season, 103-7 (.936) in Northwest Conference games, 86-9 (.905) at home and 20-12 (.625) in the postseason … During Smith's tenure, Linfield has won 12 NWC titles; 11 of those have been outright, most recently in 2022 … During Smith's tenure, Linfield has put together 7 unbeaten regular seasons …