NEWBERG, Ore. --- The George Fox Bruins will take a three-game winning streak into Family Weekend when they entertain the Pacific University Boxers in what promises to be a competitive matchup this Saturday.

The Bruins and Boxers are each 3-2 on the season and are 2-1 against common opponents with losses to Chapman and wins over Willamette and Puget Sound.

George Fox had an overwhelming edge in field position on Saturday, courtesy of turnovers and special teams mistakes by the Loggers. The Bruins had 323 yards on offense and just 16 first downs, but with their average starting field position on the UPS 47-yard line, there was not a lot of real estate to traverse in their 49-28 victory in Tacoma. Half of the Loggers' points came in the fourth quarter with the game already well out of reach.

"We scored 49 points on 54 plays," said head coach Chris Casey. "We averaged six yards per play and they averaged less than four yards per play. I think it shows how well we played on offense and defense and special teams. Just a good team effort all around again. Very proud of our guys."

The Boxers had a field day two weeks ago against UPS, forcing eight turnovers, including three interceptions returned for touchdowns in a 69-6 home victory. After making history with records for interceptions and return TD's in a game, the Boxers were on the wrong side of history on Saturday. After a competitive first half against Linfield in McMinnville, Pacific fell 52-23 to the Wildcats, who are currently ranked sixth in the latest AFCA coaches' poll. The win clinched Linfield's 65th consecutive winning season and leaves the Bruins and Wildcats in a tie for first in the Northwest Conference at 3-0. Pacific and Whitworth are tied for third at 2-1.

The Boxers are playing their first full season under head coach Ian Falconer. The Lake Oswego native and former All-Big Sky Conference center at Portland State spent 10 years as the offensive line coach in Forest Grove, eventually ascending to associate head coach under Keith Buckley, who stepped down to accept the athletic director position at Pacific. The Boxers have a high-powered offense led by all-conference, veteran talent. 

Six-foot-one, 220 pound senior running back Joshua Harris became the Boxers' all-time leading rusher on Sep. 18 when he ran for 150 yards and two touchdowns in a 38-35 victory over Pomona-Pitzer. The Sonora, Calif. native leads the NWC in rushing (557) and rushing touchdowns (7) and is the only back in the conference averaging over 100 yards per game (111.4). Harris led the NWC in rushing in 2019, amassing a school record 1,240 yards and 15 touchdowns, while averaging 5.3 yards per carry. Senior quarterback Kenyon Harris (no relation) completed an eye-opening 74 percent of his passes in 2019. He is currently second in the NWC in passing yards (1,040) and touchdowns (12), while leading the conference with a 71% completion rate and only one interception. Harris has a number of experienced and talented targets, led by Kyle Kern and Ty Hargis. A matchup nightmare at 6-5, the junior Kern leads the NWC with six TD receptions. A versatile weapon out of the slot and in the kick return game, Hargis leads the Boxers with 27 receptions and is averaging over 15 yards per carry. A former state championship-winning quarterback from Lebanon, Ore., Hargis is always a threat on gadget plays.

"The quarterback makes things happen with his legs," said Casey. "He elongates plays. He stays real poised and doesn't panic. They've got length at receivers. Obviously, the running back runs very hard and is very physical and powerful. They're a tough team to defend always and they do have really good balance with run and pass this year. It's going to be a real challenge for our guys." 

The Bruins have their own matchup problem at wide receiver in 6-5 junior Leon Johnson III. Held without a reception at UPS, the Bothell, Wash. native made his mark on special teams early in the contest when he tackled punter Alex Everett at the Logger 11-yard line after a fumbled snap, setting up George Fox's first touchdown. He leads the Bruins with 16 receptions and 256 yards with two touchdowns. Adam Hawker has 14 grabs and two scores and both he and Johnson III are averaging over 16 yards per reception. Quarterback Haiden Schaan has thrown touchdown passes to a half dozen receivers this season. The senior from Medford ranks third in the conference in passing efficiency (141.1). Ethan Kassebaum paces the running game with 225 yards on 45 carries with four touchdowns, adding 10 pass receptions and another score.

It will be a battle of the number two scoring offense against the number two scoring defense in the NWC. Pacific is averaging 40.4 points per contest, while George Fox has allowed just 20.6 points a game. In addition to leading the nation in punt returns (28.5 yards per return), senior safety Justin Montijo leads the Bruins and is ranked fourth in the NWC with 34 tackles. Senior cornerback Lucas Schwin, who took Montijo's lateral into the end zone for one of two Bruin punt return touchdowns against Willamette on Oct. 2, leads the conference in passes defended and has two interceptions. Schwin broke up five passes in George Fox's win at UPS Saturday. Junior linebacker Joe James leads the Bruin pass rush with three sacks and five tackles for loss. The Bruin defense held UPS without a first down on five of the Loggers' first six drives and forced three turnovers, while GFU played turnover-free for the first time this season after nine turnovers in the first four games. 

"The offense was extremely efficient again," said Casey. "To be seven-for-seven in the red zone with six touchdowns...we had those opportunities and we took advantage of them. Outside of a couple of long drives, the defense played really well against a team that's very difficult to defend."

George Fox has gotten outstanding play from its special teams so far this season. Both teams' kick coverage units will be put to the test this Saturday. While Montijo leads all of college football in punt returns, Pacific's Ty Vargas is the top kick returner in Division III football, averaging 38.2 yards on five returns with a long of 75. The Bruins special teams put on quite a show against Willamette two weeks ago, accounting for three first-half touchdowns on a pair of punt returns and a recovery of a fumbled punt snap by sophomore Kiegan Schaan. Punter Jason Santoni leads the NWC, averaging 41.0 yards per punt. The Bruins have won the field position battle each of the last three weeks in their three NWC wins, primarily due to the play of their special teams.

Pacific and George Fox met twice in the spring, with each team winning on the other's home field. The Boxers defeated the Bruins 26-3 at Stoffer Family Stadium on March 26. Kenyon Harris completed a sizzling 16 of 18 passes for 206 yards and three touchdowns, while Joshua Harris rushed for 129 yards and 28 carries and another score. In the return engagement in Forest Grove, the Bruins took advantage of six Pacific turnovers to rout the Boxers 35-7 two weeks later.

The rivalry between the two schools has been growing since George Fox entered football competition in 2014. Both teams have followed similar paths to success on the gridiron. The Boxers brought football back in 2010 after a 20-year absence and, after winning just one game the first two seasons with a squad of youngsters, quickly ascended to the upper ranks of the NWC, sharing a conference title with Linfield in 2014 with a 6-1 record. That same year, George Fox began play with a 1-8 record, won two conference games and four overall the next year and had its first winning record in 2016, including a 15-12 victory over Pacific. The Bruins won five of their final six games that season and have not had a losing record since, finishing in the top four in the conference each year. Pacific has finished outside the top four only one time since their breakthrough 2014 campaign.

"We always say we have no rivals," said Casey. "We really believe that every game we treat the same. Every league game we approach our entire preparation as if it's for the league championship. But, we have a lot of respect for them. 

"We played them in preseason scrimmages for the first time this year. We played them in the spring games. They are a very physical team on offense and defense, they're well-coached and they always play well on special teams. We're looking forward to it because it's going to be a real challenge. They are a really strong program. It's going to be a good game."

The Bruins and Boxers have split their eight previous meetings in the revival era of football. George Fox has a 3-2 home record against Pacific, including a 21-18 victory over the Boxers in Newberg in 2019. Saturday's game kicks off at 1 p.m. at Stoffer Family Stadium.