NEWBERG, Ore. --- The George Fox Bruins and Linfield Wildcats are tied atop the Northwest Conference at 4-0 heading into this weekend's first-place showdown in McMinnville.

It's the best start to conference play since football returned to campus in Newberg in 2013, but with the higher stakes comes much stiffer competition this week. The Wildcats, for decades one of the pre-eminent small school football programs in the nation, come into the matchup with a perfect 6-0 record and are ranked sixth in the AFCA and seventh in the d3football.com poll this week. The Wildcats are outscoring their opponents by an average of 52-12 with their closest margin of victory a 52-23 win over Pacific Oct. 16. Linfield has scored at least 42 points in all six games.

The 4-2 Bruins have leaned on defense and special teams through the first part of the season, but showed some big play punch on offense last week in a 21-14 victory over Pacific. All three George Fox scoring drives featured at least one play of 30 yards or more and they totaled four such plays in the game. A 34-yard pass from Haiden Schaan to Leon Johnson III put the Bruins in the Boxer red zone on their first drive of the game Saturday. On a second quarter TD drive, Schaan had a 34-yard run and Josiah Schmidt broke loose on a 36-yard gallop to paydirt to give the Bruins a 14-7 lead. A well-timed screen pass turned into a 37-yard scoring play for Ethan Kassebaum as the Bruins cashed in on their first drive of the second half to take a 21-7 lead.

"We got blocking," said Bruins head coach Chris Casey, who played for legendary head coach Ad Rutschman at Linfield before a ten-year run as an assistant coach that included an NAIA Division II national championship in 1986. "When you get blocking, good things happen running and throwing the ball. We had great play-calling by Coach Ingram and our offensive staff. But it all begins and ends on our offensive line blocking."

On defense, the Bruins were impressive yet again, holding a Pacific offense that came in averaging 40.4 points per game to a season-low 14, while limiting the Boxers to 299 yards of offense on a season-low 4.5 yards per play. While the NWC's top running back, Joshua Harris, was his usual productive self with 135 yards on 26 carries, his 23-yard run in the second quarter was Pacific's longest offensive play as the Bruin defense put the clamps on the Pacific passing game. The Boxers were 17 of 26 through the air for just 117 yards, by far a season low of 4.5 yards per attempt. The Bruins forced two Boxer turnovers, including just the second interception thrown by quarterback Kenyon Harris this season. And for the second consecutive week, George Fox did not have a turnover on offense or allow an explosive play (40+ yds) on defense. 

"Our guys have had great eyes and great discipline and have taken care of assignments," said Casey. "That's what prevents big plays. Just a tremendous job by our defense."

The Bruins are now the NWC's least penalized team, averaging just over four flags and 40 yards per game. All of the above adds up to sound, fundamental football, the kind preached on a daily basis by Coach Casey.

"You beat yourself more than your opponent does. We've continued to improve in doing things well and right and sound technically and fundamentally: not having penalties, having good ball security, not having turnovers, causing turnovers...it's a great recipe for a way to play a football game and give yourself the best opportunity to win." 

Singling out one or two strengths or identifying a single weakness is a challenging task when it comes to Linfield. The Wildcats are leading the NWC in most offensive and defensive categories. Perhaps the most impressive statistic of all indicates the importance of sustaining drives when it comes to matching up against the 'Cats. Opponents have run 104 third-down plays against the Linfield defense this year and have moved the chains just 14 times, a conversion rate of 13.5 percent, the best mark in the nation by a wide margin. Only one other team in all of college football is holding opponents under 20 percent (Div. III Delaware Valley, 18.8%).

"They're outstanding in all phases of the game," said Casey. "They play very sound, fundamental technique defense. They fly to the ball. On offense, they have really good balance of run and pass. The quarterback throws it really well. They move the ball around to a lot of players. They have length at receiver and are athletic. Very sound on special teams. They are a complete team and play with a lot of confidence."

Senior quarterback Wyatt Smith, son of Wildcat head coach Joe Smith, is the consensus favorite to repeat as NWC Player Of The Year. The three-year starter was a Gagliardi Award finalist for the top player in Division III football as a junior in 2019 when he passed for 3,531 yards and 44 touchdowns with eight interceptions in ten starts. Smith threw eight TD passes in a win over Puget Sound that year and tossed six TDs in two other games. This season, Smith has passed for 1,799 yards and 22 TDs with only one interception in his six starts. No other NWC quarterback has exceeded 1,300 yards or 12 TDs. Also the starting first baseman for the Linfield baseball team, Smith has added a new facet to his game in 2021. Never a running threat in the past, he is averaging 5.5 yards per carry this season with four rushing touchdowns.

Smith's favorite target has been sophomore wide receiver Devon Murray, who has 27 receptions and five TDs. Fellow soph Joel Valdez has been a big play threat, averaging 22.4 yards on his 19 catches with five TDs. Connor McNabb--the son of three-time state championship-winning Scappoose High School head coach Sean McNabb--is the 'Cats top ball carrier. A junior with sophomore eligibility, McNabb has rushed for 400 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 5.5 yards per carry. His 24 pass receptions is also second on the team.

The Linfield defense, ranked first in the NWC and sixth in Division III in yards allowed (201.8), is led by senior defensive end Travis Swanson. In his third season with the Wildcats after transferring from Occidental College in Los Angeles, Swanson has nine sacks and 16 tackles for loss. His 2.7 loss plays per game leads all of college football. A native of Hailey, Idaho, Swanson was a First Team All-NWC selection in 2019, but has raised his game to a new level in 2021. Fellow senior defensive lineman Chase Lydig was an All-West Region selection as a sophomore in 2019. Lydig had two sacks and three tackles for loss against the Bruins in Linfield's 24-17 win over the Bruins in the regular season finale that year. 

That score, along with competitive results in 2018 and 2017 against the Wildcats is a critical indicator for George Fox. Only two NWC teams have beaten Linfield since 2009: Whitworth in 2018 and Willamette in 2014. The Wildcats are 74-2 against the NWC since 2009, have won 10 of the last 11 conference titles and have reached the postseason every year. However, the Bruins have proven that they will not be undone by the "Linfield Mystique", which often has caused previously formidable opponents to fold like cheap lawn chairs in the presence of purple and white uniforms. 

While Linfield got its licks in during the first three years of George Fox football, the Bruins have competed into the fourth quarter in every game since. The Bruins' average margin of defeat in the last three seasons is nine points. No other team in the conference has played the Wildcats as competitively in that span. Whitworth is next at -10.3, despite the Pirates 19-14 win in 2018. And that figure does not include the 42-7 whipping the Pirates sustained in McMinnville earlier this month.

One thing is for certain: George Fox will not be beaten mentally before they hit the turf at Maxwell Field.

"We still treat every opponent the same," said Casey. "Every league game is for the league championship. We try not to let outside circumstances of any kind dictate our identity. Who we are and how we operate is to play to excellent and play to championship level every game. So, that's our goal for this game against a tremendous opponent."

The Bruins should have an advantage on special teams, where they have excelled in kickoffs, punts and returns all season. Justin Montijo still leads Division III with a 25.1 average on eight punt returns, although he has slipped to number two nationally, trailing only Jah'Marae Sheread of FCS Florida A&M (26.0). The Bruins have surrendered only 32 total yards in coverage on 28 punts, with Jason Santoni's 35.7 net punting average leading the conference. 

After three weeks as a favorite and last week's game a pick'em, the Bruins will be considered a decisive underdog for the first time this season. If George Fox can continue to play turnover-free and limit penalties and big plays while capitalizing on Linfield's mistakes, there is no reason to expect that they will not be right there in the hunt in that final period again with a chance to take over sole position of first place in the Northwest Conference for the first time in their history.

An important note for George Fox fans who wish to attend the game Saturday: All individuals (age 12 and over) entering any athletics venue at Linfield must provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination (a photo is acceptable) along with photo identification. No exemptions are allowed. Masks must be worn by spectators (age 5 and over) at all times, unless actively eating or drinking. If you attend the Streak Street fan festival behind the stadium, masks will also be required at all times unless actively eating or drinking.