Box Score

PORTLAND, Ore. --- After a competitive first half, the George Fox Bruins dominated the final two periods to run away with a 40-9 victory at Lewis & Clark Saturday.

How It Happened

Leading 19-9 at the half, the Bruins seized control with back-to-back touchdown drives in the third quarter. Trailing 33-9 midway through the final period, the Pioneers' final glimmer of hope was extinguished when Josh Poppleton intercepted a deflected Cruz Montana pass at the Bruin goal line and returned it 100 yards for a touchdown.

The Bruins forced six Pio turnovers on the day and also scored a special teams touchdown to improve their Northwest Conference record to 5-1 (5-3 overall), setting up a showdown for second place on Senior Day against the Whitworth Pirates on Nov. 13.

The Bruin defense held the Pios in check early. Three Lewis & Clark drives netted just one first down and 30 yards in the first period. Meanwhile, the Bruins put together two extended drives, but had to settle for Jason Santoni field goals, including a season-long 47-yarder.

Leading 6-0 in the second period, the Bruins were driving again on Lewis & Clark's end of the field when a third down snap sailed past quarterback Haiden Schaan for a 22-yard loss, necessitating a punt. The Pios put together their first sustained drive and tied the game on a 13-yard Elijah McGee touchdown run. Unable to take the lead after a failed conversion, the Pios also failed to take the momentum when Josiah Schmidt fielded a short kickoff on the bounce and weaved his way to the right side of the field, going 85 yards untouched into the end zone. Wyatt Adams intercepted a deflected pass on the ensuing Pio drive, leading to a 5-yard Schmidt TD run to put the Bruins up 19-6.

Lewis & Clark again marched down the field, but the Bruin defense stiffened in the red zone, holding the Pios to a short field goal just before halftime. With just 27 seconds on the clock, the Bruins got three straight completions from Schaan, including a 39-yard bomb to Leon Johnson III inside the Pio 10-yard line to set up another potential score. However, Santoni's 24 yard field goal attempt was off the mark. 

George Fox quickly shook off any lingering disappointment from the lack of a final score before the break. The Bruins needed just four plays to get on the board after receiving the second half kick. Ethan Kassebaum broke loose for a 35-yard touchdown run, giving George Fox a 26-9 advantage. After a Pio three-and-out, the Bruins found paydirt again with Schmidt scoring his third TD of the day on a 6-yard gallop. 

In the end, the Pioneers outgained George Fox 383-353 and had a 23-18 advantage in first downs, but could not overcome a half dozen turnovers, dropping to 2-4 in the NWC, 3-5 overall. Lewis & Clark ran 84 plays to George Fox's 54, but could only finish one drive with a score.

Top Performers

It was a big day for the Bruins backfield. Kassebaum rushed for 100 yards on just 11 carries and added 74 more yards on six pass receptions. Backfield mate Schmidt added two more rushing touchdowns and the kick return score, accounting for 140 total yards. One week after being harried for seven sacks by Linfield, Schaan completed 20 of 27 for 235 yards and no picks. Johnson III had five receptions for 78 yards. Adams had two interceptions, while Poppleton added a sack, two tackles for loss and seven tackles to his coast-to-coast pick-six. Joe James had a team-high eight tackles, including a sack.

Coach's Thoughts

"We played a complete game and did many good things in all three phases of the game," coach Chris Casey said after the win. "It's always good to have all three areas contribute in a win. Big plays happened today because we did the little things right - technique, pad level, execution, it's all the little things that lead to big plays."

"We wanted to make it a point to run the football today and have balance in our attack. I think we blocked well up front and protected well on passes. Five interceptions and plays in the red zone, really tightening up is great. Josh is a guy that's worked his tail off all the way through our program and now as a senior he's playing great football - it's a neat story that he stayed with it, grinds it out, and now plays a significant role after paying his dues."

"We had some adversity today  - bad snaps, untimely penalties - but our guys bounced back from those moments each time and were able to capitalize on mistakes. We played Bruin football today and really showed our blue collar, team-first attitude."

What It Means

The Bruins are now a perfect 7-0 against Lewis & Clark since the return of football to campus. With a win in their home finale, the Bruins can cinch their best-ever finish in the NWC.

Up Next

George Fox closes out the regular season on Nov. 13 against the Whitworth Pirates at Stoffer Family Stadium. Kickoff is at 1 p.m.