FOREST GROVE, Ore. -- The George Fox football team overcame several injuries to key players, using a stingy defense to take down the Pacific (Ore.) Boxers, 21-7, in a road game on Saturday afternoon.

How It Happened
While the Bruins didn't score on their first drive of the game, they made sure to find paydirt on their second attempt with a 13-play, 85-yard drive. Haiden Schaan found Leon Johnson III twice on the drive, connecting for a 26-yard gain and an 18-yard gain. Taylor Saben made sure to cement the drive with a two-yard push through a swarm of Boxers defenders to give the Bruins a 7-0 lead at the end of the first.

After a punt from the Boxers to start the second, Schaan was once again looking to connect with Johnson III. This time around, all three passes fell incomplete; on the third attempt, Johnson fell to the ground hard after a hit from two Boxer defenders. The star senior receiver would not return to the game. It would be the second injury of the day for the Bruin receivers, who also lost Dillon Dobbins to injury.

Following a Bruin punt, Pacific drove down the field, scoring on a one-yard run from Kash Taylor. Back with th ball and with his two receivers out, Schaan threw his sixth interception of the season with 47 seconds left in half, setting off a bizarre series of events to end the second quarter. Pacific's Zion Booker stepped in front of a pass intended for Mikey Delgado in the end zone and took the ball 52 yards to Pacific territory. 

But just as quickly as momentum swung to the Boxers' side, the Bruins stole it back. Jacob Erickson sacked Boxer QB Ryan Helt, forcing a fumble that Nash Wylie recovered and returned for a touchdown. While the Bruin sideline celebrated, the play was called back due to a chop block penalty on the return. Instead, Fox sent out Ethan Hoffman for a 52-yard field goal, a try that was blocked. With all the madness in the last 50 seconds, the teams headed to the locker room knotted at 7.

The Bruin defense opened up the second half by forcing a turnover, their second of the game. This time it was Wylie forcing the fumble, with Justin Montijo recovering. While Fox was unable to convert on the opportunity, the game stayed tied after a missed field goal from Pacific. 

Without Johnson III or Dobbins, Schaan began to turn to running back Taylor Saban. After an 11-yard completion earlier in the quarter, Schaan found his back for a screen pass that turned into a 20-yard score to give the Bruins a 14-7 lead. From there, it was the Bruin defense's turn to step up to the plate. Kiegan Schaan made sure to give his brother the ball in plus territory, intercepting Helt at the Pacific 35. Heading into the fourth, the Bruins were driving once again.

Chad Bletko started out the fourth quarter with a bang for the Bruins; the senior tight end scored the first touchdown of his career with a 2-yard run from the fullback position. With the Bruins up 21-7, the defense locked down. Fox forced two additional turnovers in the game — an additional fumble recovered by Jaron Marks and an interception by Kross Knoll. Knoll's interception came with 20 seconds remaining in the game, sealing the game for the Bruins.

Top Performances
Schaan finished his day 14-25 for 167 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. Despite only playing one half, Leon Johnson III led the Bruins with two catches for 44 yards. Many other Bruins stepped up in his absence — Saban finished with three catches for 40 yards and a score, Logan Klopfenstein totaled 25 yards receiving, and Elias Polanski and Josh Hauenstein each caught two balls.

On the ground, Schaan flashed his mobility with 15 carries for 73 yards. Saban had 18 carries for 65 yards, and William Moffitt averaged 12 yards per carry on two attempts. 

As a unit, the defense made life miserable for Ryan Helt all day; the Bruins' five forced turnovers are the third most in Bruin history. Chris McCoy and Montijo totaled eight tackles, while Wylie had seven. Jacob Erickson starred up front with 2.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.

Coach's Thoughts
"Today was a great example of perseverance by our guys," Bruin head coach Chris Casey said after the game, "Just the will and the desire and the toughness to find a way to win a physical game. Our guys overcame a lot: Injuries, three touchdowns called back, and momentum shifts. For our guys to overcome that shows determination, will, and toughness. It was a total team victory on offense, defense, and special teams, for all three areas of the game. I'm very proud of our guys."

What It Means
Fox improves to 6-1 on the year with a 3-1 Northwest Conference record while the Boxers fall to 3-3, with a 2-2 NWC mark.

What Happens Next
Fox will return to Stoffer Family Stadium to take on the #6 ranked rival Linfield Wildcats on Saturday, October 29. The rivalry week will also double as Family Weekend. Tickets can be purchased online, while the game is available on both KRCW (Channel 32 for Dish/DirecTV, Channel 3 for Xfinity) and can be streamed on the Bruin website.