NEWBERG, Ore. -- The George Fox football team is 2-0 for the first time in team history as the Bruins roll into their 7:00 pm home opener against Chapman (Calif.) on Saturday, Sept. 17.

The Bruins are fresh off of a 42-39 win over Howard Payne (Texas) and are now receiving votes in the D3football.com Top 25, while the Chapman Panthers enter the weekend at 2-0 with wins over Cal Lutheran and fellow Northwest Conference member, Pacific (Ore.).

Fox has been on a tear offensively through the first two weeks of the season. Multiple individuals have set new school records for single-game total touchdowns, receiving touchdowns, passing touchdowns, and career touchdown catches.

Haiden Schaan currently leads NCAA D-III in total points created with 66 after rushing for two touchdowns and throwing for nine more in his first two games. His nine TD passes also lead all of D-III through the first two weeks. Leon Johnson III is sixth in D-III for receiving yards and yards per game, and second among wideouts this season in touchdown catches. If defenses choose to bracket Johnson III or shift the strength to take him away, Dillan Dobbins and the rest of the Bruins' wideouts will have wide-open running lanes to rack up yards after the catch.

On the ground, Schaan and Logan Candanoza have kept defenses honest with an average of 90 yards per game between the pair. So far, one touchdown in each outing has come via the Bruins' rushing attack.

The two weeks of impressive production have set a high bar, and the Bruins will need to keep that level of play to prevail this weekend as the Panthers are no slouches on offense themselves. 

All but two of the Panthers' projected starters on offense are upperclassmen and the two exceptions are sophomores with a year of experience. Chapman will turn to Nathaniel Espinoza, a junior transfer from California JUCO powerhouse Golden West College, as their starter.

Espinoza has been electric in his first two NCAA games and has four seniors to pass or hand off to. The only underclassmen for the Panthers at the skill positions is a second-year tight end.

Wyatt Hardin is fourth in NCAA D-III this season in receiving yards per game and has hauled in 13 catches for 349 yards and three scores so far this season. Chapman has used him on designed runs as well, so the Bruins will have their hands full to contain him.

Fox will deploy the same starting unit on defense for the third game in a row as they look to lock up a Panthers offense that has put up six touchdowns in each of its first two games, defeating the Kingsmen 42-41 on Saturday and running wild against Pacific in a 42-21 statement win on Sept. 3.

Chapman averages 496 yards per game, so the Bruins' leading tacklers — Justin Montijo, Chris McCoy, and Nash Wylie — should have plenty to do in this weekend's matchup. Fox is +4 this year in the turnover column because of its defense and the unit has a knack this season for timely takeaways and sacks, so it should be a good matchup.

On the Panthers' defensive end, Chapman has six underclassmen in the projected starting lineup this weekend, including the majority of their secondary and linebacking corps. As a unit, the Panthers' defense is allowing nearly five touchdowns per game and 434 yards to the opponent with only one turnover forced through two games. The Panthers are allowing an average of 361.5 to opponents through the air which bodes well for the Bruins, so expect more fireworks this weekend in what should prove to be another explosive matchup in the Bruins' home opener.

Tickets can be purchased online or at the gate on game day, and live coverage links are available on the Bruins' schedule page for those who cannot attend in person.