NEWBERG, Ore. -- Entering Saturday night, the George Fox football team had yet to earn their first NWC win; three hours later, the Bruins completely rewrote the record books in their 63-10 victory over Willamette.

How It Happened
For a game that featured several records, the first drive did not feature intense offensive outputs. The Bearcats slogged their way down the field, utilizing a roughing the punter penalty to cap off a six-minute drive with a field goal. But when the Bruin offense stepped on the field, it was clear that the night could be special. Fox passed on their first four plays, marching down the field and punching the ball in on a 1-yard Logan Candanoza touchdown.

The Bruins took control of the game in the second quarter, with quarterback DeMontre Thomas II opening up the field with his arm. Thomas II found Dillan Dobbins, Sheyden Iokia, and River Osen to get the Bruins in the red zone before Taylor Saben punched the ball in from 18 yards out to make the score 14-3. 

Following Saben's score, the Bruins turned to a big-play offense. After Fox forced a Willamette three-and-out, Thomas II extended the lead with a 52-yard bomb to River Osen for the touchdown. Though penalties had the Bruins' next drive stall in the red zone, Thomas II was sure to air out the ball on the next drive, finding Logan Klopfenstein down the middle for the 41-yard score. Fox led at halftime, 28-3 — with Thomas II throwing for 279 yards and two touchdowns in the half.

Mikey Goforth provided the Bruins with another highlight moment at the start of the third quarter; positioned for his first punt of the day, Goforth handled a high snap and found himself surrounded by Bearcat defenders. The senior punter improvised, and quickly took off for a 14-yard gain and a first down, much to the delight of the Bruin bench. 

After a long touchdown run by Willamette to cut the score to 10-28, the Bruins put their foot down and on the gas. Following that moment, the Bruins would outscore the Bearcats 35-0 with only 14 yards through the air — scoring five rushing touchdowns to take complete command of the game.

Five different players would score in the second half, with several getting the first touchdowns of their careers. William Moffitt was the first on the board with eight minutes left in the quarter, knifing through the middle of the Willamette defense to score a 45-yard touchdown. Candanoza was the other Bruin to score in the third, breaking several tackles en route to a career-long 61-yard score.

By the fourth quarter, the Bruins had employed their backups — but rather than slow down, the reserves only picked up the pace. Caleb Smith was the first on the board, scoring his first career touchdown from nine yards to make the score 49-10. After the Bearcats turned the ball over thanks to pressure from Matthew Studer, it was Luke Janssen's turn. The junior from Corvallis, Ore. burst through the line to score from 46 yards out to extend the lead to 46. 

Janssen's run broke the record for most offensive yards recorded in a game; the Bruins finished the night with 623, blazing past the old mark of 558 set in 2018 against Whitworth. Minutes later, another record would be broken. Mason McBride put a cherry on top of the Bruins' perfect night with a 31-yard run to make the score 63-10 — the most points in a game in George Fox's history.

Top Performers
Eight different players scored a touchdown on the night, the most individual scorers in Bruin history: Logan Candanoza, Taylor Saben, River Osen, Logan Klopfenstein, William Moffitt, Caleb Smith, Luke Janssen, and Mason McBride all found the end zone. 

DeMontre Thomas II finished 20/33 for 278 yards and two touchdowns, while Moffit led the team with eight rushes for 71 yards and a score. On the night, no Bruin running back recorded a rush for a loss. Osen led the team with 77 yards receiving and a touchdown, while Dillan Dobbins had a team-high five receptions, good for 54 yards. Kaelan Fry recorded his first career catch, while Abraham Grajeda, Kawelu Kaiawe, and Javy Grajeda all recorded their first carry

Defensively, Nash Wylie led the team with nine tackles, while Ty Borde recorded his first collegiate interception. Noah Berry, Jaron Marks, and Nathaniel Koenig all helped out on a sack, while Nolan Martin finished with two pass breakups. Kicker Ben Rembisz finished 9/9 on his extra points.

Coach's Thoughts
"Tonight was something we really needed," Bruin head coach Chris Casey said, "Winning gives you confidence. We've been through tough games with Linfield and three games lost on the last play of the game. Tonight shows the Resilience of our guys — they never wavered in their attitude, effort, or preparation, and stayed together as a team. The way they've weathered the storm was admirable. Tonight was fun and was a great performance by our coordinators, assistant coaches, starters, young guys, and everyone. 

What It Means
The Bruins get on the board with their record-setting day, improving to 2-5 on the season (1-3 NWC). Willamette falls to 1-6 (0-4 NWC).

What Happens Next
The Bruins will stay in Newberg for their second straight game at home, taking on the Pacific Lutheran Lutes (4-3, 3-1 NWC) on Saturday, October 28. The game is scheduled to kick off at 4:00 p.m.