NEWBERG, Ore. -- One week after the George Fox football team took down Willamette in record-breaking fashion, the Bruins one-upped themselves with a dominant 35-25 sin over Pacific Lutheran, using a career night from DeMontre Thomas II to coast to victory.

How It Happened
Fox picked up right where they left off from the week prior: picking the defense apart en route to an easy touchdown. The Bruins took the ball first and embarked on an eight-play, 71-yard drive — and from the start, it was clear it would be the DeMontre Thomas II show. The junior QB found wideout Dillan Dobbins on a deep 43-yard pass to get things going, capping off the drive with a cleverly-designed throwback to Taylor Saben for the score. After one quarter, the Bruins led, 7-0, with the defense shutting down Pacific Lutheran's star QB Darrius Chaffin.

The Bruins continued to shine in the second quarter; the entire team was nearly perfect in the first half as Fox jumped out to a large halftime lead. Thomas II completed all 11 of his attempts in the first half, throwing one touchdown in the second quarter to Sheydon Iokia. The run game punctuated a drive with a one-yard Logan Candanoza score. The defense stepped up, forcing a turnover on downs in Bruin territory. Even the special teams scored a highlight play, with a perfect Ben Rembisz pooch kickoff resulting in a scrum for the ball.

All of these elements led the Bruins to a 21-0 halftime lead. All three of the Fox drives in the half resulted in touchdowns, controlling the time of possession the entire way. When all was said and done, the Bruins totaled 12 first downs in the first half compared to PLU's six to help contribute to their halftime lead.

Thomas II's first incompletion did not come until 3:07 remaining in the third quarter — prior to his first missed throw, the junior completed a 57-yard bomb to Dobbins down the sideline and a touchdown over the middle to River Osen to give the Bruins a 28-3 lead. Looking to get back into the game, the Lute offense shifted to a lightning tempo, cutting the lead to 28-10 at the end of the third quarter.

Fox was sure to put the game out of reach early in the fourth quarter with a grueling drive to start the period. Saben, Candanoza, and William Moffitt alternated on rushing attempts before Thomas II found Logan Klopfenstein to take the ball to the one-yard line before punching it in himself to take a 35-10 lead. The Lutes made the game respectable with two late touchdowns, but their last gasp onside kick was recovered by Cobey Aldrich to give Fox the 35-25 win, their second consecutive win.

Top Performers
DeMontre Thomas II had the most efficient game in George Fox program history: the junior finished 17/20 passing, an 85% completion percentage, the highest in GFU history; Thomas II also threw for three touchdowns, rushing for one. Dillan Dobbins led the team in receiving yards, finishing with four catches for 120 yards. River Osen finished with 44 yards and a TD, with Taylor Saben and Sheydon Iokia scoring as well. Saben led the team with 33 yards rushing, with Logan Candanoza recording a rushing touchdown. Even lineman Kyle Osowski got in the action, with the center recovering a fumble and rumbling two yards for a first down.

The Bruins recorded a season-high five sacks against Darrius Chaffin, holding the Lutes' star QB to just one touchdown through the air after nine in the past two games. Nash Wylie, Kobe Andrews, Ty Borde, and Jaxson Turituri all recorded a solo sack in the game. Wylie, Andrews, and Nolan Martin led the team in tackles with 11, eight, and six respectively. Ben Rembisz finished perfect on his extra points with all five made, dealing with strong winds all day.

Coach's Thoughts
"At the start of the season we weren't always playing complimentary football," Bruin head coach Chris Casey said, "I thought that we hadcontinued to improve, and tonight we played a complete game with offense, defense, and special teams all playing well tonight. It was a good win against a very good team, the most improved team in the NWC over the last three years. A win against them shows the progress and improvement we have made as players and staff."

What It Means
The Bruins' second straight win moves them to 3-5 (2-3 NWC) overall, moving to a tie for fourth in the conference. The Lutes fall to 4-4 overall (3-2 NWC).

What Happens Next
After two weeks at home, the Bruins will be on the road to face Whitworth (7-0, 5-0 NWC) in Spokane. The game is scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m.