NEWBERG, Ore. -- The George Fox football team opened up their 2023 season with a defensive battle against the Howard Payne Yellow Jackets, falling in a slugfest, 3-17.

How It Happened
Both teams started slow, with Fox punting on their first two possessions and Howard Payne driving, but not converting; the Bruin defense showed out in the first quarter, forcing a missed field goal and a turnover on downs as the game entered the second scoreless.

The Bruin offense failed to gain ground in the second, with their first three possessions resulting in three-and-outs. After two three-and-outs of their own, the Yellow Jackets drew first blood with a 10-yard swing pass from Landon McKinney to Jordan Carroll to put Howard Payne up.

Fox countered with their best drive of the half, as Max Richey found Elias Polanski and Sheydon Iokia for gains of 14 and 11 to put Fox on their side of the field. The promising drive fizzled out at the 44, resulting in a field position punt as the teams headed into halftime with HPU leading, 7-0.

The biggest momentum play of the day came for Fox in the early stages of the second half when Nash Wylie picked off McKinney in the red zone, giving the ball to the offense at the 10-yard line. Despite the field position, Fox settled for a Mikey Goforth field goal to cut the deficit to 3-7.

On the very next possession, Fox inserted DeMontre Thomas II in at quarterback — where the Lane CC transfer made immediate plays. After an impressive Zak Holsey interception, Thomas II found Taylor Saben out of the backfield, with the sophomore running 47 yards to the three-yard line. With a first and goal at the three their best shot of the game, the Bruins failed to punch it into the end zone, getting to the one-yard line but coming up just short on a fourth down QB sneak.

The Yellow Jackets slowly pulled away from Fox, scoring a chip shot field goal after a Bruin fumble and stifling the home offense. Thomas II found River Osen for a game-long 53-yard pass play midway through the fourth, but the Bruins failed to get any closer. The final blow came in the closing seconds, as Blessing Ngene cemented the Jackets victory, 17-3.

Top Performers
Max Richey finished the game throwing 10/21 and 92 yards, while DeMontre Thomas II finished 10/16 for 215 yards and an interception. Taylor Saben and Elias Polanski led the way with 71 and 70 yards receiving, respectively. Defensively, Nash Wylie finished with 10 tackles and an interception, with Zak Holsey earning his first career interception with an impressive pick in the end zone. Nolan Martin finished with 10 tackles and two pass breakups, while Jacob Erickson recorded a sack.

 Coach's Thoughts
"The team's attitude today was good as always, and the toughness was excellent," Bruin head coach Chris Casey said, "but this is a very winnable game if we don't beat ourselves. I give all the credit in the world to Howard Payne, they won the football game. We have to play better complimentary football."

What It Means
The Bruins start the season 0-1, while the Yellow Jackets — who are receiving votes in the 2023 D3football.com preseason poll — begin the year 1-0.

What Happens Next
Fox will travel to Forest Grove for a non-conference game against NWC foe Pacific in the inaugural Oregon Cup. The game is scheduled to kick off at 7:05 pm and can be watched on the CW.