NEWBERG, Ore. -- It didn't take the George Fox football team long to find the end zone on a Saturday night win over Willamette, scoring early and often in a 31-point first half — ultimately downing the Bearcats, 37-14.

How It Happened
The Bruins' first drive was emblematic of things to come, as the Bruins marched down the field in the opening minutes to take a quick 7-0 lead. Taylor Saben capped off a nine-play, 70-yard drive with an eight-yard rushing touchdown to put Fox ahead. A two-play combo midway through the drive — a DeMontre Thomas II's 10-yard pass to River Osen on third and long followed by a Saben six-yard rush on fourth — kept the offense humming.

Two minutes later, the ball was back in the offense's hands and moving again. Thomas II and Osen connected once more on third down, this time an 11-yard connection to move the chains before the Bruins struck gold; Thomas II launched a ball deep to Chavis Lee, who ran past the defense and ran under the ball for the 46-yard score. At the end of the first, it was 14-0, GFU.

Though the next Bruin drive stalled out inside Bearcat territory, thanks to a superb defensive effort that held the Bearcats to just 49 first-half yards, it wouldn't be long before they had another shot. It was thanks to two big plays that put the Bruins in the end zone: Thomas II hit Elias Polanski for a 36-yard gain before the quarterback called his own number, taking the read option 38 yards for the 21-0 lead.

The Fox defense forced yet another Willamette three-and-out, getting good field position at the GFU 42 to start their drive. Five straight runs from the Bruins, two from Ethan Bullock, one from Thomas II, and one from Saben, got the Bruins right where they wanted to be; Saben finished off the drive with a thunderous 44-yard run for his second touchdown of the day.

Following the score to put GFU up, 28-0, came one of the most bizarre sequences of the day — and one that got Fox their best field position of the half. Ben Rembisz' kickoff hit at the Willamette 27 and bounced free with no Bearcats in sight. The impromptu onside kick was recovered by Dane Johnson and put Fox in prime position with under two minutes to go in the half. 

Fox was sure to take advantage of the solid real estate, even after a sack set the Bruins behind the chains. For the third time in the first half, Thomas II and Osen connected on third down — this completion a 20-yard gain on 3rd and 16 — eventually setting up a Rembisz field goal. At the half, it was all Fox, 31-0. 

On the heels of their largest halftime lead since the program returned in 2014, the Bruins took their foot off the gas in the second half. Fox added one additional score in the third quarter on a touchdown pass from Thomas II to Cobey Aldrich, who leaped into the end zone for his second score of the season. 

By the fourth quarter, Thomas II was out and Austin Katapodis was taking the snaps. Several Bruins got the first touches of their career: Jaxon Dunnagan, Eddie Keomany, Declan McDonald, and Sayre Williamson all recorded their first carries. On the defensive side, Ty Borde had a key pass breakup on fourth down while Austin Harrison recorded his first career interception. Two late touchdowns from Willamette closed the gap, but when all was said and done, the Bruins were 2-0 thanks to a dominant 37-14 victory.

Top Performances
DeMontre Thomas II finished the night 18-27 for 238 yards and two touchdowns, rushing for an additional 48 yards and a score. Taylor Saben added an extra 84 yards on the ground with two touchdowns. Elias Polanski led the team with 70 receiving yards while River Osen led the way with five catches (going for 53 yards). Chavis Lee recorded his first career touchdown catch from 46 yards out, while Cobey Aldrich finished with two catches for 16 yards and a score.

On defense, Nash Wylie led the way with 10 tackles, while Dustin Kunze had the team-high in solo tackles with four. Silas Kincaid and Blake Lucas each had two tackles for loss, while Ty Borde had two pass breakups. Austin Harrison had one interception.

Coach's Thoughts
"Willamette is a much-improved team, and I thought we did a very good job balancing our running and passing game against them," Bruin head coach Chris Casey said, "There were a lot of good things to take away from the first half, but we always want to play a full game and be consistent. Overall, it was a combination of offense, defense, and special teams that helped us get the win."

What It Means
The Bruins are 2-0 as they head into their final nonconference game of the year, while Willamette falls to 1-1. In the Oregon Cup series standings, the Bruins are 2-0 while the Bearcats are 0-2.

What Happens Next
Fox will host Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on Saturday, September 21 at 1:05 p.m., looking to start 3-0 for the second time in three seasons.