CLAREMONT, Calif. -- It took an extra day to play their season-opening game, but the George Fox football team battled through adversity — both on and off the field — to take down the "home" Redlands Bulldogs in their season opener, 17-3.

How It Happened
The game, originally scheduled for Saturday at 7:00 p.m. in Redlands, Calif., was postponed due to poor air quality from the nearby Line Fire in San Bernardino County. The game was then moved 33 miles west to Redlands' SCIAC rival Claremont-Mudd-Scripps' stadium, with a new start time of Sunday at 10:00 a.m. As such, the Bruins played in their first-ever Sunday football game since the program returned in 2014.

Instead of the originally scheduled Sunday team trip to Knott's Berry Farm, the Bruins dealt with a roller coaster of their own on the football field. The first few drives of the game proved to be fruitless for both teams, before Fox embarked on a grueling drive through the California heat. DeMontre Thomas II found tight end Cobey Aldrich three times throughout the nine-play, 75-yard drive — culminating in an 11-yard connection between the quarterback and tight end to give Fox an early 7-0 lead.

That seven-point lead was all the Bruins would need, as the Fox defense showed no signs of breaking in the first half. Redlands went their first four drives without a first down, with Nash Wylie sacking Bulldog QB Tyler Tremain and helping hold him to just two completions in the first four drives. In total, Redlands would manage just three first downs in the first half.

In that time, the Bruins put together another drive — this time on the back of William Moffitt, who recorded four touches for 24 yards on the drive and a two-yard rushing TD to put Fox up 14-0. In addition to Moffit's rushing, a 22-yard pass from Thomas II to Sheydon Iokia on fourth and eight gave Fox the boost they needed. A Redlands drive to close the half and a 38-yard field goal from Aida Petruescu cut the Bruins' lead to 14-3 at the half.

If the first half was a defensive slugfest between the two teams, the second half was the main event. After a four-minute drive from the Bulldogs led to a punt, the Bruins put together their longest drive of the day. Working hard for every inch, Fox sustained a 15-play, 66-yard drive that lasted over seven minutes. Moffitt and Taylor Saben combined for 10 rushes over the drive, while Thomas II completed two clutch passes to Aldrich and Kaelen Fry to keep the ball moving. Though Fox worked their way to the five-yard line, the Bruins ultimately settled for a 28-yard field goal from Ben Rembisz, giving Fox a two-touchdown advantage at 17-3.

Following the Rembisz field goal, the two teams played the field position game. Fox gradually worked their way closer thanks to several punts from freshman Riley Rutledge, including a pooch punt that pinned the Bulldogs back deep. Though Fox did not score in the fourth, the Bulldogs' poor field position helped keep them out of the endzone.

The Bruin defense took advantage of the beneficial starting spots, absolutely locking down the Redlands attack — the Bulldogs never got closer than the George Fox 41 in the second half. The biggest play of the day for the Bruin defense came in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter when Redlands had driven into GFU territory. Gannon Stesiak broke through the line and strip-sacked backup quarterback Jayden McKey, with Bryce Goetz recovering the fumble to snuff out the light for Redlands. From there, Thomas II kneeled out the clock to give Fox the season-opening win, 17-3.

Top Performances
DeMontre Thomas II finished the day 15-29 for 137 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Taylor Saben was the leading rusher for the day with 20 carries for 76 yards, while William Moffitt recorded 37 yards rushing and a touchdown while pulling in two catches for 26 yards. Cobey Aldrich was by far the top receiver of the day, totaling a career-high seven catches for 64 yards and one touchdown. 

On defense, Nash Wylie led the team with six tackles, while Dustin Kunze and Noah Tack led the way with five solo tackles. Wylie, Tack, Gannon Stesiak, and Silas Kincaid all totaled one sack for the team, with Stesiak and Nolan Martin each forcing a fumble. Kiegan Schaan led the team with two pass breakups. In total, the Bruin defense held the Bulldogs to 2-13 on third downs.

For special teams, Ben Rembisz made both extra points and a 28-yard field goal. Riley Rutledge recorded seven punts for 245 yards.

Coach's Thoughts
"First of all, thank you to Redlands, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, and La Verne for being flexible with the game and helping us find places to play and practice," Bruin head coach Chris Casey said, "With all of the factors down here, we didn't let the circumstances change how we adapted and adjusted — and the guys did a great job adapting and believing in our process. We found a way to blue-collar grind it out, and our players and coordinators did an awesome job on all three phases of the game. It's a super start to the season, for sure."

What It Means
The Bruins begin the season with a 1-0 record, while Redlands starts 0-1. Fox also avenges a season-opening 3-17 loss against Howard Payne the year prior, battling through to flip the score in 2024.

What Happens Next
Fox will play their home opener against a familiar foe in Willamette on Saturday, September 14. The game, though played between two Northwest Conference teams, is part of the annual non-conference Oregon Cup game and will not count toward conference standings. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.