NEWBERG, Ore. -- After weeks of steady improvement, the George Fox football team came to play against Lewis & Clark, earning head coach Spencer Crace's first win in style, downing the previously unbeaten Pioneers, 42-28.

How It Happened
If there was a narrative to the game, the first quarter had just one chapter — and it was all about Karsen Denault. The freshman wide receiver, fresh off the fourth-most yards in program history against Whitworth, recorded not one, but two 50-yard touchdown catches in the opening frame. Denault's first catch came on the third play of the game, when quarterback JJ Leman found his receiver streaking down the east sideline; Denault hauled in the ball and barely kept his balance, falling into the end zone to give Fox a 7-0 lead just 78 seconds into the game.

The Bruin defense bent, but didn't break, with Reyn Asato and Zak Holsey providing pressure on star Pio quarterback Dashiell Weaver on second and third down to force incompletions. The ensuing 27-yard field goal was blocked by Jacob Erickson — his second field goal block of the season — and Fox kept their 7-0 lead. 

Leman found Denault again to start the next drive, and before you could blink, the Bruins were nearing the red zone. A holding penalty and a seemed to push Fox out of scoring range, though; facing a 2nd & 35 at the 50-yard line, Leman did what any smart quarterback would do: he threw the ball up to Denault. The QB's pass hung in the air until it was wrestled in by number nine, who streaked past two defenders and into the end zone for his second score of the day. At the end of one, George Fox led, 14-0, and Denault had 120 yards and two TDs.

Lewis & Clark fought back in the second quarter, but a second chapter emerged for the Bruins: Brody Snyder. The sophomore running back had 28 career rushing yards heading into the game, but quickly proved himself in the second quarter. After the Pios scored early in the second on a 22-yard pass from Weaver to Desmon Holton, the Bruins embarked on another drive. Though the drive ended with an interception in the end zone, Snyder had one carry for 10 yards. The next drive, he continued to do so. The sophomore had four carries — all for 10 yards or more — ending with a score to extend the lead to 21-7. The Pioneers countered with a TD of their own to end the half at a 21-14 score.

The third quarter had plenty of action but no scores for either team. Lewis & Clark's opening drive looked promising, utilizing a 49-yard kick return and several 10-yard passes to get into the red zone. However, that's where Ty Borde had other ideas, picking off Weaver in the end zone to keep his team in front. Kuyper Assink had a strip sack (that the Pios recovered) on the Bruins' next defensive drive, and the quarter ended with the Bruins up, 21-14, and driving, ending the period on a 15-yard pass from Leman to Dreylen Tolentino.

Snyder began the fourth quarter with a bang, rushing for 11 yards before a two-yard run up the middle to extend Fox's lead to 28-14. Two plays later, the Bruin defense had a bang of their own: Weaver was hit mid-throw by Assink, with the deflected, feeble pop-up picked off by Zak Holsey. 

The Bruin drive following the interception fizzled out, and it seemed like the Bruins would be punting for just the second time on the day. But instead of punting, the Fox coaching staff went for the kill; punter Riley Rutledge tucked the ball and ran, executing the fake perfectly and gaining eight yards — enough for a first down. The very next play, Snyder broke free down the left side for a 34-yard gain, and Leman powered through for a rushing TD to make the score 35-14.

Weaver commanded a drive that quickly worked down the field, resulting in a 29-yard scrambling rushing touchdown for the quarterback, but the PAT was blocked by Assink to keep the score 35-20. Fox wasn't content to just let the clock run, either; although the Bruins ran Taylor Saben five times on the drive, they chose to pass on a 4th & 1 conversion, with Leman threading the ball through three defenders to Saben. A few plays later, Fox passed again — with Leman finding Sheyden Iokia to set up the fourth Bruin rushing touchdown of the day, this time by Saben.

The Pios sent out their backup QB, Sam Simril, who led a late TD to make the score 42-28. It was too little, too late for Lewis & Clark, as the Bruins recovered the onside kick. When all was said and done, George Fox had changed the narrative of their season and handed Lewis & Clark their first loss of the season, thanks to 503 total yards, their most since 623 against Willamette in 2023, winning by a score of 42-28.

Top Performances
Karsen Denault followed up a 156-yard performance with 153 receiving yards (the seventh-most of all time) and two touchdowns, with 120 coming in the first quarter. Brody Snyder, meanwhile, improved greatly on his 28 career rushing yards entering the game, running for 145 yards — the fourth-most in program history and most since Jaden Sheffey in 2018 — and two touchdowns. Snyder averaged 9.1 yards per carry and had seven carries of 10 yards or more.

JJ Leman set yet another career mark, throwing for 284 yards on a career-low 26 passing attempts. Leman completed 19 of his 26 passes for two touchdowns and an interception, rushing for a TD as well. Taylor Saben ended his day with 15 carries for 46 yards and a TD as well, while Riley Rutledge had a carry for eight yards on the fake punt.

Defensively, Ben Nuss and Kaikoa Iokia led the team with nine tackles apiece, while Kuyper Assink had 1.5 sacks and Vincent Esau had 1.0 sacks. Ty Borde and Zak Holsey each picked off a pass, while Sam Astor had a pass breakup. Ben Rembisz made all six of his kicks on special teams.

Coach's Thoughts
"I'm so proud of our guys because we knew that the week two team was nowhere near the week six team," Bruin head coach Spencer Crace said, "We have been in battle after battle, and I told the guys, 'those five games didn't define you, they refined you.' James said, 'Consider it pure joy when you face trials of many kinds because the testing of your faith develops perseverance.' This team has persevered through it and trusted the process, and I'm so proud of these guys!"

What It Means
The Bruins picked up a big first win of the season, improving to 1-5 (1-2 NWC) on the season. The Pios, who were off to their best start in 14 years and were receiving votes in national polls, drop to 5-1 (2-1 NWC). The game will serve as the final time the Bruin football squad will play the Lewis & Clark Pioneers — the college announced that they will be known as the River Otters starting in the winter of 2025.

What Happens Next
Fox will be in Stoffer Family Stadium for their next game on Saturday, October 25th,A for a matchup against the Puget Sound Loggers (1–5, 1-2 NWC). The Family Weekend game is scheduled to kick off at 1:30 pm.