NEWBERG, Ore. -- The George Fox football team is looking to keep the good times rolling.

The Bruins picked up their second straight win by dismantling the Puget Sound Loggers, 48-23. Despite falling down 9-0 early and 16-7 in the second quarter, Fox dominated the final 30 minutes of the game to pick up the win in the wind and rain.

Though there is some rain in the schedule for the Bruins' road trip down to Salem against Willamette, it won't be anywhere near the 20 miles per hour gusts that Fox's win over the Loggers featured. The forecast calls for a 45% chance of rain with lighter winds.

Wind, rain, or shine, Bruin running back Taylor Saben will be an early player to watch for Fox's game against the Bearcats. The senior had 158 yards rushing, the second-most in program history, and became the program's leading scorer with his 25th career touchdown against the Loggers.

Joining Saben in the backfield is JJ Leman, who will lead the same 11 Bruin starters as in their past game. Leman accounted for four touchdowns — one through the air and three on the ground — throwing for 186 yards and rushing for 76. Dreylen Tolentino, Karsen Denault, and Kaelan Frey will all start at wide receiver for the Bruins for the seventh time in 2025.

Tucker Land is listed as the tight end for Fox, but expect Sheyden Iokia to get some action as well. Land, who has been seeing time in the backfield as well as a hybrid player, had three carries for 21 yards against UPS, along with three receptions for 23 yards. Iokia, meanwhile, had a career-high six catches for 53 yards and a TD.

The Bruin offense line has been a revelation over the past two games, helping Fox rush for an average of 288.5 yards per game. Toby Esqueda, Rylan McGraw, Lawa Ah Yat, Miky Amare, and Sean Brewster look to keep that going with their second straight start.

On the defensive side, the Bruins will field the same 11 players from the previous game. Sam Astor has been the one change Fox has made this season, sliding into the starting cornerback position against UPS and making an immediate impact — the junior intercepted a pass in the third quarter and returned it 34 yards to the red zone. Ben Nuss will start alongside Astor at CB.

Rounding out the defensive backfield will be Ty Borde, Reyn Asato, and Zak Holsey. Borde and Holsey each recorded an interception in the Bruins' 42-28 win over Lewis & Clark, with Borde leading the team with two interceptions. 

Kuyper Assink had a career game against the Loggers, finishing with three sacks and earning an NWC Defensive Player of the Week nod. The sophomore is second in the conference in sacks, trailing only his teammate, Jacob Erickson. Erickson is one sack away from breaking his own program record for sacks in a season with 11. The two defensive ends will start alongside Kaden Raever and Silas Kincaid.

On special teams, Ben Rembisz and Riley Rutledge will manage the kicking and punting duties. Rembisz was named NWC Special Teams Student-Athlete of the Week after going 8-for-8 on kicks in the win over UPS; the junior made a 27-yarder and a 23-yarder, along with all six of his PATs. Rutledge, meanwhile, averaged 40.5 yards per punt and totaled one touchback.

Though Willamette is still seeking its first Northwest Conference win since 2016, the team has shown steady improvement under second-year head coach Aric Williams. The Bearcats defeated La Verne in nonconference play and played tough against solid NWC teams in Pacific Lutheran and Lewis & Clark, losing by one score in each game.

Luke Rasmussen has been the Bearcat QB for all seven games played in 2025, throwing for over 1,300 yards, nine touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. Rasmussen has two favorite targets, with Jonah Luhrsen and Trajan Clark responsible for seven of the nine touchdowns the quarterback has thrown. Clark is the Bearcats' big-play target, pulling down 18 catches for 415 yards — a whopping 23.1 yards per catch, 11th in the nation (one spot behind GFU's own Karsen Denault). 

Three different running backs split carries for Willamette: Starter Masen Uribe, backup Austin Snodgrass, and Jerrick Little. Uribe has rushed for 322 yards and two scores, Snodgrass for 232 and two touchdowns, and Little for 213 and two TDs.

Defensively, Willamette allows 33.7 points per game — but has shown tremendous grit in several games. The Bearcats held a Lewis & Clark offense that averages 38 points per game to just 28, and held a talented Pacific Lutheran offense to just seven points in the first half. Junior Javi Rodriguez is the top tackler on the Bearcat D, totalling 55 through seven games to go alongside his 9.5 tackles for loss.

Willamette has been opportunistic, forcing more turnovers than any team in the NWC. In their seven games, the Bearcats have picked off nine passes and forced six fumbles, recovering all six. The Bruins will look to limit mistakes and continue their recent hot streak by earning their third straight win of the season with a victory over the Bearcats on Saturday.

Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 pm, with live video, stats, and ticketing links available on the George Fox athletics website.