NEWBERG, Ore. -- It all leads to this.

The George Fox football team will kick off their season with a road game against the Redlands Bulldogs on Saturday, September 6, in the first game of head coach Spencer Crace's career as a Bruin.

The two teams are no strangers: the Bruins have faced the Bulldogs eight times since the program returned in 2014, the most of any non-Northwest Conference team. Though the all-time series is tied, 4-4, Fox has taken the past two games — including a 17-3 victory over Redlands in 2024. That 2024 game was moved from a Saturday night game to a Sunday matinee nearly 40 miles away after a nearby wildfire nearly caused cancellation. This time, though, the weather looks clear, albeit hot for Crace's debut.

DeMontre Thomas II is currently listed as the number one for the Bruins at quarterback, with freshman JJ Leman the number two. Thomas II was 15-29 for 137 with one touchdown and one interception in the 2024 win over Redlands, and looks to help the Bruins win their season opener for the second straight season. The two players have been involved in a lengthy battle for the starting spot all fall camp, and both could see the field on Saturday night.

At the running back position, it will be Taylor Saben and William Moffitt for what may seem like the eighth year in a row for Bruin fans. The steady two-headed monster has been a mainstay in the backfield for the past three years, and it should be no different for Fox in year four. Saben ran for 76 yards while Moffitt rushed for 37 yards and a score in the two teams' past meeting.

While those two players have been a staple, it will be mostly new faces in the wide receiver room. Kaelan Frey, Dreylen Tolentino, and Kala'i Bradley are listed as the starters for the opening week; of those three players, only Frey has recorded double-digit catches in his career. 

It's the same story on the offensive line — though Lawa Ah Yat (RG) is a multi-year starter, Miky Amare (LT), Kapala Pilialoha (LG) , Kyle Martin (C), and Sean Brewster (RT) will all be stepping into the role of starter this season. Sheyden Iokia will be making a grand return for the Bruins at tight end; Iokia's only full game played came against Redlands in 2024, where he caught three passes for 27 yards before missing the rest of the year with an injury.

On the defensive side, Jacob Erickson will also be making his return. The 2022 NWC Rookie of the Year set the program record for sacks in a season before missing the bulk of his next two years due to injury, including his entire junior campaign.  Erickson will be joined by Silas Kincaid, Kaden Raever, and Kuyper Assink at the defensive line.

New for 2025 will be defensive coordinator Lukkes Gilgan's 4-2-5 defense. After years of running a 4-3 scheme, Fox will be shifting to just two middle linebackers: Dylan Palama and Kaikoa Iokia. Instead of the third linebacker, the Bruins will be utilizing a nickel defender in Zak Holsey, who had four solo tackles against Redlands in 2024.

Benjamin Nuss and Austin Harrison are at the top of the depth chart in the cornerback position, while Ty Borde and Reyn Asato are on top as safeties. Harrison and Borde enter another season as starters, each recording three tackles against the Bulldogs in their last meeting.

Several of the specialists return from 2024, with Ben Rembisz and Riley Rutledge serving as kicker and punter, respectively. Rembisz had a 22-yard field goal — one of five he totaled on the season — while Rutledge had 245 of his 1,749 yards of punting versus the Bulldogs.

For Redlands, it will be dual-threat QB Luke Coleman earning the start for the Bulldogs. The junior transfer from College of the Canyons will hope to have an easier time than the Redlands quarterbacks in 2024, who were sacked four times. In general, Redlands will hope to recover some offensive firepower; after two of their quarterbacks went down, the Bulldogs scored more than 17 points just twice in the season (both games against winless La Verne).

Donavon Maxey-Parker will also look for an easier time on the ground for the Bulldog ground game; the junior was the team's leading rusher with just 14 yards. And on the receiver side, none of the Bulldog's top targets return. In fact, the three starting receivers for Redlands mustered just eight total catches for the Bulldogs in 2024. 

Two-time First Team All-SCIAC defensive end Jax Lee will hold down the line to lead the defense, which held opponents under 20 points in half of their games. He is the lone returning all conference player for the team, who finished the 2024 season 3-7 (3-5 SCIAC).

For the Bruins, while the opponent will be the same as last season, the mentality changes. They'll look to get their coach his first win as the head man and start the next chapter of Bruin football on a high note.

The game is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. PDT, with live stream and live stat links available on the Bruins' website. The game will be streamed live on FloSports, with a subscription required to watch, while live stats will be available for free.