George Fox University

PORTLAND, Ore. -- In one of the wildest games in program history, the George Fox football team traded blows with the Lewis & Clark River Otters. The teams combined for 84 points, the third-most in program history, but 21 straight points from the Otts at the end of the game gave GFU the loss, 49-35.

How It Happened
The first three minutes were a statistician's nightmare, with big plays shifting momentum back and forth. Lewis & Clark tried to catch the Bruins off-guard right off the rip with an onside kick — but Declan McDonald was ready for it, pouncing on the ball at midfield. Unfortunately, Fox wasn't able to take advantage of the field position, as JJ Leman's first pass was intercepted. Two plays later, the Otts were in the red zone, but a timely deflection fell into Ben Nuss' hands; the senior took the ball from his own end zone 49 yards to get the ball right back where they started the quarter with it.

Leman bounced back, finding his favorite target, Karsen Denault, for a 48-yard gain. 30 seconds later, the two connected again, with Denault hauling in a 12-yard catch in the right corner of the end zone to put Fox up early, 7-0.

The momentum shifts continued, though, and GFU was on the wrong side of a blocked punt that put L&C in prime position. This time, the River Otters cashed in, tying the game, 7-7, after a rushing touchdown with 5:30 remaining. Fox drove down the field again, with Lyal Viers and Raiden Gonzales helping move the team to the one-yard line. This time, it was GFU's turn to turn it over in the red zone; a fumbled exchange on the snap was recovered by the Otts, ending a solid opportunity for the Bruins. Despite all the fireworks, just 14 points were scored in the period as the first quarter ended tied, 7-7.

Big plays were the story of the second quarter. Lewis & Clark opened up bag of tricks with a 25-yard touchdown to start the period on a flea flicker, but George Fox responded with an explosive drive of their own — Leman found Denault for 21 yards and Bupe Chisanga Jr. for 47 yards before Tucker Land punched it into the end zone. Not to be outdone, Sytyn Lasconia broke free for a 57-yard score on a fourth and two.

After the two teams exchanged punts, the game resumed its frenetic pace. Leman's pass was intercepted and nearly taken to the house, resulting in an Otts score on the next play to put Lewis & Clark up 14. Fox then called on backup quarterback Austin Ramsey, who answered with back-to-back completions to Denault. The freshman first found the star wideout in the middle of the field for a 40-yard gain, with Denault pulling in the ball in the midst of four defenders. The next play, Ramsey threw it up to Denault on a fade — and for the second time in as many quarters, he snagged it to make the halftime score 28-21, River Otters.

Though Lewis & Clark started with the ball, the Bruins quickly found themselves with possession. L&C backup QB Sam Simrill (who started the game for an injured Dashiell Weaver) was pressured by Kuyper Assink and had his pass intercepted by Nuss for the second time. Fox worked their way down to the goal line, and Ramsey turned something into nothing; the freshman dropped the ball while looking to throw, picked it up, and worked his way into the end zone for his first career rushing touchdown.

Fox continued to play the momentum game and attempted the second onside kick of the game. Unlike the Otts' attempt, though, this one was recovered by the kicking team. Jacob Hundven's pooch pick bounced around before Parker Munns fell on the ball. One play later, GFU had the lead. Lyal Viers danced around the right side of the field, making defenders miss to score his first career TD from 47 yards out and give Fox their first lead since 7-0.

It took two plays for the River Otters to strike back as Simrill connected with Tyler Tolles for a 74-yard score that tied up the game at 35. That TD capped off a four-minute stretch where 35 total points were scored. The teams settled down, with Jacob Erickson and Austin Harrison making key tackles to help force punts, but the quarter ended on a Bruin turnover after Luke Carli's first career catch. Headed to the fourth, the game was tied, 35-35.

The fourth quarter started positively for the Bruins, with Tyven Self-Gomes-Kealakai hurrying Simrill on a fourth down. However, after a punt from the Bruins, things started to go south. On a third down, the Otts seemed to shift the game for good with an 87-yard catch-and-run by Lasconia. That huge gain set up a short River Otter touchdown, putting Fox down by seven.

On the ensuing kickoff, Fox fumbled the ball, giving Lewis & Clark possession in GFU territory. Gio Borea ran it three straight times for the Otts, scoring on a first-and-goal to extend the lead to 14. With time winding down, the Bruin offense had to take more drastic measures. On back-to-back possessions, Ramsey threw an interception — the sixth and seventh turnovers of the game for Fox. Lewis & Clark was able to kneel out the clock following the second pick, handing the hometown River Otters the 49-35 victory.

Top Performers
Austin Ramsey played the entire second half for the Bruins at quarterback, finishing his day with 177 yards passing, one touchdown, and one interception. He also had 28 yards rushing and a TD on the ground. JJ Leman, meanwhile, had 192 yards through the air, one touchdown, and one interception. 

Karsen Denault continued to be a cheat code offensively, finishing with eight catches for 186 yards and two touchdowns. Bupe Chisanga Jr., meanwhile, eclipsed the 100-yard mark for the first time in his career, finishing with four catches for 104 yards. Lyal Viers led the team with 61 yards rushing and one touchdown, while Tucker Land rushed for a score as well.

Defensively, Austin Harrison and Jacob Erickson led the team with eight tackles apiece, while Ben Nuss had two interceptions, returning one for 49 yards. Parker Munns recovered a surprise pooch kick from Jacob Hundven, who had five kickoffs for 305 yards.

Coach's Thoughts
"Hard to win when we had seven turnovers," Bruin head coach Spencer Crace said, "But we kept fighting. This team has grit. We just need to eliminate self-inflicted wounds. The last three games have been us hurting ourselves. We will learn and find a way to bounce back!"

What It Means
Fox drops their third consecutive game, falling to 3-3 (0-3 NWC) on the season, though they have faced three of the toughest projected teams in the conference thus far. Lewis & Clark avenges their lone loss this season, to GFU in September, moving to 5-1 (3-0 NWC) on the year. 

What Happens Next
The Bruins will stay on the road, traveling up to Tacoma to face the Puget Sound Loggers (2-3, 2-1 NWC) on Saturday, October 24. Kickoff for the game is scheduled for 1:00 pm.