RV/RV Howard Payne (0-0) at George Fox (0-0)
Newberg, Oregon – Stoffer Family Stadium
Kickoff: 4:00 pm PST
George Fox leads the series 2-0
Last Meeting: George Fox won 42-39 in Brownwood, Texas
Listen: 94.3 FM KYOX or www.HPUsports.com/watch
Video: https://athletics.georgefox.edu/sports/2021/12/13/live-video.aspx
Live Stats: https://athletics.georgefox.edu/sidearmstats/football/summary
 
Howard Payne
Under first-year head coach Kevin Bachtel, the Yellow Jackets look to continue their success from back-to-back 7-3 campaigns. Coach Bachtel served as the Yellow Jackets' defensive coordinator and assistant head coach for the past three seasons before taking the reins as the head coach in December of 2022.
 
The Howard Payne offense will be led by 2023 ASC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, Landon McKinney. Guiding last season the seventh-ranked offense in the nation, McKinney led the ASC in Total Passing Yards (2876), and Passing Yards Per Game (287.6), finishing in the top 15 nationally in both categories.
 
One of his top targets will be All-Conference receiver Jordan Carroll who in 2022 caught 36 passes for 674 yards and 11 touchdowns, Carroll was among the leaders in the ASC and the nation in receiving.
 
Anchoring the HPU defense will be 2^nd Team All-Conference linebacker Peyton Lowe. Last season, he recorded 50 total tackles (26 solo, 24 assisted), Lowe had five tackles for loss, 2.5 Sacks, one interception, and four pass breakups.
 
HPU is receiving votes in the AFCA Coaches Top 25 Preseason Poll and the D3football.com Top 25 Preseason Poll.
 
Howard Payne reported 133 players for fall workouts. The 2023 edition of the Yellow Jackets includes 59 returners, 14 transfers, and 60 freshmen.
 
George Fox
Bruin head coach Chris Casey returns for his 10th season of Bruin football, coaching all 10 years since the university reinstated football in 2014. 2022 saw the program reach new heights, jumping out to its first-ever 3-0 start and finishing with a record eight wins.
 
Senior quarterback Max Richey will get his first career start on Saturday, looking to fill the shoes left behind by First Team All-NWC Haiden Schaan; in 2022, the Bruin passing offense nearly doubled in production, with Schaan throwing for 2,885 yards in 10 games. In his action as a backup, Richey completed 71% of his passes for 71 yards and a touchdown.
 
The first-time starting quarterback will command an offense full of fresh faces— with Schaan graduating and 2022 AFCA First Team All-American Leon Johnson III transferring to Oklahoma State, the Bruins will look to other returners to step up.
 
Elias Polanski is the leading returner in receiving yards for the Bruin offense in week one, pulling in 12 catches for 135 yards in 2022. Tayler Saben, who was elevated to the starting running back at the end of 2022, will start in week one after rushing for 217 yards in the final four weeks of the season.
 
On the defensive side, Northwest Conference Freshman of the Year Jacob Erickson commands a Bruin defense that forced 17 turnovers the season prior. Erickson set a program record in 2022 with 10.5 sacks on the season. The sophomore is joined by First Team All-NWC performers Nash Wylie and Kiegan Schaan, as well as Second Team player Kobe Andrews.