SPOKANE, Wash. – Whitworth University puts its unbeaten record on the line against visiting George Fox University on Saturday, in the final regular season home game on the 2023 schedule. The game kicks off at 1:00 pm and can be heard live on KSBN 1230am and on KSBN.net.
Whitworth (7-0 overall, 5-0 NWC) won 63-21 at Lewis & Clark last Saturday in Portland, Oregon. George Fox is coming off a 35-25 win over Pacific Lutheran. Check the Whitworth football schedule above for live coverage of the game.
Tickets: Digital tickets are required for entrance to the Whitworth Pine Bowl for all fans. Tickets can be purchased in advance using the Hometown Ticketing App. Follow the link for access. Tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for senior adults, non-Whitworth students and children. Whitworth students get free admission by using a student ID number.
The Pirates: Whitworth posted season-highs for total points (63, tie), total offense (606) and first downs (35) in last Saturday's 63-21 win at Lewis & Clark. Whitworth scored touchdowns on nine of ten possessions in the game.
The Pirates threw for 333 yards and ran for 273 in their most balanced offensive output of the season. Austin Ewing completed 21 of 29 passes for 313 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions and ran for 43 yards and two scores, accounting for five of Whitworth's touchdowns in under three quarters of action. Solomon Hines ran the ball 13 times for 104 yards (8.0 ypc) and scored two touchdowns. Luis Salgado ran for 51 yards and caught two passes for 32 yards and the game's first TD. Dillon Kuk caught his 10th touchdown pass of the season, a 50-yarder, in the second quarter. Caelin Johnson had two touchdowns among his three receptions. Back up tight end James Lee led the Bucs with five catches for 44 yards.
The Pirate defense came up with six sacks for 34 yards and two takeaways. One of the takeaways was an interception by Joshua Lawson late in the first half that prevented a Lewis & Clark scoring opportunity. Late in the third quarter Dylan Owens' sack forced a fumble that was recovered by Lane Watkins. Zach Brooks had seven tackles, including a tackle for loss, and broke up a pass, while Caleb Shawen made six stops. Nathan DePaolo had one of his best games, coming up with five tackles, including an eight-yard sack and another tackle for loss.
Iden Bone made all nine of his extra points and averaged 55.6 yards per kickoff on a windy day in Portland. His only field goal attempt, a 45-yard effort, at the end of the first half was blocked. Whitworth did not punt in the game.
Senior Day: Whitworth will recognize 24 senior players prior to kickoff against George Fox on Saturday.
Team Captains: The Pirate team captains in 2023 are WR Dylan Ashbeck and QB Ryan Blair from the offense and safety Atticus Templeton and CB Tiliti Adams from the defense. A special forces captain is selected on a week-by-week basis. Last game was receiver Riley Morrison.
Whitworth's special teams captains, week by week: Sept. 2 – LS Marcus Viramontes; Sept. 9 – KR Cameron Sheley; Sept. 16 – LB Zach Brooks; Sept. 30 – Luke Roberts; Oct. 7 – Zach Loveless; Oct. 14 – Jacob Brandvold; Oct. 21 – Cameron Sheley; Oct. 28 – Riley Morrison.
Offensive Defense: Whitworth's defense has been downright offensive this season, scoring four touchdowns. JT Muñoz had a 33-yard fumble return for a touchdown on the final play of the first half against Pacific Lutheran on September 30th. Muñoz now has two defensive touchdowns in his career following a fumble recovery touchdown against Puget Sound in 2022.
At Willamette on October 7th, Dylan Ventress and Atticus Templeton returned fumbles for touchdowns, while Omari Williams took an interception to the endzone. Whitworth's four defensive touchdowns leads the NWC and ranks sixth in NCAA Division III. The Pirates lead the Northwest Conference, and rank 10th in NCAA Division III, in turnover margin (+1.57 per game) with 20 takeaways and nine turnovers this season.
Party in the Backfield: The Whitworth defense has been disruptive in other ways this season. The Pirates lead the NWC and rank second in NCAA Division III in sacks (4.14 per game). Whitworth has sacked opposing quarterbacks 29 times for 169 yards in losses. It has been a team effort with 16 different players sharing at least one sack. The Bucs also lead the NWC in tackles for loss per game (7.9). Whitworth has 55 total tackles for losses of 219 yards.
Winning in the Redzone: Whitworth has won the redzone on offense and on defense in 2023. On offense, the Pirates have scored 31 out of 37 trips into the redzone, a .838 average that ranks second in the NWC. The Bucs have been even better on defense, limiting opponents to 15 scores on 25 trips to the redzone, a .600 clip that ranks second in the NWC and ranks 17th in NCAA Division III.
To Protect and Serve: Whitworth had to replace four starters on the offensive line in 2023 and that group has developed into a strong unit for the Pirates. Whitworth leads the NWC and fourth in all of NCAA Division III in tackles-for-loss allowed per game (3.14). The Pirates also lead the conference in sacks allowed per game (1.14). The starting line is comprised of Kiefer Furness (LT), Jake McCabe (LG), Patton Miller (C), Jake Trost (RG) and Dillon Helle (RT).
Flyin' Hawaiian: Graduate transfer quarterback Austin Ewing is having a big impact on Whitworth's success this season. He has completed 113 of 157 passes (71.97%) for 1,658 yards with 18 touchdowns and only one interception. Ewing has also run for four touchdowns this season. He leads the NWC, and ranks fourth in NCAA Division III, in passing efficiency with a rating of 197.2. He also leads the NWC and ranks sixth in DIII in yards per pass attempt (10.56).
He can really Kuk: Dillon Kuk has been an explosive receiver in 2023. He has ten touchdown catches this season, second in the NWC. Kuk ranks 22nd in NCAA Division III in scoring (10.0 points per game). Kuk is second in the NWC and ranks ninth in Division III in yards per catch (23.43).
NWC/NCAA Leaders: Solo Hines leads the NWC and ranks fifth in Division III with three blocked kicks this season. On offense, Luis Salgado leads the conference in rushing touchdowns with eight. On defense, Daniel McKeirnan leads the NWC and ranks sixth in the country with five interceptions (0.7 per game).
Leading the Evergreen State: Since Rod Sandberg took over as head coach in 2014, Whitworth has the best winning percentage of any football playing university in Washington State. Heading into 2023, the Pirates are 64-21 since 2014, a winning percentage of .753. That figure is better than the University of Washington (73-37, .664), Washington State (61-46, .570), Eastern Washington (72-35, .673), Central Washington (59-28, .678), Pacific Lutheran (34-42, .447) and Puget Sound (33-48, .407).
400+: Whitworth won for the 400th time in school history on October 16, 2021 vs. PLU. The Pirates' all-time record in football now stands at 414-417-18. The last time Whitworth was over the .500 mark in football was 1928, when the Bucs were 32-31-2 all-time following an 0-3 season. Whitworth won its 100th game in 1959, during Heritage Gallery member Sam Adams' second season. The 200th victory came in 1981 under Bruce Grambo and the 300th win came in 2006 when John Tully led the Pirates to an 11-1 finish. It took 55 years to get the 100th win, 22 more to get to 200 and 25 to get to 300. It took Whitworth only 15 years to get to 400. In 1997 Whitworth's all-time record in football was 248-337-18, 89 games under .500.
Perfect Ten: With the win over Puget Sound on October 14th, Whitworth clinched its tenth consecutive winning season under head coach Rod Sandberg. That extended the longest streak of winning campaigns in school history. The previous long streak of seven was set between 1959 and 1965.
West Coast Crossover: September 16th was part of a crossover weekend between the Northwest Conference and the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. In addition to Whitworth's 24-17 win at Chapman, Pacific Lutheran defeated California Lutheran and Linfield won at Redlands. George Fox lost at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, Pacific (Ore.) fell at Pomona-Pitzer and La Verne won at Puget Sound, ending the weekend with three victories for each conference. Last season the NWC went 6-1 against the SCIAC on the crossover weekend, including Whitworth's 12-7 win over CMS.
Looking Back at 2022: Whitworth posted its ninth consecutive winning season under head coach Rod Sandberg, extending the longest stretch of winning campaigns in school history with a 28-17 win at Pacific (Ore.) on Nov. 5. A season-ending 28-14 loss to George Fox dropped the Pirates from a tie for second place to fourth place in the final Northwest Conference standings. Whitworth suffered back-to-back losses to Linfield and Pacific Lutheran early in the NWC schedule, costing the Pirates a chance at the league title. Whitworth opened the season with a 35-17 loss at eventual NCAA Division III playoff participant Carnegie Mellon (Pa.) before defeating Eastern Oregon and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.
Winning the Opener: Whitworth has won eight of its ten season-openers under head coach Rod Sandberg, including last week's win at Eastern Oregon. The Pirates are 5-1 at home and 3-1 on the road. Whitworth's only season-opening losses under Sandberg came in 2016 and 2022.
On the Air Again: Whitworth's games will once again be carried live this season on KSBN 1230am in Spokane. The relationship between Pirate athletics and KSBN goes back to 1994, a span of nearly 30 years. Bud Nameck, familiar to listeners in Spokane as the (now retired) longtime host of the KXLY 920am Morning News, is in his ninth season as the voice of the Pirates in 2023. He was the voice of Washington State University men's basketball for 22 years, and spent that same amount of time on the Cougar football broadcasts – the final three on play by play. He is a longtime resident of the Inland Northwest who began his career as the Sports Information Director and radio voice of Gonzaga University basketball and baseball in the 1980s.
The Head Coach: In nine seasons Rod Sandberg has entrenched himself in the Whitworth and NCAA record books as the Pirates' head football coach. Sandberg has guided the Pirates to a 64-21 record over that span, including two appearances in the NCAA Division III playoffs (2015 and 2018). He is in second place in total victories in school history and no Pirate coach reached 50 victories as quickly as Sandberg. Sandberg's winning percentage of .753 is the best among Whitworth coaches with at least five seasons and currently ranks among the top 20 active coaches in all of Division III. He coached the Pirates to only the fourth unbeaten regular season in school history (9-0) in 2018 and only the second NCAA playoff victory (48-6 over Claremont-Mudd-Scripps). The Bucs' 15-game winning streak, counting the final five games of 2017 and the first ten of 2018, is the second-longest in school history. Whitworth was 6-4 in 2014, Sandberg's first season, the best first-year record for a Pirate football coach since Rod Enos led the team to a 6-3 mark in 1965. Sandberg spent 19 seasons on the defensive staff at Wheaton College (Ill.), including the last 11 as defensive coordinator. Wheaton made the NCAA Division III playoffs five times during Sandberg's tenure as defensive coordinator. The team never lost a first round playoff game and reached the Division III semifinals in 2008 and quarterfinals in 2003. Sandberg's 2007 and 2013 squads led the Collegiate Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin, regarded as one of the strongest football leagues at the Division III level, in scoring defense. The Thunder were second in the league in scoring defense five other times.
The Bruins: George Fox is 3-5 overall and 2-3 in the in the Northwest Conference, but the Bruins are trending in the right direction. After scoring only 95 total points through the first six games, George Fox has put up 98 points in just the last two contests, including last week's 35-28 win over PLU. Overall, the Bruins average 24.33 points and 358.9 yards per game this season. They are allowing 23.0 points and 359.3 yards per contest.
Chris Casey, who was Whitworth's defensive coordinator from 1994 - 2004, is in his tenth year (46-41) as head coach at George Fox. He was the head coach at Aloha (Ore.) High School from 2005 through 2012, where he won a 6A state title in 2010.
The Bruins' offensive improvement can be tied to the play of junior quarterback DeMontre Thomas, who has completed 70 of 121 passes for 1152 yards with seven touchdown and one interception. He has also rushed for 64 yards and two scores. Senior WR Dillan Dobbins is a big-play threat, with 480 receiving yards on only 17 receptions (28.24 ypc) with four touchdowns. George Fox has run the ball by committee, with sophomore William Moffit leading the team in yards per carry (6.3) and senior Logan Candanoza leading with four touchdowns. On defense, senior LB Noah Wylie leads the NWC in tackles (74) this season, and he has two interceptions. Sophomore DE Jacob Erickson is third in the NWC in both tackles for loss (9.0) and sacks (7.0 – 33 yards).
The Bruins jumped ahead 21-0 at halftime and 28-3 midway through the third quarter in last Saturday's 35-25 win over visiting PLU. George Fox held the Lutes to 295 yards of total offense, while putting up 385 yards. The Bruins went 9 of 11 on third down conversions, leading to a ten-minute advantage in time of possession. Thomas completed 17 of 20 passes (85%) for 292 yards with three touchdowns and he ran for a score. Dobbins had four catches for 12 yards (30.0 ypc). Nash had 11 tackles and the team sacked PLU five times.
Last Meeting: Visiting George Fox got big plays and did little things well to knock off Whitworth 28-14 in the season finale for both schools on a biting cold day in the Pine Bowl. George Fox outscored Whitworth 14-7 in each half, in part because the Bruins converted key third downs and held the Pirates to 2-12 on third down attempts. George Fox had a 414-348 edge in total offense.
Jaedyn Prewitt completed 33 of 54 passes for 316 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Isaac Fields caught nine passes for 100 yards, while Riley Morrison had eight grabs for 51 yards. Whitworth's running game never got untracked, finishing with 32 yards on 18 carries.
Patrick Serrano, Jacob Hogger and Colten Chelin each had seven tackles to lead the defense. Whitworth did not get an interception, but recovered three fumbles. None led to points.
Coaching Connections: In addition to head coach Chis Casey, other members of the Bruins' staff have a strong connection to Whitworth. Assistant head coach and defensive coordinator John Bates was an All-Conference safety at Whitworth (96-99) and coached two seasons with the Pirates. Special Teams Coordinator Ian Sanders was also an All-NWC defensive back at Whitworth (1997-2000). Defensive line coach Nic Brockhoff earned All-NWC recognition as a linebacker during his Pirate career (2011-2014).
The Series: Saturday's game is the ninth meeting between the two schools and Whitworth leads the series 5-3, but the Bruins have won two in a row, including a 16-10 win in Newberg in 2021. The Pirates earned their largest margin of victory in the series in 2018 on the road (38-14).
Coming up next: Whitworth will travel to play nationally-ranked Linfield in the regular season finale on November 11th.
