Last Week Linfield 37, Hardin-Simmons 22
This Week Linfield at Occidental, D.W. Patterson Field, Los Angeles, Calif., 7 p.m.
Next Week Linfield at Southern Oregon, Raider Stadium, Ashland, Ore., 6 p.m.

FAST FACTS
The Game Linfield and Occidental meet for the third time on Saturday, Sept. 19…this will be the first regular-season meeting between the two West Coast programs...both schools are affiliated with NCAA Division III...Linfield is a member of the Northwest Conference…Occidental is a member of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference…last season, Linfield was 6-3 but missed the playoffs for the third straight year after a run of four consecutive postseason appearances…the Wildcats were runners-up in the NWC behind eventual champion Willamette…Oxy went unbeaten in the regular season in 2008, winning the SCIAC championship for the fourth time in five seasons…the Tigers then finished the year 9-1 after falling 48-33 to Willamette in the opening round of the NCAA Division III playoffs.

The Records Both teams are 1-0 following season-opening wins…Linfield surprised fourth-ranked Hardin-Simmons last week, beating the favored Cowboys 37-22 in McMinnville…Occidental shut out Northwest Conference member Menlo 17-0 two weeks ago in Atherton, Calif…the Tigers have lost a combined total of five games over the last four seasons with three of those losses coming at the hands of NWC schools…Oxy enters the game riding a five-game home field winning streak.

The Streak Linfield is seeking its 54th consecutive winning season this fall…the Wildcats need four wins in their eight remaining games to extend their own all-divisions national record…the streak began in 1956 under late coach Paul Durham…Occidental has nine consecutive winning campaigns dating to the 2000 season.

The Polls Linfield enters the d3football.com Top 25 poll this week at No. 14…the Tigers are ranked No. 21…no other NWC team is rated in the Top 25.

The Series Linfield leads 2-0…the teams met in the 2004 and 2005 NCAA playoffs, both times in McMinnville, with the Wildcats winning 56-27 and 63-21.

The Coaches Fourth-year coach Joseph Smith (Linfield ‘93) is 19-9...Smith served as an assistant coach at Linfield for 13 seasons, including six as defensive coordinator…he was an NAIA All-America defensive back and Linfield’s male athlete of the year in 1992, leading the Wildcats to the NAIA Division II national championship final…Occidental coach Dave Widolff (Indiana Central ’75) is in his 26th season as Tigers’ coach…he has guided Occidental to 10 SCIAC championships…his overall career record stands at 165-89-2, including a 55-17 mark the past seven seasons…Widolff has the third-longest tenure of all Division III coaches.

On the Air A video Webcast will be streamed live on Los Angles TV station KADY-TV.com...the game can be heard live on McMinnville station KLYC (1260 AM) with Dave Hansen and Tyler Matthews calling the action…internet users can listen to the game via broadcast producer Stretch Internet…go to www.linfield.edu/sports and click on "CatsEyeView”...the broadcast can also be received over the telephone via TEAMLINE, a pay-per-listen service…call 1-800-846-4700 and enter code 9712.

Barbeque The Linfield College Relations Office is hosting a pregame barqeque Saturday on the Occidental campus…the menu includes chicken breast, pork ribs, corn cobbetts, baked beans, pasta salad, fresh fruit, rolls, cookies, brownies and all the fixings…cost is $12…all Wildcat fans are invited and are encouraged to wear cardinal and purple attire…the event takes place from 5:30 until 7 p.m. on the Central Quadrangle (map).

Last Game - Wildcats 63, Tigers 21 (Nov. 19, 2005 at McMinnville, Ore.): The Linfield passing game hit high gear as quarterback Brett Elliott put on a performance for the ages in the opening round of the NCAA Division III playoffs at Maxwell Field…Elliott passed for a school-record 525 yards and seven touchdowns…the senior All-American completed 31 of 41 passes as the Wildcats rolled up 698 yards of offense…Casey Allen and Brandon Hazenberg each amassed over 200 yards receiving…Allen, who broke the Linfield career receiving yardage record in the first quarter, caught four touchdown passes and finished with eight receptions for 222 yards…Hazenberg hauled in a pair of TDs among his game-high 13 catches. Oxy QB Andy Collins was brilliant, gaining 437 yards of total offense, including a game-high 123 yards rushing. Collins completed 25 of 47 passes but was sacked six times and picked off twice by the ‘Cats, who gave up 475 yards to the Tigers.

HARDIN-SIMMONS GAME NOTES
In what will likely be regarded as the most significant victory in Coach Joseph Smith’s early coaching tenure, the Wildcats toppled the nation’s fourth-ranked team in decisive fashion. Linfield scored the game’s first points, trailed by one midway through the first quarter, then kicked its offense into high gear over the next three quarters. With Aaron Boehme (Jr., Stanwood, Wash.) making a stirring return to the starting quarterback position, the Wildcats rolled up 462 yards of offense and committed just one turnover to the Cowboys’ three. Boehme was crisp all afternoon as the lanky junior completed 25 of 32 pass attempts for a career-best 335 yards. He is believed to have become the first Wildcat in program history to receive, pass and run for at least one touchdown during his career. Wide receivers Chris Slezak (Sr., Salem, Ore.), Trevor Patterson (Sr., Pendleton, Ore.) and Gunnar Cederberg (Sr., Tigard, Ore.) combined for 21 catches. Slezak pulled in nine balls for 116 yards during his first career start, Patterson had two touchdown catches among his seven receptions, and Cederberg made several nifty grabs and finished with five receptions for 66 yards. Tailback Simon Lamson (Jr., Gridley, Calif.) accounted for 107 all-purpose yards, rushing for 67 yards on 18 carries and gaining another 40 with three pass receptions. Linfield’s defense contained the Cowboys’ offense, holding HSU to 14 points until the final play of the game. Defensive end Sparky Gonzalez (Soph., Honolulu, Hawaii) recorded nine tackles, including six unassisted. Cornerback Nate Dixon (Soph., Kapolei, Hawaii) made seven tackles and grabbed his first career interception, while safety Drew Fisher (Soph., Gresham, Ore.) and monsterback Kalae’ Parish were each credited with sevent tackles. Linebacker Alex Tkachuk (Sr., Beaverton, Ore.) made six stops, along with freshman end Ka’ohu McCabe, who was playing his first collegiate game. Kicker Maika Kunioka (Fr., Mililani, Hawaii), the smallest player on the field at 120 pounds, accounted for seven points, hitting 4 of 5 extra points to go with a 32-yard field goal in the third quarter that put the Wildcats in front by two scores.

OCCIDENTAL GAME NOTES
The Tigers return 49 lettermen to a program accustomed to winning. The offense is directed by quarterback Scott Saunders, a first-year starter. All-SCIAC receivers Chris Washington and Jason Lehman form a capable tandem. Washington caught 58 passes for 652 yards and seven touchdowns in 2008 while Lehman snagged 38 catches for 633 yards and six TDs. Another top receiving target returning is four-year starter Jordan Inabnit. The 2008 Newcomer of the Year, Jordan Washington, will also be a wide receiving threat this season. Jason Haller, a first-team all-SCIAC running back paces the running game. Haller averaged 118 yards in six games last season while scoring a team-leading 12 touchdowns. The offensive line is anchored by honorable mention all-SCIAC center Nick Danielson. Defensively the Tigers welcome back a solid core, including junior defensive end Alex Wertheimer who earned first team all-SCIAC honors after recording 43 total tackles, 13 for a loss. Defensive lineman Jim Hildensperger and linebacker Kyle Spaulding both return to the gridiron after tallying 39 and 37 tackles, respectively. The Tigers’ defensive line relies on second team all-SCIAC honoree Jesse Fischer, who piled up seven sacks last season, as well as junior Brandon Ortega. Punter Alex Groh, a two-time All-American, averaged 42.8 yards per attempt last season. Veteran kicker Neil Martin returns as Occidental’s field goal and PAT man. In 2008, Martin converted 9 of 11 on field goal attempts and 41 of 43 extra points.