PORTLAND, Ore.—Lewis & Clark College football is set to play 10 games and make their first trip to California since 2022 this Fall, in head coach Brett Elliott's first season. 
 
Football will play four home games at Griswold Stadium and take on three teams that played in the 2024 NCAA DIII Tournament. 
 
For the fourth-consecutive season, Lewis & Clark will take on the University of Puget Sound in their season opener. The two teams will square off in the fourth edition of the Northwest Scholar Series on Saturday, September 6 at 1 p.m. The Pioneers have won two of the first three matchups, including a 59-21 win last season. Lewis & Clark rushed for 286 yards and four touchdowns on 39 carries (7.3 per carry) in the win and senior Devon Guest pulled in five catches for 57 yards and two touchdowns. The contest will mark Elliott's first game as a head coach.
 
Lewis & Clark will host George Fox University on Saturday, September 13 at 1 p.m. in their home opener. This year's contest will determine who plays in the first Oregon Cup Championship Game in 2026. The Oregon Cup was founded in 2023 as a non-conference competition between Pacific University, Willamette University, Lewis & Clark and George Fox. Heading into this year's final round of games, George Fox is 2-0, Pacific and Lewis & Clark are both 1-1 and Willamette is 0-2. The two teams that finish at the top of the standings will play next year for the Oregon Cup Title. 
 
Football will play their final non-conference game on Saturday, September 20 when they travel to California to take on Pomona-Pitzer. The two teams have not played since 2019 and the Sagehens own a 9-5 edge all-time. Last season, Pomona-Pitzer won the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Championship Game for the second time in program history with a 37-34 win over Champan University. They fell 21-13 to host Whitworth University in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Sagehens return junior quarterback Grady Russo, who finished the season with 1,881 passing yards and 18 touchdowns and also led the team with 401 rushing yards. 
 
After a weekend off, Lewis & Clark will open Northwest Conference play on Saturday, October 4. The Pioneers will host Puget Sound at 1 p.m. in their first of seven-straight conference games. Football has dominated the Loggers recently with three-straight wins and seven victories in their past eight meetings. In their conference meeting last season, Oa Kamakawiwoole threw four touchdown passes and Jordan Lahusky rushed for 90 yard and two touchdowns.
 
The Pioneers will travel to Salem the following weekend for their annual Wagon Wheel rivalry contest. Lewis & Clark has won a program-record eight-straight games over rival Willamette dating back to 2017. In the last three contests, football has outscored the Bearcats 136-27. 
 
Lewis & Clark will start the toughest stretch of their season on October 25 when they welcome Whitworth University to Griswold for Homecoming. The Pioneers will induct this year's Hall of Fame Class on Friday night and then honor the inductees at halftime of the contest. The Pirates have made it to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments and are 20-3 over the past two seasons. 
 
Elliott and the Pioneers will travel to McMinnville on Saturday, November 1 to take on #15 Linfield University. Elliott won a National Title as a player at Linfield and spent two stints coaching at his alma mater, including most recently serving as the Wildcats offensive coordinator. Linfield went undefeated in NWC play last year to win the NWC title and advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament. 
 
Lewis & Clark will close out the season with matchups against Pacific Lutheran University (November 8) and Pacific University (November 15). The Pioneers will host Pacific Lutheran for their Senior Day contest. The two teams played a back-and-forth contest last year, with the Lutes holding on for a 31-28 win. Lewis & Clark will aim for their third win in their past four meetings, in their season finale against Pacific. The two teams split a home-and-home last season, with Lewis & Clark defeating the Boxers 51-37 on Homecoming. 
 
The Pioneers return three All-Conference players and one All-American from last season. Lahusky, junior Chili Stephens and senior Isaac Glover are all back, after combining for 1,205 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns last year. Junior Julius Walker is the team's leading returning receiver after notching 30 catches for 353 yards and six touchdowns as a sophomore. Senior Mitchell Sarmento (50), junior Jordan Delgado (41) and senior Daryl Scott (33) are the team's three leading returning tacklers. Senior Jack Warren earned First Team All-American honors after posting the first four blocked kicks of his career last season.