Schedule features six home games
SALEM, ORE. -- The Willamette University football team recently released its schedule for the upcoming 2013 season. The Bearcats nine game season will begin on Sept. 6, and features six home games and only three away games.
2013 will mark the first year that Willamette has set a nine game schedule since 2006. Since then, the Bearcats have traditionally scheduled 10 game seasons, discounting games played in the NCAA Division III playoffs.
Willamette open the season with its three non-conference games. Hardin-Simmons University (Tex.) and Sewanee, The University of the South will come to Salem in the first two weeks. After a bye week, the Bearcats will travel to Marshall, Tex. to take on East Texas Baptist University. Willamette played all three schools in 2012, and went 3-0 in those games.
After a second bye week on Oct. 5, Willamette will open Northwest Conference play on Oct. 12 by hosting Whitworth University. The game will also take place over the university's Family Weekend.
Following a game at Lewis & Clark College, the Bearcats will have three straight home games against NWC opponents Pacific Lutheran University, Linfield College, and Pacific (Ore.) University. Willamette will then play the final game of the regular season at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Wash.
The Bearcats went 8-2 in 2012, including a 6-0 start to the season. Willamette also finished in third place in the NWC final standings. The team got as high as #19 in the AFCA Coaches Poll and #22 in the D3football.com Top 25 Poll.
At the end of the season, 22 Bearcats were chosen to the All-NWC Team, three were chosen to the All-West Region team, and one, senior safety Cody Pastorino (Glenn, CA/Willows HS), was named Division III Second Team All-America.
Quarterback Josh Dean will return for his senior season in 2013
