Football | 10/8/2011 5:49:00 PM

Box Score [Box score]

ELLENSBURG, Wash. - The Western Oregon football team learned how hard it is to beat a quality opponent twice in the same season.

Just three weeks after hosting the Central Washington Wildcats in Monmouth, the Wolves (3-3, 3-1 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) returned the trip to Ellensburg and saw a whole new opponent. The Wildcats came out aggressive on both sides of the ball and capitalized on every WOU mistake en route to a 41-10 victory on Saturday (Oct. 8).

The Wildcats (2-3, 2-3 GNAC), who had only 44 rushing yards in Monmouth, leaned heavily on their ground game today as they racked up 174 rushing yards. Running back Levi Taylor had three touchdowns in the first 21 minutes of the game, and finished with 116 yards rushing on 29 carries.

On defense CWU had five takeaways, including three in the first half which all led to touchdowns, and held the Wolves to -21 yards on the ground.

The game was tight through the first quarter as Central held just a 7-3 lead, but a key three minute sequence early in the second quarter swung the momentum and the game to the Wildcats.

It began with Taylor capping off a 14-play drive with a one yard plunge into the endzone. Then CWU picked off Western Oregon's quarterback Evan Mozzochi , and after a penalty on the return the Wildcats were in Wolves territory. Four plays later Taylor was scoring his third touchdown on the day to put Central in front 21-3. It was then the Wildcats defense's turn to put some points on the board. Two plays into the Wolves' next drive Genesis Fonoimoana intercepted Cody VonAppen and returned it 41 yards for the score (27-3).

The score would remain the same until the fourth quarter when the Wildcats' quarterback Ryan Robertson threw two touchdown passes to extend their lead to 41-10. He would finish the game 15-of-24 for 198 yards and two touchdowns.

Trevor Gates and Mozzochi continued to be in sync as they have all season. Gates caught six balls for a career-high 169 yards. This combo turned in the Wolves' lone touchdown of the game as they connected on a 95 yard touchdown midway through the fourth quarter. The 95 yard touchdown catch is one yard short of the GNAC all-time record set by Western Washington's Adam Perry in 2008, and two short of the WOU record set by Chris Doran in 1997.

Mozzochi threw for 296 yards and that score in the contest, but was intercepted twice and sacked four times.

Scotland Foss had eight tackles, including two tackles for loss, to lead the Wolves' defense. Patrick Tepea added his first career interception for Western Oregon's lone takeaway of the game.

Western Oregon will now come home for three straight games. The homestand will start off against Simon Fraser on Oct. 15 against Simon Fraser at 1:00 p.m. Single game and three-pack tickets are still available for all Western Oregon home games by calling 503-838-8449.