Football | 11/10/2012 7:10:00 PM

Box Score

MONMOUTH, Ore. – Freshman Ryan Bergman was 20-of-32 for 320 yards and three touchdowns as the Western Oregon football team cruised to a 38-22 victory over Humboldt State in the season finale on Saturday. With the victory, WOU finished the year with a mark of 6-5 overall and 6-4 in league play, while Humboldt State fell to 7-4 overall, 6-4 in conference action.

The Wolves jumped out to the early lead on the Lumberjacks as WOU took its first possession and marched 45 yards in five plays to take a 7-0 lead with 12:03 remaining in the first quarter. Leighton Panui capped off the drive with a one-yard plunge as the freshman scored his first rushing touchdown of the season.

After a pair of field goals by Humboldt State cut the lead to one, senior Michael Akins would leave his mark on his final collegiate game as he picked off a Lumberjack pass and took it 34 yards for the score to give the Wolves a 14-6 cushion.

The Wolves would extend the lead just before the half as Bergman capped an 8 play, 67-yard drive with a four-yard touchdown pass to Lucas Gonsalves to give WOU a 21-6 lead heading into the break.

HSU would score the next 10 points of the game to cut the lead to five at 21-16 with 2:45 to go in the third; however, Bergman would find Nathaniel Penaranda on a 39-yard strike near the end of the third quarter to extend the WOU lead out to 28-16.

The teams would trade field goals in the fourth and Bergman would cap off the Wolves scoring for the season as his 10-yard pass to Mark Moore with 4:05 remaining made the score 38-22.

The Lumberjacks would not get any closer as the Wolves managed to sweep the season series from the defending GNAC champion.

The Wolves held a slight, 436-407, edge in total offense as WOU running back Joe Harris led the ground attack with 89 yards rushing. WOU also held a 3-2 edge in the turnover battle while holding nearly a seven-minute edge (33:34-26:26) in time of possession.

Nick Ricciardulli led the HSU attack, leading all rusher with 148 yards on the ground on 21 carries.

WOU had a chance to tie for the conference title coming into the day; however, Central Washington captured the conference crown with a win over Dixie State on Saturday afternoon.

The game marked the final contest for 19 WOU seniors, who were honored in a ceremony prior to the start of the contest.