Football | 10/26/2013 6:19:00 PM

Box Score

MONMOUTH, Ore. – The Western Oregon University football team used a big first half to pull away from Simon Fraser University, 30-16, Saturday. It was the Wolves third straight victory.

Western Oregon (5-3, 5-2 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) moves into a tie with Central Washington for second place in the GNAC standings with the win. On a cold and wet day at McArthur Field, the Wolves used a solid ground game for the win. WOU gained 235 rushing yards, while holding Simon Fraser to 93. Western Oregon outgained the Clan, 425-386. The Wolves forced four turnovers in the victory.

Western Oregon extended its win streak over SFU to nine games, dating back to a 21-7 loss in Burnaby in 2000. The Wolves have won 10 consecutive contests against Simon Fraser.  The last time SFU won in Monmouth was a 43-42 victory that ended the Wolves' 1986 season. WOU Head Coach, Arne Ferguson, has won all of his eight meetings against Simon Fraser.

Devauntae Hoffman and Joe Harris both finished over 100 yards rushing for Western Oregon. The dynamic duo combined for 227 yards on the ground, with Hoffman amassing 126. Ryan Bergman threw for 190 yards, completing 12 of his 28 passes. He threw one interception in the win. Tyrell Williams caught a team-high four passes for 61 yards receiving.

Jesse Correa made all three of his field goal attempts. The sophomore entered the game with a season-long make of 36 yards, but he made kicks from 48, 46, and 32 yards Saturday.

On defense, three of Gustave Benthin's six tackles were for a loss, with two sacks. Shane Kuenzi led WOU with seven tackles and two pass breakups. Dominic Akina, Patrick Tepea, and Kraig Akins all intercepted passes. Austin Spencer recovered a fumble.

Akina's interception actually opened the scoring two and a half minutes into the game. The freshman's second interception of the season was returned 45 yards for a touchdown. Simon Fraser closed the quarter's scoring with a field goal.

After Correa's first field goal made the score 10-3 in the second quarter, Leighton Panui's two-yard touchdown run capped off the longest scoring drive of the game. The Wolves drove 80 yards in 10 plays over a four-minute span. Thirteen seconds later with 4:32 remaining in the half, WOU broke the game open recovering a fumble, and then scoring on the next possession. Harris ran in a 22-yard score to give WOU a 24-3 advantage going into halftime.

Correa ended the third quarter with his 48-yarder. Simon Fraser then scored the only touchdowns in the second half, a 20-yard pass play and a one-yard run.

Ryan Stanford completed 26 of his 44 passes with a touchdown and two interceptions. The sophomore threw for 293 yards. Chris Tolbert had 65 yards on the ground after rushing for 112 yards in the meeting earlier this season. On Sept. 28, the Wolves won at SFU, 30-9. Jamal Kett had 97 yards on seven catches. The conference's leading tackler, Casey Chin, had a game-high 16, with eight solo, Saturday.

Western Oregon travels to Azusa Pacific (6-2, 6-1) with a chance to move into a tie for first place in the conference on Nov. 2. The Cougars currently lead the GNAC after holding on for a 24-17 lead at Central Washington Saturday. WOU's lone loss in the past five games was a two-point setback at home to Azusa Pacific. Kickoff for next Saturday's game in Azusa, Calif., is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Live video and stats will be available on WOUWolves.com.