Game No. 8

  VS   
Western Oregon (3-4, 2-3 GNAC) vs. Humboldt State (3-4, 1-4 GNAC)
Oct. 22, 2016 • McArthur Field (2,500) – Monmouth, Ore. / 12:37 p.m. PT
 
Television: American Sports Network – Darren Goldwater (pxp) & Nate Ross (color); KWVT-17 Salem
Radio: KLOO 1340 – Mark Gilman (pxp) & Jerry Gilman (color)
Live Stats/Video: WOUWolves.com/Live
Social Media: Facebook: Western Oregon Athletics | Twitter: @WOUWolves @WOU_Football | Instagram: @WOUWolves  @WOU_Football

 
Series: Western Oregon leads 24-18
Last Meeting: Sept. 24, 2016; WOU 48-42 in Arcata

Coaches:
Arne Ferguson (Western Oregon, 1991)
Western Oregon Record: 74-52 (12^th Season)
Career Record: Same
Career vs. Humboldt State: 15-8

Rob Smith (Washington, 1981)
Record: 52-41 (9th Season)
Career Record: 160-103-1 (26th season)
Career vs. Western Oregon: 20-15 (with HSU and WWU)
 
   
• Coming off a muddy road loss in the 800^th game in program history, Western Oregon will play against Humboldt State in the Homecoming and Senior Day game on Saturday afternoon at McArthur Field. The game will kick off at 12:37 p.m. Pacific on the American Sports Network for a national TV broadcast and local radio on KLOO 1340AM.
• It's Homecoming week at WOU. The week is packed full of festivities on campus, including Saturday's game against the Lumberjacks. The Wolves will be wearing their red uniforms for Homecoming. For more about all the activities during the week, visit WOU.edu/Homecoming.
• Saturday's game is the final home game for Western Oregon this season. The football team will honor its senior class with a ceremony beginning at 12:15 p.m.
 
WIN A $1,000 SCHOLARSHIP – Thanks to great athletic donors, the Wolves will be giving out a $1,000 scholarship at Saturday's game. Drawing slips will be made available at the Student Entry gate on Saturday morning. Winner MUST BE PRESENT at the football game to claim the scholarship.
 
HOW TO WATCH – The Western Oregon-Humboldt State game is featured on the American Sports Network NCAA Division II Showcase on Saturday. Fans can watch the game on the following channels:

• DirecTV – Channel 366
• Comcast - Channel 318
• MiNet - Channel 10
• KWVT in Salem
• KVAL in Eugene
• KTVL in Medford
• KATU in Portland
• CSN Bay Area

 
TICKETS – Tickets for Saturday's game may be purchased online at WOUWolves.com/WOUtickets or by calling the WOU Ticket Office (503-838-8917).
 
 
1^st Down: Paul Revis is the GNAC leader with 100.4 receiving yards and 182.9 all-purpose yards for the Wolves this year. Last week, the junior had 59 yards on receptions, 42 kick return yards and 41 punt return yards to accumulate a game-high 145 all-purpose yards.

2^nd Down: Bo Highburger led the Wolves' defense last week with 11 tackles, including three for loss. In the GNAC stat leaders, Highburger is second in overall tackles with 69 and third in tackles for loss with 10.5. Also in the league leaders is Tyler Johnson (10^th in tackles, 46) and Jeremy Moore (2^nd in sacks, 7.0). Three of the top four in pass defends comes from the WOU secondary – Danny Hankins is the GNAC leader with nine pass defends while Trebriel Larry and Austin Spencer are in a group in third place with six.

3^rd Down: Western Oregon faced its second shutout of the season last Saturday. The last time a WOU team was held scoreless in two games during a season was in 1994 with a 7-0 home loss to Linfield and a 6-0 road loss at Willamette.

4^th Down: Jacob Bannister is the GNAC leader in PAT conversion percentage at 100% (13-13). 
 
 
Offense: -- 
Defense: MVP – Bo Highbuger; Top Performers – Jeremy Moore
Special Teams: MVP – Paul Revis
 
 
Humboldt State surrendered 38 consecutive points to fall 45-13 at GNAC-leading Azusa Pacific last week. The Lumberjacks posted 352 yards of offense, but the Cougars rushed for 213 yards and had 340 yards through the air to finish with 553 yards. Harlon Hill finalist Ju'Quan Gardner returned to form with 103 yards on the ground on 26 carries. Robert Webber threw for 245 yards on 21-of-41 passing with Richard Doctor being the featured target with 100 yards on seven grabs. Both Julian Owens (11) and Jeff Shott (10) had double-digit tackles for HSU while Owens forced a fumble and had an interception.
 
For the season, Webber has 2,030 yards with 14 touchdowns while completing 63.1 percent of his passes. Eight different receivers have made 10 or more catches, led by 28 grabs from Gardner and 319 yards from Marjani Ellison (who did not play against APU). Chase Krivashei, who hasn't played since Sept. 24 vs. WOU) has 23 catches for 318 yards. Garder is averaging 110.3 yards per game for a total of 772 yards and 12 touchdowns. Defensively, Shott paces the Lumberjacks with 52 tackles with Cameron Buell following close behind with 43. HSU has picked off five passes, two coming from Owens.

    

• #10 (FCS) Montana (5-1, 3-1 Big Sky) 68, Sacramento State (1-6, 1-3 Big Sky) 7.
• Weber State (4-2, 3-0 Big Sky) 45, Montana State (2-5, 0-4 Big Sky) 27.
• #19 Azusa Pacific (6-1, 5-0 GNAC) 45, Humboldt State (3-4, 1-4 GNAC) 13.
• Simon Fraser (0-6, 0-5 GNAC) – Bye.

 
WOLVES DOWN D-1 HORNETS: Paul Revis' two first quarter touchdowns provided all the momentum that Western Oregon needed to score a 38-30 upset of Division I-FCS Sacramento State at Hornet Stadium. Revis opened scoring on a trick play, catching a 19-yard pass from Malik Braxton with 4:41 left in the first quarter. A minute later, Revis returned a punt 74 yards for the touchdown, putting the Wolves up 14-0. The Hornets added a pair of touchdowns and a field goal, but Braxton's 10-yard touchdown reception from Phillip Fenumiai allowed the Wolves a 21-16 halftime lead. Sacramento State was within two, 24-22, thanks to a 18-yard touchdown pass from Nate Ketteringham to Jaelin Ratliff with 14:03 left in the game, but the Wolves responded with a 36-yard touchdown pass from Nick Duckworth to Wesley Gray with 10:31 left and a Torreahno Sweet 30-yard scoring run with 5:11 left. Sacramento State scored a touchdown and a two-point conversion on their next possession and had a chance to tie the game late before Danny Hankins intercepted Ketteringham in the end zone with 19 seconds left to win it. Revis finished the night with 175 all-purpose yards, making seven catches for 64 yards and a touchdown and returning two punts for 111 yards and a score. Fenumiai completed 8 of 15 passes for 97 yards and a touchdown while Duckworth completed 6 of 9 for 73 yards and a score. Ketteringham completed 34 of 58 for 370 yards and three touchdowns for Sacramento State, but was also intercepted twice. Western Oregon won the game despite being outgained by the Hornets 465 to 341. Bo Highburger led the Western Oregon defense with 14 tackles, including one for loss, a sack and a forced fumble.
 
WOLVES DROP HOME OPENER TO CWU: Senior tight end Andy Avgi had two touchdown grabs and junior receiver Paul Revis caught 11 passes for 132 yards, but Central Washington scored 28 unanswered points in the second half to pick up a 41-20 Great Northwest Athletic Conference win on Saturday afternoon at McArthur Field. Avgi hauled in a 29-yard pass from junior quarterback Phillip Fenumiai in the first quarter and the duo synced up again late in the fourth quarter for a five-yard score. Fenumiai was 13-of-25 for 169 yards in a starting role and fellow junior Nick Duckworth amassed 177 passing yards for the Wolves (1-1, 0-1 GNAC) going 13-for-19 during action beginning late in the first half. Central Washington (1-1, 1-0 GNAC) quarterback Justin Lane threw for 261 yards and three touchdowns as the Wildcats outgained WOU 45-1 353 for the game. Three WOU played paced the defensive effort with 10 or more tackles. Bo Highburger led the team for the second consecutive game posting a game-high 15 tackles with five stops coming for loss. Tyler Johnson had 12 stops including a sack while Tafatolu Tafai had three stops for loss in his 11 total tackles. Kui Williams had a pair of sacks and Nathan Jones had a pick and two breakups in the secondary.
 
WOU FALLS TO FCS MONTANA STATE: Division I-FCS Montana State limited Western Oregon to 190 yards of total offense Saturday, handing the Wolves a 55-0 loss at Bobcat Stadium. Despite the final score, the opening quarter proved a defensive battle with the Bobcats opening with a Gabe Peppenger 32-yard field goal as the first quarter expired. The floodgates opened in the second with Montana State scoring four straight touchdowns and took a 34-0 lead on Devon Tandberg's 37-yard field goal with 2:46 left in the first half. The Bobcats added a touchdown in the third quarter and two in the fourth. Nick Duckworth led three Western Oregon quarterbacks to play in the game, completing 10 of 17 passes for 57 yards. Wesley Gray caught seven passes for 36 yards while Steven Long carried nine times for 49 yards. Montana State's Tyler Bruggman completed 17 of 29 passes for 211 yards and three touchdowns. He was one of four Montana State quarterbacks to throw passes in the game. Mitch Herbert caught six passes for 100 yards and Gunnar Brekke carried 16 times for 52 yards. Tafatolu Tafai and Tyler Johnson each had six tackles to lead the Western Oregon defense.

WOLVES HOLD OFF NO. 24 HUMBOLDT STATE: After building a 34-7 first half lead, Western Oregon held off a torrid comeback by Humboldt State to escape with a 48-42 win over the Lumberjacks at the Redwood Bowl. The Wolves jumped out to a 23-0 lead late in the first quarter thanks to a pair of touchdowns runs by Malik Braxton and a 26- yard touchdown pass from Phillip Fenumiai to Andy Avgi. The Wolves made it a 34-7 lead on a 39-yard Jacob Bannister field goal before the Lumberjacks started to make their charge. Chase Krivashei scored on a 31-yard touchdown pass from Robert Webber and Ja'Quan Gardner scored on a two-yard run to come within 34-21 at the half. Western Oregon opened the third quarter by taking both touchdowns back on a 16-yard Braxton touchdown run and a 27-yard scoring pass from Fenumiai to Paul Revis. Humboldt State scored the final three touchdowns of the game to challenge late, coming within 48-42 on Webber's 17-yard touchdown pass to Marjani Ellison. Humboldt State had the ball to end the game, but could not convert in the red zone for the win. Braxton carried 23 times for 191 yards and three touchdowns to lead Western Oregon while Fenumiai completed 11 of 21 for 262 yards and three touchdowns. Webber set GNAC single game records with 502 yards passing and 44 completions. He passed for four touchdowns. Krivashei caught 13 passes for 187 yards and three touchdowns. Humboldt State outgained Western Oregon 579 to 539. Bo Highburger led WOU defensively with 16 tackles while Cameron Buell paced Humboldt State with eight tackles.

MISSED OPPORTUNITIES AGAINST NO. 14 COUGARS: Western Oregon outgained Azusa Pacific 424 to 373 and won the time of possession battle, but couldn't get the ball in the end zone as the Wolves fell to the Cougars 31-2 at McArthur Field. The Azusa Pacific defense proved quite strong, holding Western Oregon to 0 for 4 in the red zone. Western Oregon's only score came on a safety in the fourth quarter. Paul Revis led Western Oregon with six catches for 106 yards while quarterback Phillip Fenumiai completed 27 of 49 for 326 yards. Tyler Johnson led Western Oregon with 10 tackles.

RECORD-BREAKING REV AGAINST THE CLAN: A record-breaking performance by Paul Revis led Western Oregon to a 33-7 win over Simon Fraser at McArthur Field. Revis set a GNAC record with 250 receiving yards on 17 catches with a touchdown. He also had 62 kick return yards to finish with an impressive 312 all-purpose yards. That accounted for the majority of the Wolves' 401 yards of total offense. The WOU defense, meanwhile, limited the Clan to 163 yards of total offense and negative eight rushing yards. Revis had his lone score with 3:15 left in the first quarter, catching a 27-yard touchdown pass from Phillip Fenumiai. Nick Duckworth added three touchdowns in the second and third, finding Zach Suarez for an 11- yard pass with 6:23 left in the second and Andy Avgi for a pair short touchdown receptions in the third quarter. Torreahno Sweet closed scoring with a 2-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Simon Fraser's only score was a defensive one with Gabe Lopez returning an interception 51 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter. Duckworth completed 26 of 39 passes for 277 yards and three touchdowns and was intercepted twice. Tyler Johnson and Austin Spencer each had six tackles for Western Oregon, with Johnson adding 2.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and an interception. 

OFFENSE SLOWED BY MUD IN ELLENSBURG: Central Washington limited Western Oregon to 107 yards of total offense Saturday at the Wildcats cruised to a 35-0 shutout of the Wolves at McArthur Field. Western Oregon went 2 of 17 on third-down conversions, 0 for 4 on fourth down conversions and went 0 for 2 in the red zone. Western Oregon quarterback Phillip Fenumiai completed 9 of 27 passes for 71 yards. Paul Revis caught four passes for 59 yards and Torreahno Sweet carried 15 times for 39 yards. Bo Highburger led Western Oregon with 11 tackles, two for loss.