Game No. 9

  VS   

Western Oregon (3-5, 2-4 GNAC) at No. 13 Azusa Pacific (8-1, 7-0 GNAC)
Nov. 5, 2016 • Citrus Stadium (10,000) – Glendora, Calif. / 6 p.m. PT
 
Television: None
Radio: KLOO 1340 – Mark Gilman (pxp)
Live Stats/Video: WOUWolves.com/Live
Social Media: Facebook: Western Oregon Athletics | Twitter: @WOUWolves @WOU_Football | Instagram: @WOUWolves  @WOU_Football

 
Series: Azusa Pacific leads 6-5
Last Meeting: Oct. 1, 2016; APU 31-2 in Monmouth

Coaches:
Arne Ferguson (Western Oregon, 1991)
Western Oregon Record: 74-53 (12^th Season)
Career Record: Same
Career vs. Azusa Pacific: 3-5
 
Victor Santa Cruz (Hawaii, 1995)
Record: 67-50 (11^th Season)
Career Record: Same
Career vs. Western Oregon: 6-5
 
   
• Western Oregon has a Saturday night date at No. 13 Azusa Pacific, the 2016 GNAC Football champions, on November 5 in a game which kicks off at 6 p.m. from Citrus Stadium.
• The game against the Cougars will begin a two-game road trip to close the regular season. WOU last had a pair of road games to close out a season in 2011 against FCS school Montana and Humboldt State.
 
TICKETS – Tickets for Saturday's game may be purchased online through Azusa Pacific's Ticket Office (link).

 
1^st Down: Most of the offense on Oct. 22 came from quarterback Phillip Fenumiai, who was named GNAC Offensive Player of the Week despite the loss. He completed 22 of 40 passes for 300 yards and three touchdowns and rushed 17 times for 145 yards and a 73-yard touchdown run. The junior is third in the GNAC with 212.1 yards of total offense per game, fourth in passing with 173.4 yards per game and fifth in rushing with 38.8 yards per game.

2^nd Down: Running back Torreahno Sweet was named GNAC Special Teams Player of the Week after he returned six kicks for 139 yards, averaging 23.2 yards per return.

3^rd Down: Receiver Paul Revis had another solid game, catching five passes for 116 yards and two touchdowns. He was quiet in return department as the Lumberjacks kicked away from him, returning one punt for 39 yards and one kickoff for 24 yards. Revis enters the week leading Division II with 24.3 yards per punt return and is seventh in Division II with 182.5 all-purpose yards.

4^th Down: As a team, Western Oregon leads the GNAC and is fourth in Division II with 23.31 yards per punt return.
 
 
Offense: MVP – Phillip Fenumiai; Top Performers – Paul Revis, Javontae Perry
Defense: MVP – Derek Parnell; Top Performers – Bo Highburger, Tyler Johnson, Tafatolu Tafai
Special Teams: MVP – Torreahno Sweet

 
Azusa Pacific wrapped up the 2016 GNAC title with a convincing 44-7 win last Saturday over Central Washington in front of over 5,300 fans. The Cougars racked up 420 passing yards and five touchdowns through the air. Andrew Elffers had four of the five passing TDs, accounting for 321 yards while Chad Jeffries added 99 yard on 5 of 7 passing with a score. Weston Carr had a monster game with nine grabs for 189 yards and four touchdowns. Mykal Walker had 12 tackles, two for loss, a pass breakup and a blocked punt. Aaron Berry followed with nine tackles.
 
For the year, Elffers has 17 touchdowns to just one interception in 184 passing attempts. He has thrown for 1,720 yards with a 67.3 percent completion mark. Carr leads all APU receivers with 41 catches, 775 yards and seven touchdowns. Ethan Ziedler (36-531) and Brandon Jackson (31-504) round out the trio of pass catchers with over 30 grabs. Kurt Scoby paces the running backs with 387 yards with four scores. Walker and Berry are nearly tied at the top of the season tackles list with 79 and 78, respectively. Jason Schwartz has nine tackles for loss including eight sacks.

    
Oct. 22

• Northern Colorado (4-3, 2-2 Big Sky) 27, Sacramento State (1-7, 1-4 Big Sky) 19.
• #3 (FCS) Eastern Washington (6-1, 4-0 Big Sky) 41, Montana State (2-6, 0-5 Big Sky) 17.
• #17 Azusa Pacific (7-1, 6-0 GNAC) 57, Simon Fraser (0-7, 0-6 GNAC) 0.
• Central Washington (5-2, 4-1 GNAC) - Bye

Oct. 29

• #14 (FCS) Cal Poly (6-2, 4-1 Big Sky) 59, Sacramento State (1-8, 1-5 Big Sky) 47.
• Montana State (2-6, 0-5 Big Sky) - Bye
• #15 Azusa Pacific (8-1, 7-0 GNAC) 44, Central Washington (5-3, 4-2 GNAC) 7.
• Humboldt State (5-4, 3-4 GNAC) 47, Simon Fraser (0-8, 0-6 GNAC) 9.

 
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.

JACKS HOLD OFF WOU COMEBACK ON NATIONAL TV: In another classic rivalry game in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, the role of the comeback team on Saturday at McArthur Field were reversed compared to the earlier meeting this season between Western Oregon and Humboldt State. On a festive Homecoming and Senior Day afternoon, the Wolves could not complete a 26-point comeback in a 42-37 loss in GNAC play. Trailing 42-16 entering the fourth quarter, Western Oregon ramped up the defensive intensity while spreading the ball to make it a game. Fenumiai hit sophomore tight end Caleb Tingstad to put the Wolves in the red zone and one play later, the signal caller found Revis for his second scoring connection on a 15-yard slant pass to trim the HSU lead to 19 points, 42-23. After an HSU punt and a forced fumble from senior linebacker Tafatolu Tafai, Fenumiai kept the ball on the ground toward the goal line. As he approached, he was stripped of the ball, but luckily junior wide receiver Wesley Gray trailed on the play and recovered the loose ball in the end zone for a touchdown to bring the Wolves with 12 (42-30). Western Oregon got the ball back with 3:29 left in regulation with 80 yards of work to do. A 12-play drive hit paydirt when Fenumiai's fourth down pass to the far pylon was grabbed on a gorgeous effort by redshirt freshman Javontae Perry for a 19-yard touchdown. In the fourth quarter, Fenumiai was an impressive 11-of-18 for 122 yard and two scores. He finished the game by completing 22 of 40 passing attempts for 300 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 145 yards and a score on 17 carries. Fenumiai is the first WOU quarterback to rush for 100 yards in a game since Cody Von Appen (127 yards on 18 carries) against Azusa Pacific on Sept. 29, 2012. Revis caught five balls for 116 yards and two scores, notching his fourth games this year over the 100-yard mark. Perry had career highs with four catches and 61 yards while Tingstad, senior tight end Andy Avgi and junior running back Steven Long each had three catches. Freshman Torreahno Sweet racked up 139 yards on six kickoff returns while Revis accounted for 63 yards with one kickoff and one punt return. Sophomore linebacker Bo Highburger led the Wolves defense with eight tackles while junior linebacker Tyler Johnson had two tackles for loss in his seven-tackle day. Also with seven stops was Tafai and junior defensive back Nathan Jones, who forced a fumble. The Wolves outgained the Lumberjacks 524-453 but allowed Webber to throw for 357 yards and four touchdowns.