Game No. 4

  AT   

Western Oregon (1-2, 0-1 GNAC) at No. 24 Humboldt State (2-1, 1-1 GNAC)
Sept. 24, 2016 • Redwood Bowl (6,000) – Arcata, Calif. / 6 p.m. PT
 
Television: None
Radio: None
Live Video: HSU Sports Network
Live Stats: HSU Live Stats
Social Media: Facebook: Western Oregon Athletics | Twitter: @WOUWolves@WOU_Football | Instagram: @WOUWolves @WOU_Football
 
 
Series: Western Oregon leads 23-18 (Humboldt has won last two meetings)
Last Meeting: Nov. 14, 2015; HSU 29-13 in Monmouth

Coaches:
Arne Ferguson (Western Oregon, 1991)
Western Oregon Record: 72-50 (12th Season)
Career Record: Same
Career vs. Humboldt State: 13-7

Rob Smith (Washington, 1981)
Record: 51-38 (9th Season)
Career Record: 159-100-1 (26th season)
Career vs. Western Oregon: 20-14 (with HSU and WWU)
 
 
• Western Oregon heads back out on the road to continue GNAC play against No. 24 Humboldt State on Saturday, Sept. 24 at 6 p.m. at the Redwood Bowl. This will mark the first of two games (potentially) against AFCA Division II nationally ranked teams, as next week's opponent Azusa Pacific is ranked No. 15 in the country with a 3-0 record.
• The game will mark the end of a tough four-game opening stretch that included just one home game and two games against Division I FCS schools.
• This will be the first game the Wolves have played against a ranked Humboldt State team since 2011. In the final week of that season, the Lumberjacks were ranked at No. 14 and defeated WOU 37-7 in Arcata.
• Arne Ferguson's teams since 2010 have split the last six games against HSU at the Redwood Bowl:

• 2015: L, 20-29
• 2014: L, 16-34
• 2013: W, 26-14
• 2012: W, 42-14
• 2011: L, 7-37
• 2010: W, 26-24
   

TICKETS – Tickets for Saturday's game may be purchased at the Redwood Bowl box office on game day. Fans may also purchase tickets for the three remaining home games (10/1 vs. APU, 10/8 vs. SFU, 10/22 vs. HSU) online at WOUWolves.com/WOUtickets or by calling the WOU Ticket Office (503-838-8917).
 
 
1^st Down: Through three games, a trio of WOU linebackers tops the defensive tackle list. Sophomore Bo Highburger posted career-highs in week one and two to lead the Wolves with 34 total tackles and seven stops for loss. His two sacks put him in a tie for second on the team with lineman Kui Williams. Tafatolu Tafai has 29 tackles including five for loss and Tyler Johnson has added 21 stops.

2^nd Down: Junior running back Steven Long was the most featured runner for Western Oregon against Montana State. The Portland State transfer had nine carries for 49 yards. He broke a 24-yard run at the end of the second quarter with the Wolves facing fourth down and two. Malik Braxton and Phillip Fenumiai added eight carries each, freshman quarterback Ty Currie had three rushes in his drives and Daniel Harper got two touches for 15 yards.

3^rd Down: Wesley Gray had the best all-around day for WOU against the Bobcats. He made seven catches for 36 yards, both were highs for the receivers. Gray also had 67 yards on three kickoff returns to end the game with 103 all-purpose yards.

4^th Down: Jacob Bannister not only had to worry about the oncoming rush during the punting game in Bozeman, but also a stiff wind in his face in the second quarter. Despite the conditions, Bannister averaged 35.7 yards per punt, had a 49-yarder as his longest punt, and put one inside the 20-yard line.
 
 
Offense: -
Defense: MVP – Tafatolu Tafai; Top Performers – Bo Highburger, Jeremy Moore, Trebriel Larry
Special Teams: -
 
 
Humboldt State evened their GNAC record at 1-1 with a convincing 56-24 road win at Simon Fraser last Saturday. Sophomore running back and Harlon Hill Award-finalist Ja'Quan Gardner ran for four touchdowns and 211 yards against the Clan. Junior quarterback Robert Webber threw for 168 yards and two scores, both to running back Richard Doctor. HSU stormed out to a 35-0 lead in the opening 19 minutes of the game and never looked back.
 
Gardner has already rushed for 508 yards (169.3 yards per game) and nine touchdowns on the year while making 11 receptions for 104 yards. Webber has completed 67 percent of his passes for 819 yards and six TDs. Chase Krivashei follows Gardner with 10 receptions while John Todd paces the club with 146 receiving yards. Jeff Shott has 24 tackles to lead the HSU defense and Josh Hinson has posted five tackles for loss (including a sack). Kicker Cameron Southward is 3-of-4 in field goals with a season-long of 45 yards.
 
Humboldt State was the preseason GNAC favorite after a 10-2 campaign in 2015. The Lumberjacks went to the Division II Football Championship Playoffs last season defeating Augustana (45-31) before ending their season with a 54-7 loss at Northwest Missouri State, the eventual Division II National Champion.
  
Weber State (1-2) 14, Sacramento State (0-3) 7.
Azusa Pacific (3-0, 2-0 GNAC) 27, Central Washington (1-2, 1-1) 17.
Humboldt State (2-1, 1-1) 56, Simon Fraser (0-3, 0-1) 24.
 
 
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.