GAME #2
Western Oregon (1-0) vs. Central Washington (0-1)
Saturday, Sept. 10, 2016 at 1 p.m. PT
Monmouth, Ore. – McArthur Field

LIVE COVERAGE LINKS
RADIO: KLOO 1340 AM (Mark Gilman)
TV: KWVT-17 Salem
LIVE STATS/VIDEO: WOUWolves.com/Live
TICKETS: WOU Ticket Office
TWITTER UPDATES: @WOUWolves

Western Oregon opens its home slate with the first Great Northwest Athletic Conference matchup of the year hosting Central Washington on Saturday, Sept. 10 at 1 p.m.
 
TICKETS - Tickets for Saturday's game against Central Washington are available for sale at WOUWolves.com/WOUtickets or in the WOU Ticket Office from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. in New PE 115. Fans may also purchase tickets for the three remaining home games (10/1 vs. APU, 10/8 vs. SFU, 10/22 vs. HSU) and the road game at Montana State (9/17) online or by calling the WOU Ticket Office (503-838-8917).

PROMOTION: YOUTH DAY
Wolves Fans, bring your kids to McArthur Field to see the Western Oregon football team for the first time this season. All kids 12 and under are always free at WOU sporting events, but for Saturday's game we are extending our age limit to all kids in eighth grade or younger! General admission tickets are also 2-for-1 to help get the whole family in for a low cost.
 
OPENING DRIVE …
- Wolves in the National Rankings – After earning nine preseason votes in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) football rankings, WOU sits just outside the Top 25 this week following the win at Sacramento State. Fellow conference members Humboldt State sits at No. 13 and Azusa Pacific made their debut at No. 24 – they will meet this Saturday in Arcata.
- WOU and Central Washington meet for the 56^th time, with the series dating back to 1938.
- The teams have split games over the last three seasons with the home team taking each game. In 2015, CWU won 40-19 in a week three game in Ellensburg while WOU won at McArthur in week seven by a score of 31-25.
- Western Oregon has won three straight home openers and six in the last eight seasons. The Wolves defeated Simon Fraser at home in week two last year, 31-24. The last time WOU faced the Wildcats to open their home schedule was on Sept. 17, 2011 when the Wolves won, 14-7.
 
4 DOWNS
1^st Down: Junior receiver/returner Paul Revis became the GNAC career leader in punt return touchdowns with three after a 74-yard punt return in the first quarter against Sacramento State on Sept. 3. Revis is also fifth all-time in the GNAC punt return yardage category.
2^nd Down: Redshirt sophomore linebacker Bo Highburger surpassed his career tackle total in the 2016 season opener. Highburger had 14 tackles, eight of them solo, against Sacramento State. That bested his 2015 total of 12 tackles in eight games.
3^rd Down: Redshirt freshman kicker Jacob Bannister went 5-for-5 in PAT and had the longest made field goal since 2014. Bannister's 40-yard make was longer than any made in 2015 and the longest since Jesse Correa made a 50-yard field goal at North Alabama on Oct. 4, 2014.
4^th Down: For the fourth straight game (including the final three games of the 2015 season), the WOU offensive line only allowed two sacks. Last season, WOU allowed only 31 sacks in 11 games compared to 54 sacks allowed back in 2014.

WEEK 1 MVPs & TOP PERFORMERS - Sponsored by Crush Wine Bar
Offense MVP: Offensive Line, Top Performers: Malik Braxton, Torreahno Sweet and Paul Revis
Defense MVP: Bo Highburger, Top Performers: Danny Hankins
Special Teams MVP: Paul Revis, Top Performers: Nathan Osborn, Jacob Bannister, Josh Murray, Wesley Gray
 
LOOKING AT THE WILDCATS
Central Washington also impressed in their week on effort against a NCAA Division-I FCS school. The Wildcats had the lead entering the fourth quarter, 26-21, before the Vikings reeled off three touchdowns over the final 15 minutes to win, 43-26. Justin Lane completed 19 of 37 passes for 321 yards and the three scores to Jesse Zalk. Defensively, Jackson Huerta led the Wildcats with 15 tackles.
 
The Wildcats were picked fourth in the GNAC preseason vote after posting a 5-5 record in 2015.

2016 SEASON IN REVIEW

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 endzone 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.