Homecoming presented by MAPS Credit Union
Game 8 – Western Oregon (3-4, 2-3 GNAC) vs. Humboldt State (1-5, 1-3 GNAC)
1:05 p.m. (PDT) - October 20
Monmouth, Ore. / McArthur Field
TICKETS / LIVE VIDEO / LIVE STATS

>>> Homecoming Events
>>> GNAC Notes (Oct. 16, 2018)
>>> NCAA DII Rankings

MONMOUTH, Ore. – Returning home for the first time in three weeks, the Western Oregon Wolves host the Humboldt State Lumberjacks for homecoming weekend presented by Maps Credit Union. Kickoff on Oct. 20 is set for 1:05 p.m. at McArthur Field.

TAILGATING: Fans must have a parking pass to utilize the tailgating location behind the stadium in Lot G. A limited number of parking passes will be available to purchase on a first come, first serve basis on game day. Parking passes are $20 per spot used. The tailgating Lot G behind the stadium is the only parking lot where alcohol is allowed.

ARENA SPORTS BEER GARDEN: For fans 21 years and older, beer and wine will be available for purchase inside the stadium all season long thanks to the Arena Sports Beer Garden. The tent will be located in the North Endzone of the stadium for fans 21 and older with a valid ID. Purchased drinks will not be allowed to leave the tent.

ABOUT HUMBOLDT STATE (1-5, 1-3 GNAC): In their final season with a football program, HSU has managed one win so far this season, coming up with a 23-16 win at home Oct. 6 against Simon Fraser. Leading the rushing attack is Tyree Marzetta with 348 yards, more than double second on the team. Seven different players have made passing attempts for HSU this season with three players making more than 10 passing attempts on the season. Joey Sweeney and Andrew Tingstad (brother of WOU's Caleb) have roughly split the duties under center. Tingstad has played in five games, attempting 64 passes while Sweeney has appeared in four games and made 77 pass attempts. The 'Jacks are being outscored by opponents, 231-86 through six games for the lowest scoring average in the GNAC at 14.3 points per game. They are currently first in turnover margin, giving up the football just eight times this season on turnovers to 13 takeaways.

GNAC TEAM RANKS: The Wolves boast the top rushing defense in the GNAC, allowing just 109.1 yards on the ground per game. WOU has the only defensive unit in the conference to allow fewer than 129 rushing yards per game. The defense has allowed just two fourth-down conversion for the GNAC's lowest conversion percentage with opponents going 2-for-11 in attempts. The Wolves have the only punt return team in the conference averaging over 10 yards per return with a mark of 13.2 yards per punt return, 4.7 yards average more than CWU.

GNAC INDIVIDUAL RANKS: WOU has 2 of the top 5 tacklers in the GNAC… Nate Proctor ranks 5th in the conference with 54 total tackles— 32 solo, 22 assisted and 3.0 sacks… Bo Highburger comes in at 2nd with 56 total tackles… Curtis Anderson is third in interceptions (3)… Proctor (3), Jaylin Parnell (2) and Highburger (2) are in the top five of the conference in fumbles forced.

THE SERIES: WOU is 20-15 against Humboldt State during their time in the NCAA. The Wolves' 38-13 win earlier this season snapped a three-game losing streak against the 'Jacks and marked their first win of the season. WOU is 11-7 against HSU in Monmouth, but have not won at home since Nov. 8, 2014 in a 33-31 squeaker. HSU's last visit to Monmouth turned into a 49-48 overtime win for the 'Jacks on Sept. 23, 2017. The Wolves' PAT to tie the game in overtime sailed wide left to end the game.

RECORD DAY FOR HIGHBURGER: Bo Highburger broke multiple school records Oct. 13 against Central Washington. The senior linebacker posted 6 solo and 10 total tackles in the game to take over the school all-time NCAA-era records in both categories. He now has 155 and 279 tackles, respectively, to pass Shane Kuenzi in each category. Highburger is also within the top five in school NCAA-era history in tackles for loss (32.0), fumbles forced (5), fumbles recovered (4) and quarterback hurries (6). Kuenzi, a graduate of West Salem High School, was a linebacker for the Wolves between 2012 and 2015.

PASSING PROMINENT TO END ZONE: Of the Wolves' 15 offensive touchdowns, 12 of them have been passing touchdowns. Anthony Bradley leads the team with four catches for scores and Tyjuan Prince has three. Seven separate receivers have caught passing touchdowns this season for WOU.
 
SLOW OFFENSIVE DAY: The Wolves' 160 yards of total offense Oct. 13 at Central Washington was their fewest in a game since their trip to Ellensburg in 2016. WOU had just 107 total offensive yards Oct. 15, 2016 in a 35-0 loss to CWU. It was just the third time in the last 14 seasons Western Oregon has had 160 or fewer yards of total offense, all three instances came against CWU.

SALDANA SETS GNAC RECORD: Kicker Adrian Saldana set a GNAC record Oct. 6 at Texas A&M – Kingsville with a 55-yard field goal. The kick breaks the record previously set in 2001 by Western Washington's Michael Koenen. It was one of two field goals made from beyond 40 yards by Saldana in the win over the Javelinas. The senior scored seven of the Wolves' 13 points in the game. As a result, Saldana was named GNAC Special Teams Player of the Week for the second time in his career.

WINNING STREAK: The Wolves' three-game winning streak this season was their longest since the 2015 season when they won six in a row.

YOUNG CREW: This week's two-deep chart for the Wolves features 16 freshmen and 29 total underclassmen. The freshmen are the second-highest represented class on the chart behind 17 juniors. Just nine seniors make an appearance on the list this week.

SALDANA PERFECT IN PATs: Adrian Saldana remains the only kicker in the GNAC who is perfect in PATs, going 20-for-20 in attempts… The senior is also 8-for-13 in field goal attempts, the most made in the GNAC.

RECORD DAY FOR WOLVES: Western Oregon set multiple school marks Sept. 29 at home against Simon Fraser. The 54 points scored in the first half sets a new record for most points in a half, bettering the previous high by 10. The seven interceptions for the defense is also a school record and ties the GNAC record as well.
 
CURTIS ANDERSON LEADS DEFENSE, EARNS POW: Anderson finished with four tackles, had two of the Wolves' seven interceptions and had a blocked punt in Western Oregon's 54-13 win over Simon Fraser. Anderson returned his second pick 49 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter. Anderson also had three kick returns and finishes with 110 all-purpose yards in the game. 
 
CURRIE THROWS FOR CAREER-HIGHS, NAMED POW: Quarterback Ty Currie set new career-highs across the board against Humboldt State in the Wolves' 38-13 win… the junior completed 24-of-34 passes for 334 yards and four touchdowns and also rushed for a fifth score to earn GNAC Football Player of the Week honors

PRINCE CATCHES ANOTHER TD: For the second straight week, Tyjuan Prince reeled in a receiving touchdown on 22 yards and four catches Sept. 22 at Humboldt State… This comes a week after 60 receiving yards for two scores at home Sept. 15 against Azusa Pacific… Prince had just four combined catches in the first two games of the season and now 11 receptions and three touchdowns between the last two contests… Head coach Arne Ferguson on the addition of Prince: "Tyjuan is a really hard worker and he pays great attention. We haven't got him the reps he needs just yet, but we are excited to have him with us and the plays that he's making along with a great young receiving corps have been great to see."

HIGHBURGER EARNS POW: Western Oregon senior linebacker Bo Highburger was named the GNAC Football Defensive Player of the Week. He finished with 11 tackles, four for loss, a half-sack and a pair of forced fumbles, one of which later resulted in a WOU score, in Saturday's loss to Azusa Pacific.
 
RUN GAME: Omari Land has run for 100+ yards in consecutive games, tallying 110 yards Sept. 8 against Central Washington and 130 yards Sept. 15 against Azusa Pacific… This comes after Land made just one rushing attempt for no gain in the season opener Sept. 1
 
CURRIE DEBUT: Making his first collegiate start, junior quarterback Ty Currie completed 23 of 43 attempts for 276 yards against Angelo State in the season opener. Currie threw three interceptions and two touchdowns in the game, including a go-ahead score to culminate a drive inside the final 2 minutes of play that gave WOU a 17-16 lead.

DEEP THREAT: Tyjuan Prince' 74-yard catch in the second half against Angelo State was the longest catch by a WOU player in more than three seasons… The last catch to go over 75 yards by a WOU player was an 89-yard haul by Tyrell Williams at Central Washington on Oct. 18, 2014.

TACKLE LEADERS: Nate Proctor, Jr. and Andrew Weber combined for 23 tackles in the season opener against Angelo State. Proctor led the team with 12 stops, including eight solo tackles. Seven of Weber's 11 tackles were of the solo variety.

WOU SEASON OPENERS: The Wolves are 9-10 overall in season openers since 2000 with four of the 10 losses coming against NCAA Division I opponents… During that same span, WOU is 2-2 at home in season openers… Prior to this season, the Wolves had not opened a season at home since 2012 when the team hosted No. 7-ranked Grand Valley State (Mich.) where the Lakers defeated WOU 48-20 for the Wolves only season opening loss at home since transitioning to NCAA DII.

OFFENSIVE RETURNERS: WOU will have a nearly all-new look offense in 2018 after graduating two quarterbacks and its top five pass catchers… Junior signal caller Ty Currie will look to take the reins in his third season in the program after understudying for the two departing seniors… Currie appeared in one game last season with a brief stint in an Oct. 7 road contest at Simon Fraser where the Wolves posted a 82-21 victory… Currie completed his lone pass for an 8-yard gain and also scrambled for 15 yards on three attempts… The team's leading rusher, Devon Fortier is back for his junior season after rushing for 385 yards and three touchdowns… Only 16 of the team's 236 receptions return to the fold in 2018… Senior tight end Caleb Tingstad returns after collecting 10 catches for 121 yards and two touchdowns… Fortier (5 receptions for 18 yards) and David Krupsky (1 reception for 8 yards) are the only returning players with a catch last season… Tingstad also carried the ball on eight occasions and punched the ball across the goal line on two carries… The team, however, returns significant continuity along the line with Joe Gonzales, Ron Rose, Jakob Pruitt and Aaron Turner returning to anchor the front… The quartet has combined for 59 career appearances, including 33 from fifth-year senior Ron Rose.

DEFENSIVE RETURNERS: Linebacker Bo Highburger headlines the defense after collecting First Team All-GNAC honors a year ago… Highburger led the GNAC with 102 tackles, including 11 that went for lost yardage… Lining up alongside Highburger will be Andrew Weber, Tyler Wharf and Nathaniel Proctor… Weber was second on the team with 83 tackles while Wharf added 21 tackles and Proctor 17 stops… The Wolves will feature three experienced players in the secondary with Curtis Anderson, Joey Roos and Derek Parnell… Anderson paced the team with four interceptions while Roos and Parnell had one pick each… Highburger, Weber, Anderson and Parnell started all 11 games for WOU last season... Veterans Isaiah Molden, Court Hammond, Skylen O'Brien and Court Hammond will carry the workload along the defensive line.

GNAC PRESEASON POLL: Western Oregon was picked to finish third according to the GNAC Coaches' Preseason Poll… Defending champion Central Washington received four first-place votes to lead the pack… Azusa Pacific was picked second with the fifth and final first-place vote… Humboldt State and Simon Fraser were slotted in the fourth and fifth positions… CWU was ranked No. 9 in the NCAA DII American Football Coaches' Poll.

2017 RECAP: WOU finished 2017 with a 3-8 overall record last season but were only outscored by its opponents by a 380-312 spread… The Wolves averaged 28.4 points per game and averaged 369.1 yards per game, including 263.6 yards per game in the air... Of the team's 34 touchdowns, 21 came in the passing game… The Wolves fell to NCAA DI Idaho State, 37-6, in the season opener and finished within a touchdown, 30-23, while playing at eventual GNAC champion Central Washington in week No. 2… The Wolves crushed Western New Mexico, 58-21, for its first win of the season and used an 82-21 thrashing of Simon Fraser on Oct. 7 to improve to 2-4 on the year… The Wolves closed out the year with a 24-21 win at home against SFU.

GAME 7 RECAP: Central Washington def. Western Oregon, 48-10
The Wolves had their three-game winning streak snapped Oct. 13 in Ellensburg in a 38-point loss to the Wildcats. CWU, who finish the season 2-0 against WOU, did a majority of their scoring in the first half, taking a 38-3 lead into the locker room. The Wolves were held to just 27 rushing yards on 27 attempts in the game and 133 yards through the air. Ty Currie threw for 133 yards on 16-of-29 passing with two interceptions. The game did become historically significant on the defensive side of the football for the Wolves. Bo Highburger became the school's all-time NCAA-era leader in both solo tackles and total tackles, passing Shane Kuenzi in both categories on Saturday. Highburger had 6 solo and 10 total tackles in the game to move to 155 and 279, respectively, in each category. Kuenzi, a linebacker who played for the Wolves from 2012-15 and a West Salem High School graduate, had 150 and 276 respective tackles to hold the record for three years. Western Oregon was outscored 98-27 in two games vs. Central Washington.
 
GAME 6 RECAP: Western Oregon def. Texas A&M – Kingsville, 13-7
In their third straight victory, Western Oregon University defeated the Javelinas to remain unbeaten in their all-time series, 3-0. In the first meeting of the teams since 2007, TAMUK was unable to score an offensive touchdown, getting their only points of the evening from an interception returned 31 yards for a score. The Wolves did not trail in the game, leading at one point 10-0 after getting another outstanding performance from their defense. The Javelinas were held to just 58 rushing yards, averaging 2.2 yards per attempt. Adrian Saldana set a GNAC record with a 55-yard field goal. The kick breaks the mark previously set in 2001. It was one of two field goals made by Saldana, both coming from outside of 40 yards.
 
GAME 5 RECAP: Western Oregon def. Simon Fraser, 54-13
The Western Oregon defense was sharp in a 54-13 rout of Simon Fraser for their 18^th consecutive win over the Clan. All of the Wolves' scoring came in a school-record 54 point first half with 30 of those points being scored by the defense. WOU forced 10 total turnovers, including a school record seven interceptions. Those seven picks also tied a GNAC record previously set in 2011 by Humboldt State. La'jon Enis-Carter who did not have a collegiate reception to his name yet led the receiving corps with 2 catches for 74 yards and a touchdown. His first catch of the day and his collegiate career was a 51-yard touchdown in the second quarter. Dominic Akina scored eight points in the game, hauling in an interception he returned for a touchdown while also taking a defensive PAT back over 90 yards for a score. Akina also had three tackles, 1.0 sacks and forced a fumble. The Wolves have not lost to the Clan since 2000.
 
GAME 4 RECAP: Western Oregon def. Humboldt State, 38-13
Scoring came early and often for the Wolves in a 38-13 win over the Humboldt State Lumberjacks Sept. 22 at the Redwood Bowl. For Western Oregon, it was their first win of the season, also coming in their first road game of the year. The Wolves jumped out to a 24-0 halftime lead and scored the first 38 points of the game before the 'Jacks managed two scores late in the fourth quarter. Ty Currie threw for a career-high 334 yards and four passing touchdowns on 24 completions. The WOU quarterback also ran for a fifth touchdown on his way to GNAC Football Player of the Week. Nico Jackson led the rushing attack with 78 yards. Brian Sarbeck totaled a team-high nine tackles, five solo, and added in 1.0 sacks to his night. The 'Jacks were held to just 156 passing yards and 110 rushing yards. With HSU playing their final season of football, it was the last time the teams will play at the Redwood Bowl.
 
GAME 3 RECAP: Azusa Pacific def. Western Oregon, 28-17
Two fourth-quarter touchdowns pulled Azusa Pacific away from Western Oregon late to deal the Wolves their third consecutive loss, 28-17 Sept. 15 in Monmouth. Western Oregon took a 17-14 into halftime, out-gaining the Cougars handily on the ground. Omari Land ran for a season-high 130 yards on 15 attempts to lead all rushers. Land has run for 240 combined yards over his last two games. Tyjuan Prince caught both WOU touchdowns, his first two in a Western Oregon uniform. Weston Carr caught three touchdowns on 153 receiving yards for APU. Two of his touchdowns were in the fourth quarter with the final points of the game coming on a 53-yard reception with just over two minutes remaining to solidify the win. Bo Highburger made a game-high 11 tackles, eight being solo, and forced two fumbles. The senior linebacker also chipped in for 0.5 sacks and 4.0 tackles for loss to earn GNAC Defensive Player of the Week.

GAME 2 RECAP: #16 Central Washington def. Western Oregon, 50-17
No. 16-ranked Central Washington capitalized on an early safety during a WOU punt attempt and later a touchdown following a blocked field goal to defeat Western Oregon, 50-17, in the GNAC opener on Sept. 8. The Wildcats outgained the Wolves 441 to 343 with the bulk of their yardage coming through the air. Reilly Hennessey completed 17 of 28 passes for 275 yards and a touchdown. Ryan Ramones was the main benefactor from the aerial attack with six catches for 134 yards. Despite the score, the Wolves were effective in their run game with 218 net yards on the ground. Omari Land led the charge with 110 yards on 20 carries while Nico Jackson added 76 yards on 12 carries.

GAME 1 RECAP: Angelo State def. Western Oregon, 24-17
A late drive from the Angelo State Rams sank the Western Oregon Wolves, 24-17, in the season opener Saturday at McArthur Field. Both sides missed field goal attempts in the first half to send Angelo State into halftime with a 3-0 lead. With just three points scored and a combined nine punts before the break, offenses stayed quiet in the first half before a wild fourth quarter. With an even score headed to the fourth, the season-opener would be destined for a dramatic finish as 21 points were tallied in the final 15 minutes. A Tyrese Nathan nine-yard touchdown run gave ASU back the lead with 8:43 to play, but Connor Flanigan missed the extra point to keep it 16-10 in favor of the Texas side. Western Oregon took back over on offense with 2:11 remaining in the game and the first play of the series would be the biggest of the day as Tyjuan Prince reeled in his second catch of the day for 74 yards, immediately putting the Wolves inside the 10. Prince's 79 total receiving yards led the team. Currie's lob in to Thomas Wright two plays later and the successful Saldana kick put Western Oregon on top for the first time in the game, 17-16, with only 1:46 left to play. ASU, however, they punched in another touchdown with just a 52-second drive. Lawson Ayo culminated the quick strike by catching a 16-yard pass from Rotherham to put the Rams back up, this time for good. Nate Proctor, Jr. led WOU's defense with a team-high eight solo and 12 total tackles. WOU's Ty Currie completed 23 of 43 passes for 276 yards, throwing for two touchdowns and three interceptions.