MONMOUTH, Ore. – In their last-ever meeting, the Western Oregon Wolves pulled away late for a 45-24 win over the Humboldt State Lumberjacks on Homecoming Saturday at McArthur Field.

Western Oregon (4-4, 3-3 GNAC) jumped out to an early lead – never trailing in the game— but had to fend off several rallies from Humboldt State (1-6, 1-4 GNAC) throughout the contest.
Ty Currie hit Thomas Wright on the fifth play of the Wolves' opening drive for a 44-yard touchdown pass to quickly get the Wolves on the board, leading 7-0 after just over two minutes of play.

Currie spread out 14 completions to eight different receivers during the game while he also caught a pass in the second half. He finished with 196 passing yards, three passing touchdowns and a receiving touchdown.

After the quick and early strike, offenses went quiet for the remainder of the first quarter.

Two turnovers opened the second quarter with both sides fumbling inside the first minute. The 'Jacks churned out a pass completion for eight yards to open the second, but then fumbled away possession to follow on second down and short.

The Wolves' possession did not last long, either. Currie, under pressure in the backfield, lost a fumble on the first play of the ensuing drive to give HSU the ball right back at the WOU 35, giving them their best field position of the day.

Humboldt State quarterback Joey Sweeney peeled off to the right side to find running back Tyree Marzetta open for the 24-yard touchdown catch to tie the game at 7-7 with 13:10 remaining in the second quarter.

"I really am proud of Humboldt State's coaches and players," said Western Oregon head coach Arne Ferguson.  "What they have been through this season is a tough thing to deal with and they have handled it well. They are very competitive and I hope some of them come our way after this season."

The Wolves' next series to take back the lead would be a run-heavy one. Nico Jackson rushed four times on the drive for 26 yards and Currie scurried for a 20-yard run that included an impressive side-step of two HSU defenders. Devon Fortier capped the drive with an eight-yard run for the touchdown and the Wolves' lead, 14-7.

Western Oregon stretched their lead to 14 for the first time in the game with what has become a signature of their season – a defensive touchdown. Ryan Minniti, a late addition to the starting lineup on Saturday, stepped in front of Sweeney's pass for his first collegiate interception. The redshirt freshman ran it back 40 yards for the score, making it a 21-7 Western Oregon lead. That lead would stand going into halftime.

Currie passed for 114 of his 196 yards in the first half on seven completions, rushing for another 32.

Senior linebacker Bo Highburger, fresh off setting school NCAA-era records in two defensive categories last week, had eight total tackles in the first half including two for loss. He finished the day with a game-high 14 tackles, including three for loss. Highburger also had three rushing attempts in the red zone as a part of a push for a game to highlight the senior class.

"Our seniors have worked very hard," said Ferguson. "In our conference, every game is extremely competitive. Most of these guys have worked four or five years as a player to get where they are with this team. The amount they have contributed to this team is greatly appreciated and we wanted to make sure we showed that today."

Humboldt State came out of the locker room firing, scoring 10 points in the first seven minutes of the third quarter. Jose Morales kicked through a 34-yard field goal on the opening drive of the half to make it a 21-10 WOU lead.

After receiving a 52-yard punt from Andrew Gross, the 'Jacks got their biggest play of the day with their backs to their own end zone. On second down at the HSU 11, Marzetta broke into the open field for an 89-yard touchdown run; his second score of the day.

The Wolves got creative to stretch their lead back out. Tight end Caleb Tingstad, playing against his brother and backup HSU quarterback Andrew Tingstad, passed for a four-yard touchdown to Currie. Following the touchdown, Caleb made sure to point out Andrew who begrudgingly gave him a round of applause from the HSU sideline.

Humboldt State's response was a quick one. Sweeney found Kaleo Garrigan on consecutive completions for a 26-yard and 33-yard gain, respectively. The 33-yard connection would go for a touchdown to get the 'Jacks back within a touchdown at 31-24 with just over 10 minutes remaining in the game. That is where the Humboldt State scoring ended as the Wolves made a late push to separate themselves.

Thomas Wright pulled in another touchdown pass and Marquis Sampson added in his first receiving touchdown to make it a 21-point lead to close.

Western Oregon has now won four of their last five games to get back to a .500 record both overall and in conference play.

The Wolves head back on the road for their final three games of the regular season with two conference matchups remaining. Western Oregon heads to California Oct. 27 for a rematch with Azusa Pacific. Kickoff at Citrus Stadium is set for 6 p.m.