Football | 8/26/2018 8:22:00 PM

Game 1 – Angelo State (0-0, 0-0 LSC) at Western Oregon (0-0, 0-0 GNAC)
1:05 p.m. - Saturday, Sept. 1
McArthur Field I Monmouth, Ore.
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MONMOUTH, Ore.—Opening up the 2018 season at home, the Western Oregon University Wolves will host Angelo State University on Saturday, Sept. 1 at McArthur Field.

FREE ADMISSION: As part of Labor Day and Polk County Appreciation weekend, admission to the home opener versus Angelo State on Sept. 1 will be completely free. The tailgating lots will open at 9 a.m. on Saturday while the gates to the stadium are scheduled to open at 11 a.m. Ticket sales for future home games will be available at the information table near the north gate of the stadium. No outside food or beverages are allowed inside the stadium.

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 ANGELO STATE (2017: 6-5, 4-4 GNAC): The Rams tied for fourth place in the Lone Star Conference with a 4-4 league record a year ago… Angelo State was picked to repeat the performance with a fourth-place finish according to the LSC Preseason Poll… The Rams are led on defense by returning All-American defensive end Markus Jones… Jones notched 10.5 sacks and 63 tackles during his junior campaign which culminated in LSC Defensive Player of the Year recognition… The ASU offense is expected to be led by sophomore Charlie Rotherham and Texas Tech transfer Payne Sullins… Rotherham threw for 1,553 yards a year ago… Three of the team's top four receivers also return with Lawson Ayo leading the way after a 49-catch, 755-yard total in 2017… Keke Chism (28 receptions, 384 yards) and Tashani Bibbs (41 receptions, 357 yards) also return… Tyrese Nathan is the leading returning back after rushing for 438 yards on 74 carries last season.

THE SERIES: Western Oregon and Angelo State have never faced each other at the NCAA Division II level… The teams have one previous meeting with Angelo State posting a 32-0 win in the first round of the 1978 NAIA I National Playoffs… The 1978 Western Oregon team started the season with a 5-0 record and was 8-1 entering the postseason with its only loss a one-point (20-19) setback against Western Washington… Angelo State, meanwhile, went on to capture the NAIA national championship with a 35-3 win over Western State (Colo.) in the semis and a 24-14 win over Elon (N.C.) in the title bout.

COMMON FOES: ASU and WOU shared one common opponent a year ago with Angelo State falling at home to Tarleton State, 30-24, while the Wolves lost on the road to the Texans, 28-6.

WOU SEASON OPENERS: The Wolves are 9-9 overall in season openers since 2000 with four of the nine losses coming against NCAA Division I opponents… During that same span, WOU is 2-1 at home in season openers… The Wolves have 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, Jacob 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 2016 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.