Football Looks to Carry Momentum Into Saturday Night GNAC Battle at Wildcats

ELLENSBURG, Wash. – Coming off of a big road win to start Great Northwest Athletic Conference play, the Western Oregon University football team will look to carry that momentum right into another conference showdown this Saturday night at Central Washington with kickoff set for 6 p.m.

WOU (1-2, 1-0 GNAC) piled up 42 points and 330 yards on the ground with Omari Land, Ty Currie and Nico Jackson all rushing for over 100 yards. The win was the first over Azusa Pacific on the road since 2012 and snapped a six-game losing streak in the series.

The GNAC honors followed with Land and Tyrell Cummings taking home weekly honors for their play in the game against Azusa Pacific. Land rushed for 122 yards and a trio of touchdowns while Cummings had 2.5 tackles for loss, a sack, a forced fumble and seven total tackles with two solo.

WOU has scored 89 points, picking up 60 first downs, 1,148 total yards of offense and 13 touchdowns. The Wolves have 602 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground, while throwing for 546 yards and four touchdowns.

Opponents have scored 115 points, tallying 65 first downs, 1,186 total yards of offense and 15 touchdowns. Teams have rushed for 437 yards and eight touchdowns, while passing for 748 yards and seven scores.

This season Currie has completed 37-72 for 546 yards and four touchdowns. He's averaging 182 yards per game. On the ground, Land has accumulated 224 yards on 45 carries and six touchdowns. Currie has added 193 yards on 38 attempts and a touchdown, while Jackson has carried 38 times for 191 yards and a score. Thomas Wright leads the receivers with 140 yards on seven catches and a touchdown. Marquis Sampson has a team-best eight catches for 126 yards and a touchdown. Tyler Reid also has over 100 yards catching four passes for 122 yards. Justice Murphy and Damon Hickok have added receiving touchdowns this year.

On defense, Tyler Wharf leads the team with 22 tackles, 13 solo and a tackle for loss. Nate Proctor, Jr., has 20 tackles, 10 solo, along with 3.5 tackles for loss and a half-sack. Jaylin Parnell is third with 19 tackles, seven solo and has a half-tackle for loss. Braelen Evans and Curtis Anderson lead the way in solo tackles with 11. Cummings leads the team in sacks with two, while Blayne Burnett adds 1.5. Derek Parnell has an interception and six passes broken up.

WOU ranks high nationally and leads the GNAC in several categories including 53^rd nationally and first in the GNAC in fourth down conversion percentage (.500), first in the GNAC in first downs allowed on defense (65), 62^nd nationally in first downs picked up on offense (60), 27^th nationally in net punting (38.89), 47^th nationally and first in the GNAC in interceptions thrown (2), 32^nd nationally in passing yards per completion (14.76), 18^th nationally and first in the GNAC in punt return yards allowed (0.50), first in the GNAC in rushing defense (145.7), 37^th nationally and first in the GNAC in rushing offense per game (200.7), first in the GNAC in scoring defense (38.3), 58^th nationally in scoring offense (29.7), first in the GNAC in team passing efficiency (126.12), 69^th nationally in team sacks (1.67), first in the GNAC in total defense (395.3), 68^th nationally in total offense (382.7), 69^th nationally in turnovers lost (5) and tied for first in the GNAC in winning percentage (.333).

Individually, Anderson is eighth nationally and first in the GNAC in combined kick return yards (273), second in the GNAC in kickoff return yards per game (19.5) and third in the GNAC in all-purpose yards (91). Currie ranks second in the GNAC in completion percentage (.514), third in the GNAC in completions per game (12.33), 58^th nationally and first in the GNAC in both passing efficiency (127.9) and passing touchdowns (4), third in the GNAC in passing yards (546), third in the GNAC in passing yards per game (182), 24^th nationally and second in the GNAC in passing yards per completion (14.76), second in the GNAC in points responsible for (32), second in the GNAC in points responsible for per game (10.7), third in the GNAC in rushing yards (193), third in the GNAC in rushing yards per game (64.3) and 43^rd nationally and first in the GNAC in total offense per game (246.3). Land is 49^th nationally and first in the GNAC in points responsible for (36), 51^st nationally and first in the GNAC in points responsible for per game (12), second nationally and first in the GNAC in rushing touchdowns (6), second in the GNAC in rushing yards (224), second in the GNAC in rushing yards per game (74.7), third nationally and first in the GNAC in scoring (12), third nationally and first in the GNAC in total points scored (36) and second nationally and first in the GNAC in total touchdowns (6). Cummings is 30^th nationally and second in the GNAC in forced fumbles (0.33), Machiah Lee is also tied in the same category with Cummings. Cummings also is 55^th nationally and first in the GNAC in sacks per game (0.67) and first in the GNAC in tackles for loss per game (1.3). L.J. Lovelace and Ryan Minniti are tied for 24^th nationally and tied for second in the GNAC in fumbles recovered (1). Derek Parnell is second in the GNAC in interceptions per game (0.3) and fifth nationally and first in the GNAC in passes defended (2.3). Evans is third in the GNAC in passes defended (1.0). Jackson is fourth in the GNAC in both rushing yards (191) and rushing yards per game (63.7). Wharf is fifth in the GNAC in solo tackles per game (4.3), Proctor, Jr., is second in the GNAC in tackles for loss per game (1.2).

Central Washington is 1-2 on the season after almost defeating Division I Idaho to start the season before falling short (31-41). Then after a tough matchup with No. 2 Ferris State (28-62), the Wildcats claimed their first win last week in New Mexico over Western New Mexico (36-27).

The offense has tallied 95 points, while allowing 130. Central Washington has 1,364 yards of total offense and 11 touchdowns, while allowing 1,646 yards and 17 scores.

Both Canon Racanelli and Christian Moore have spent time at quarterback with Racanelli completing 40-94 for 598 yards and four touchdowns, while Moore has thrown for 129 yards and a touchdown completing 8-23. Four receivers have over 100 yards with Tony Archie leading the way with 16 catches for 234 yards and two touchdowns. Owen Oniskey has five catches for 174 yards and a score. Tyson Rainwater has nine catches for 133 yards, while Jo-Jo Hillel has six catches for 128 yards and two scores. On the ground, Michael Roots has carried 72 times for 396 yards and three touchdowns, with Racanelli adding 68 yards on 22 attempts and a score.

On defense, Donte Hamilton has 33 tackles with 4.5 tackles for loss and a pair of sacks. Cody O'Connell and Hamilton Hunt have 24 tackles each, with O'Connell tallying 18 solo stops and 1.5 tackles for loss. Hunt adds a sack. Chaz McKenzie gives the team four with at least 23 tackles as he has 23 stops with a tackle for loss, a half-sack, an interception and forced fumble.

Since 2000, Central Washington holds a 26-6 record in the meeting between the teams going 0-15 in Ellensburg and 5-10 at McArthur Field. Last year, the Wildcats took both meetings with a 48-10 win in Ellensburg and a 50-17 win in Monmouth. Central Washington has won the past six meetings in the series with the last win for WOU coming in 2015 in Monmouth (31-25).

Live video and stats will be available for the game and can be found here.

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Players Mentioned

#3 Curtis Anderson: DB; 6' 2"; Junior; 1V

#94 Blayne Burnett: DL; 6' 3"; Junior; 2V

#14 Ty Currie: QB; 6' 2"; Senior; 2V

#7 Nico Jackson: RB; 6' 2"; Senior; TR

#23 Omari Dixon-Land: RB; 5' 11"; Redshirt Sophomore; RS

#6 Machiah Lee: DB; 5' 11"; Sophomore

#19 L.J. Lovelace: DL; 6' 1"; Redshirt Sophomore

#29 Ryan Minniti: DB; 5' 10"; Redshirt Sophomore; RS

#88 Justice Murphy: WR; 6' 1"; Junior

#25 Derek Parnell: DB; 5' 11"; Senior; 2V

Players Mentioned

#3 Curtis Anderson
: 6' 2"; Junior; 1V
: DB

#94 Blayne Burnett
: 6' 3"; Junior; 2V
: DL

#14 Ty Currie
: 6' 2"; Senior; 2V
: QB

#7 Nico Jackson
: 6' 2"; Senior; TR
: RB

#23 Omari Dixon-Land
: 5' 11"; Redshirt Sophomore; RS
: RB

#6 Machiah Lee
: 5' 11"; Sophomore
: DB

#19 L.J. Lovelace
: 6' 1"; Redshirt Sophomore
: DL

#29 Ryan Minniti
: 5' 10"; Redshirt Sophomore; RS
: DB

#88 Justice Murphy
: 6' 1"; Junior
: WR

#25 Derek Parnell
: 5' 11"; Senior; 2V
: DB