MONMOUTH, Oregon --- The Western Oregon football team tries to make it three wins in a row as the Wolves host Eastern New Mexico 1:05 p.m. Saturday at McArthur Field.

THE WOLVES HEADING INTO THE WEEK | 2022 STATISTICS
Western Oregon for the second week in a row rallied in the fourth quarter, this time turning a 13-10 deficit into a 27-13 victory over West Texas A&M in the final six minutes, getting a field goal from Danny Cossette (who earned Lone Star Conference Special Teams Player of the Week for the second week in a row), a Gannon Winker 1-yard TD run on a sneak with 56 seconds left and Joey Sinclair returning an interception for a touchdown with 10 seconds left. The defense held the Buffs to a season-low 13 points - led by LSC Defensive Player of the Week Ryan Minniti and his 10 tackles, three pass breakups and an interception.

The WOU defense ranks third in the conference and 22nd in the nation in rushing defense at 88.4 yards allowed per game and is overall fourth in the conference in defense at 307 yards allowed per contest. Senior linebacker Jaylin Parnell has led the way for the defense, leading the team and LSC in tackles at 9.3 per game (65 - 28th in D-II) and sacks (7.0 - tied for 14th in D-II). Sinclair now has a team-best four interceptions along with being second on the team in tackles with 43.

Offensively, Omari Dixon-Land leads the team on the ground rushing with 627 yards and four touchdowns with Andrew Valladares second on the team at 181 yards. Through the air, Winker has thrown for 1,601 yards, eight touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Damon Hickok leads the team in receiving with 30 catches for 538 yards and two scores while London Smalley has 18 catches for 250 yards and a touchdown and Marquis Sampson has 206 yards on 18 catches. 

EASTERN NEW MEXICO HEADING INTO THE WEEK | 2022 STATISTICS
The Greyhounds broke a five-game losing streak last week by beating Simon Fraser at home 42-14. The defense held SFU to 196 yards while Kason Marton threw for 274 yards and four touchdowns and Isaiah Tate rushed for 107 yards and another score.

Martin in six games has thron for 1,000 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions. Tate leads ENMU on the ground with 471 yards and three touchdowns - averaging 3.7 yard per carry. Asa Wondeh has caught 27 passes for 554 yards and five scores. Defensively, Cameron Santa Cruz leads the team with 53 tackles to go along with an interception while Zerrian Meander has 47 tackles and six pass breakups. 

HISTORY VS. WEST TEXAS A&M
These two teams have met only twice - and both were close games that have happened in the last four years with ENMU coming out on top in both contests. The Greyhounds won the first matchup in 2018 19-14 in Portales and beat the Wolves the next year 35-27 in Monmouth. 
  MINNITI, COSSETTE NAMED LSC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK - OCT. 17 RELEASE
For the second week in a row, the Western Oregon football team took two of the three Lone Star Conference Player of the Week honors with Ryan Minniti earning Defensive Player of the Week and Danny Cossette named the Special Teams Player of the Week for the second week in a row.

Minniti - a senior safety - was all over the field in the Wolves' 27-13 win over West Texas A&M as he tied for the team lead with 10 tackles, led the team with three pass breakups and added an interception and a quarterback hurry while holding the Buffs to their lowest scoring output of the season. Cossette was efficient in WOU's win, going 2-for-2 on field goals (including a game-tying field goal in the fourth quarter), 3-for-3 on extra points and kicking three of his six kickoffs for touchbacks.

PARNELL, COSSETTE NAMED LSC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK - OCT. 10 RELEASE
Western Oregon's Jaylin Parnell and Danny Cossette were both honored for their performances against Central Washington on Oct. 8 as Parnell was named the Lone Star Conference Defensive Player of the Week and Cossette was selected as the LSC Special Teams Player of the Week.

In a 16-14 win over Central Washington, Parnell led a Wolves defense that allowed just 280 yards thanks to a team-high 13 tackles and a forced fumble. Cossette made the play of the game - if not the season - with WOU up 16-14 over Central Washington with nine seconds left. After his extra point was blocked, CWU recovered the ball and attempted to return it for a two-point conversion. Cossette raced down field and made the tackle inside the five-yard line to save the game for the Wolves. He also connected on a season-best 48-yard field goal.

FB | IT'S WILD UP IN WASHINGTON!

WOU kicker Danny Cossette races down the field after his extra point was blocked and makes a game-saving tackle just before Central Washington tied the game (would've been two points to tie it for CWU).

Wolves win, 16-14 ... WHAT A GAME! pic.twitter.com/KlNfFSNHOw

— Western Oregon Wolves Athletics (@WOU_Wolves) October 9, 2022

DIXON-LAND BREAKS ALL-TIME RUSHING RECORD AT WESTERN
Senior running back Omari Dixon-Land has been the leading rusher for the Wolves in each of the past three seasons and he's now he's become the top rusher in program history. With 94 yards against Angelo State on Oct. 1, he passed Bill Volk's total of 3,172 on the all-time list and now has 3,374 career rushing yards. His 620 rushing attempts is now first on the all-time list (Volk had the most with 613) and his 24 rushing touchdowns has him tied for seventh (the record is 37 rushing touchdowns held by Volk)

Western Oregon All-Time Rushing List (2,000 yards or more)

3,374	Omari Dixon-Land (2018-Current)
3,172	Bill Volk (1992-95)
2,846	Jason Taroli (1997-2001)
2,557	Doug Trice (1970-73)
2,530	Mark Ross (1975-78)
2,516	Greg Shewbert (1974-77)
2,357	Bob Pennel (1959-62)
2,259	Ben Kuenzi (2006-09)
2,119	Eliot Vinzant (2005-06)
2,103	Doug Lulay (1975-78)

COACH FERGUSON APPROACHING CENTURY MARK IN WINS
WOU head football coach Arne Ferguson has been a staple in the Western Oregon football program since his playing days from 1985-88 where he was an All-CFA choice three times. Now entering his 17th season as head coach (he was an assistant coach from 1989 until head coach save one season in 1992), he's approaching a career milestone only one other Western Oregon coach has reached - the 100 career wins at Western Oregon. Ferguson enters this week with 97 victories with only the legendary Bill McArthur - who coached 36 seasons at Western - ahead of him at 180 victories.

Western Oregon All-Time Coaching Wins List (30 wins or more)

180	Bill McArthur (1947-54, 1956-82, 1991)
97	Arne Ferguson (2005-current)
41	Larry Wolfe (1928-34)
34	Duke Iverson (1985-87, 2001-04)
31	Al Cox (1935-42)