MONMOUTH, Oregon --- The Western Oregon football team has a chance to make noise nationally as the Wolves host No. 3 Angelo State 1:05 p.m. Saturday at McArthur Field.

Of note, as part of joining the Lone Star Conference for football this season - all Western Oregon games will be on the LSC Digital Network and will cost money to view. Click the link above to get there or follow the link that tells you how to watch games on the channel.

THE WOLVES HEADING INTO THE WEEK | 2022 STATISTICS
Western Oregon is coming off its second consecutive close loss in Lone Star Conference play, falling at home to UT Permian Basin 27-24 on Saturday. The Wolves outgained the Falcons 554-288, but a special teams touchdown allowed on a punt attempt and an interception returned for a touchdown were the difference in the game. Gannon Winker threw for 367 yards and three touchdowns, Omari Dixon-Land rushed for 127 yards, Damon Hickok had five catches for 134 yards and a score and Jaylin Parnell had a team-high 10 tackles.

The Wolves defense has ranks 32nd overall and third in the Lone Star Conference in yards allowed at 282.8 and are 15th in the nation and first in the conference in rushing yards allowed at 71.5 yards allowed per game. Parnell is third in the LSC in tackles per game at 8.8 while Joey Sinclair is 12th at 6.8 per game. Parnell is also second in the conference and 16th in the nation at 1.0 sacks per game.

Offensively, Winker ranks first in the LSC and 19th in the nation with 1,011 passing yards and is second in the LSC and 34th in the nation with seven touchdown passes. Thomas Wright is second in the conference at 79.2 yards receiving per game while Hickok is fourth at 67.8 yards receiving per game. 

On the ground, Dixon-Land is second in the LSC in yards rushing with 393 while he's third in yards per game at 98.2. He's also on the cusp of breaking the Western Oregon all-time rushing record as his 127 yards gives him 3,142 in his career - 31 yards from breaking Bill Volk's all-time record set from 1992-95.

ANGELO STATE HEADING INTO THE WEEK | 2022 STATISTICS
The Rams, who last season made it to the quarterfinals of the NCAA D-II National Championships, won their fourth game in a row (and 11th out of 12) with a 34-14 win at home against West Texas A&M thanks to outscoring the Buffs 28-7 in the second half - capped by an Andrew Pitts 89-yard interception return for a touchdown in the final two minutes. ASU also owns a win at No. 12 Colorado School of Mines (30-27 in overtime), win at UTPB 34-21 and a 35-0 win at home against Chadron State.

ASU ranks in the top 30 in the country in both total defense (27th - 277.8 yards allowed per game) and offense (438 yards per game) while averaging 33.2 points per game (31st in the nation) and allowing 15.5 points per game (18th in the country). 

Quarterback Zach Bronkhorst is second in the LSC and 20th in the nation with 1,010 yards passing to go along with five touchdowns and three interceptions - though the longest pass has been a 38-yard pass this season. His top two receivers have been Noah Massey (18 receptions, 244 yards, TD) and Kyle Bradford (14 receptions, 207 yards, TD). On the ground, the Rams feature the top rusher in the conference in Nate Omayebu III who has 403 yards on the ground and four touchdowns this season.

Micah Flowers leads the team with 27 tackles to go along with two sacks and an interception. Daron Allman has a team-best four sacks while Pitts leads the team with three interceptions and four pass breakups.

HISTORY VS. ANGELO STATE
These two teams met in a home-and-home series in 2018 and 2019 with Angelo State winning both contests - 24-17 in Monmouth in 2018 and 45-20 in San Angelo, Texas, in 2019.

The only other meeting between these two teams came in the 1978 NAIA National Playoffs' opening round - a 32-0 win for Angelo State in San Angelo, Texas.
  DIXON-LAND APPROACHING 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 approaching becoming one of the top rushers in program history. After 127 yards on the ground last week, his 3,142 career rushing yards is second on the all-time Western Oregon list ahead of Jason Taroli (2,846 yards - 1997-2001) and only behind Bill Volk (3,172 yards - 1992-95). His 562 rushing attempts puts him third on the all-time list and his 23 rushing touchdowns has him alone at No. 8. Also, his 5.6 yards per attempts has him fifth in Wolves history.

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

3,172	Bill Volk (1992-95)
3,142	Omari Dixon-Land (2018-Current)
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 95 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)
95	Arne Ferguson (2005-current)
41	Larry Wolfe (1928-34)
34	Duke Iverson (1985-87, 2001-04)
31	Al Cox (1935-42)