WOU football hosts Buffs in home opener Saturday

WESTERN OREGON FOOTBALL
LSC STANDINGS | LSC STATS | WOU STATS | WOU STAT RANKINGS

THE MATCHUP
Western Oregon (1-2, 1-0) vs. West Texas A&M (1-3, 1-1)
FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME GAME
WOU FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME RELEASE - TO BE HONORED AT HALFTIME
1:05 p.m. Saturday
McArthur Field | Monmouth, Oregon

TICKETS

wouwolves.com/tickets

FOLLOW ALONG

WATCH: F loSports ($)
LIVE STATS

SERIES HISTORY - WEST TEXAS A&M

Overall Record: 3-0
Home: 2-0
Road: 1-0
Neutral: 0-0
Streak: Won 3
Last Win: Sept. 30, 2023 (37-36 at WTAMU)
First Meeting: Oct. 2, 2021 (41-38 Wolves in Monmouth)

WOU STAT LEADERS

RUSHING: Dominique Loggins - 186 yards
PASSING: Kainoa Jones - 363 yards
RECEIVING: Damon Hickok - 11 rec, 183 yards
SCORING: Dominique Loggins; Fresh Ison - 12 points
TACKLES: Malcolm Liufau; Aaron Woodard - 15 tackles
TACKLES FOR LOSS: Joseph Northcutt: 2.5 TFL
SACKS: JJ Tofaeono - 2.0 sacks
INTERCEPTIONS: Tyler Copeland: 2 INTs

WOU HEADING INTO THE WEEK
The Wolves in its first game against a non D-I opponent cruised to a 39-17 win over Sul Ross State last Saturday. WOU scored 29 unanswered points to turn a 3-3 tie into a 32-3 advantage late in the third quarter. WOU rushed for 264 yards - and did so with balance as no player rushing for more than 55 yards.

Damon Hickok enters the week fourth in the conference in receiving yards per game at 61.0 (11 catches, 183 yards). Defensively, JJ Tofaeono sits tied for second in the LSC with 2.0 sacks while Tyler Copeland is third in the conference with two interceptions.

WEST TEXAS A&M HEADING INTO THE WEEK
The Buffaloes may be 1-3, but have started 2024 with a gauntlet of games with three of their first four against top-15 ranked teams. After opening the season with a win at Sul Ross State 42-21, WTAMU lost at No. 5 Colorado School of Mines 41-13 before losing at home to No. 15 Western Colorado (26-17) on Sept. 14 and to No. 14 Central Washington (45-3).

In last week's loss, the Wildcats scored the first 38 points of the game before a field goal by the Buffs with 7:51 left in the fourth broke the shutout. WTAMU was held to 219 yards of offense (73 passing, 146 rushing). Quarterback Sean Johnson hads thrown for 624 yards (156 per game) with three touchdowns, four interceptions and a 60.4 percent completion percentage while he also leads the team in rushing with 359 yards (fifth in the LSC) on the ground and six more scores.

WOU NOTES
No place like home
The Wolves are looking to win their fourth consecutive home opener as they haven't lost their McArthur Field yearly debut since 2019 (no 2020 season).

Looking to make it four in a row against the Buffs ...
The Wolves' 3-0 mark against West Texas A&M is tied for the most wins without a loss against a still-active opponent in program history (also 3-0 against Lincoln (CA)). In last season's 37-36 win over WTAMU in Canyon, the Wolves scored with two seconds left on a Gannon Winker pass to Brenden Hodge from 2-yards out as the extra point gave WOU the win. Dominique Loggins rushed for 125 yards and a score, Winker threw for 232 yards and three scores, Keyvaun Eady had five catches for 100 yards and a score and Hodge finished with three catches for 63 yards and two scores.

Balanced ground attack versus Sul Ross State
Last week against Sul Ross State, WOU rushed for 264 yards - yet didn't have one player rush for more than 55: Jermaine Land (55 yards), Dominique Loggins (51), Armaad Hubbard (47), Fresh Ison (47), Jordan McCarty (36) and Kainoa Jones (22) accounted for all but six of the team's rushing yards.

Loggins with a first for WOU against Cal Poly
Dominique Loggins became the first WOU player in the Wolves' NCAA era (since 2001) to rush for 100 yards against a NCAA Division I opponent - rushing for 100 yards and two scores against Cal Poly on Sept. 14 in San Luis Obispo.

106 games and counting ...
In an odd stat, the Western Oregon football team has gone 106 consecutive games without a kickoff return for a touchdown. The last one came Oct. 5, 2013, when Patrick Tepea ran one back for a 90-yard score against Azusa Pacific.
Two decades of Coach Ferg at the helm, 39th overall at WOU
Western Oregon head football coach Arne Ferguson enters his 20th year (19th season due to no 2020 season because of the pandemic) and his 39th year overall at Western Oregon (spending just one season outside of Monmouth in 1992). He was a first-team all-conference player for the Wolves from 1985-88, began coaching at WOU in 1989, became the defensive coordinator in 1997 and the head coach in 2005. His 103 wins is the second most in WOU history, behind only Bill McArthur's 180 wins in 36 seasons.

Tackling is the family business for Liufau, and business is good
WOU two-time all-conference linebacker Malcolm Liufau has racked up 116 tackles on game into his third season with the Wolves - including a team-best 66 in 2023. Tackling is in the bloodline as he's the younger brother of Dallas Cowboys rookie and former Notre Dame linebacker Marist Liufau.

Wolves return 10 players that earned 2023 All-LSC recognition:
- First Team: Thomas Johnson (snapper)
- Second Team: Tommy McKedy (OL), Dominique Loggins (RB)
- Honorable Mention: Keating Hinkley (OL), Brenden Hodge (WR), Keyvaun Eady (WR), Kade Hustler (FB), Joseph Northcutt (DE), Gio Antonini (DE) and Malcolm Liufau (LB)

WOU football in the NFL since 2000 (years in NFL)

Tyrell Williams (2015-21), WR
Kevin Boss (2007-12), TE
Jeff Charleston* (2006-12), DE

Note: WOU's Jason Slowey was drafted in the sixth round of the 2012 NFL Draft before an injury in camp cut his career short
*Played at WOU his first three seasons before transferring to Idaho State.

Wolves picked eighth in Lone Star Conference
The Western Oregon football team was tabbed to finish eighth when the Lone Star Conference Football Preseason Poll. The preseason poll is voted on by LSC head coaches, sports information directors and media members. WOU finished 3-8 overall in 2023 and 2-6 in LSC play - tied for sixth in the conference.

2024 LSC FOOTBALL PRESEASON POLL

*Rank*	*Team*	*1st*	*Total*
1	Central Washington	20	286
2	Angelo State	6	260
3	UT Permian Basin	4	244
4	Texas A&M-Kingsville		202
5	Midwestern State		153
6	West Texas A&M		149
7	Eastern New Mexico		128
8	Western Oregon		118
9	Western New Mexico		68
10	Sul Ross State		42

*Denotes School Record

THE LAST TIME WESTERN OREGON ...
TEAM
Offense

Scored 60, 70 or 80+ points: Oct. 7, 2017 - 82-21 win at Simon Fraser
Scored 50+ points: Nov. 13, 2021 - 55-16 win vs. Lincoln (CA)
Scored 40+ points: Nov. 12, 2022 - 48-37 win at Texas A&M-Kingsville
Last time shut out: Oct. 14, 2017 - vs. Central Washington (42-0) - 61 games since
600+ total yards: Oct. 7, 2017 at Simon Fraser (604)
500+ total yards: Sept. 24, 2022 vs. UT Permian Basin (554)
400+ passing yards: Oct. 8, 2016 vs. Simon Fraser (401)
300+ passing yards: Sept. 24, 2022 vs. UT Permian Basin (367)
500+ rushing yards: 1977 vs. Western Washington (500)
400+ rushing yards: 1982 vs. Lewis & Clark (433)
300+ rushing yards: Oct. 7, 2023 - vs. Western New Mexico (376)

Defense

Shutout: Nov. 3, 2018 vs. Simon Fraser (39-0 win) - 47 games since
3 pts or less: Oct. 30, 2021 vs. Simon Fraser (42-3 win)
Less than 10 pts: Nov. 5, 2022 vs. Simon Fraser (32-7 win)
200 total yards or less: Nov. 5, 2022 vs. Simon Fraser (171)
100 total yards or less: Nov. 2, 2018 at Simon Fraser (70)
100 passing yards or less: Sept. 10, 2022 vs. Lincoln (CA) (73)
50 rushing yards or less: Oct. 7, 2023 - vs. Western New Mexico (11)
4-7 INTs: Sept. 29, 2018 vs. Simon Fraser (7)
3 INTs: Oct. 22, 2022 vs. Eastern New Mexico
5+ sacks: Nov. 5, 2022 vs. Simon Fraser (5)

INDIVIDUAL
Passing

400+ yards: Nov. 1, 2014 - Ryan Bergman (403) at #24 Azusa Pacific
300+ yards: Sept. 24, 2022 - Gannon Winker (367) vs. UT Permian Basin
60+ passing attempts: Sept. 6, 2014 - Ryan Bergman (61) at Portland State
50+ passing attempts: Sept. 23, 2017 - Nick Duckworth (50) vs. Humboldt State
30+ completions: Sept. 11, 2021 - Ryan Worthley (30) at Texas A&M-Kingsville
6 TD passes: Oct. 7, 2017 - Nick Duckworth at Simon Fraser
5 TD passes: Oct. 27, 2007 - Mark Thorson at Western Washington
4 TD passes: Oct. 19, 2019 - Ty Currie vs. Central Washington
3 TD passes: Sept. 30, 2023 - Gannon Winker at West Texas A&M
400+ total offense: Sept. 24, 2022 - Gannon Winker (402) vs. UT Permian Basin

Receiving

200+ yards: Oct. 8, 2016 - Paul Revis (250*) vs. Simon Fraser
150+ yards: Sept. 23, 2017 - Paul Revis (176) vs. Humboldt State
100+ yards: Oct. 28, 2023 - Brenden Hodge (139) at UT Permian Basin
10+ & 15+ receptions: Sept. 23, 2017 - Paul Revis (15) vs. Humboldt State
4 TD receptions: 1957 - Wyman Gernhart vs. Lower Columbia
3 TD receptions: Oct. 7, 2017 - Paul Revis vs. Simon Fraser

Rushing

300+ yards: 1994 - Bill Volk (315*) vs. Eastern Oregon
200+ yards: Sept. 16, 2023 - Dominique Loggins (209) vs. Eastern New Mexico
100+ yards: Sept. 14, 2024 - Dominique Loggins (100) at Cal Poly
40+ attempts: 1994 - Bill Volk (42) vs. Eastern Oregon
30+ attempts: Sept. 30, 2023 - Dominique Loggins (32) at West Texas A&M
5 rushing TDs: 1978 - Doug Lulay vs. Oregon Tech*
4 rushing TDs: Nov. 16, 2002 - Ivan McCrae vs. Humboldt State
3 rushing TDs: Sept. 16, 2023 - Austin Bacher at Eastern New Mexico

Defense

4 INTs: 1966 - Dave Sturgis vs. George Fox
3 INTs: Nov. 5, 2005 - Bret Hughes at Western Washington
2 INTs Oct. 22, 2022 - Joey Sinclair vs. Eastern New Mexico
20+ tackles: Sept. 16, 2000 - Dave Morrill (21*) vs. Carson-Newman
15+ tackles: Nov. 11, 2018 - Bo Highburger (18) at Eastern New Mexico
10+ tackles: Sept. 23, 2023 - Isaiah Abraham (10) vs. Central Washington
4 sacks: Sept. 6, 2006 - Anthony Marin at Linfield
3 sacks: Nov. 13, 2021 - Jaylin Parnell vs. Lincoln (CA)
2.5 sacks: Nov. 12, 2022 - L.J. Lovelance at Texas A&M-Kingsville

Special Teams

5 FG: Oct. 14, 2006 - Bruce Voges at Central Washington
4 FG: Oct. 22, 2011 - Kelly Morgan vs. Humboldt State
3 FG: Sept. 9, 2023 - Charlie Shulkin vs. Lincoln (CA)

PLAYS
Overall

100+ yards: Oct. 14, 2005 - Jamil Wynn (102*) vs. Western Washington (PAT INT)
90-99 yards: Oct. 5, 2019 - Ty Currie to Omari Dixon Land (90) vs. Simon Fraser
80-89 yards: Sept. 17, 2022 - Omari Land-Dixon (85 rush) at Western N.M.
70-79 yards: Sept. 16, 2023 - Dominique Loggins (79 rush) vs. Eastern N.M.

Passing

90+ yards: Oct. 5, 2019 - Ty Currie to Omari Dixon Land (90) vs. Simon Fraser
80-89 yards: Oct. 18, 2014 - Ryan Bergman to Tyrell Williams (89) vs. CWU
70-79 yards: Oct. 28, 2023 - Jordan McCarty to Brenden Hodge (74) vs. UTPB

Rushing

90+ yards: 1975 - Greg Shewbert vs. Western Washington (93*)
80+ yards: Sept. 17, 2022 - Omari Land-Dixon (85) at Western N.M.
70+ yards: Sept. 16, 2023 - Dominique Loggins (79) vs. Eastern New Mexico

Kickoff Return

For TD: Oct. 5, 2013 - Patrick Tepea vs Azusa Pacific (90) - 106 games since last
90+ yards: Oct. 5, 2013 - Patrick Tepea vs Azusa Pacific (90)
80-89 yards: Sept. 10, 2011 - Adryan Allen (86 - TD) at Simon Fraser
70-79 yards: Sept. 3, 2016 - Steven Long (75) at Sacramento State

Punt Return