#22/14 Western Oregon at Colorado School of Mines
Alumni Field at Marv Kay Stadium // Golden Colorado
Saturday // 11 a.m. (PT)
[RMAC Network PPV] [Pregame Show] [Live Stats]
MONMOUTH, Ore. --- The 22nd-ranked Western Oregon football team looks to build off of last season's success and has a chance to make an early statement as the Wolves hit the road to take on traditional RMAC power Colorado School of Mines 11 a.m. Saturday in Golden, Colorado.
WOU just missed a Lone Star Conference title last season after going 8-3 overall and 7-2 in LSC play. The Wolves fell in a winner-take-all matchup with rival Central Washington in the season finale on the final play of the game - falling 19-17. The Wolves weren't selected to the NCAA postseason, with UT Permian Basin (who WOU beat and had the same record as) getting the nod with CWU.
WOU is led by 2025 Lone Star Conference Coach of the Year
Arne Ferguson as he enters his 22nd year as head coach with a 117-99 record. He's also entering his 41st year in the program - starting with his days as a player from 1985-88 where he was a three-time all-conference player.
HEADING INTO 2026
The Wolves, who are also ranked No. 14 in the D2Football.com Preseason Poll, return eight of 11 starters on offense and five of 11 on defense heading into the season.
OFFENSE
Offensively, quarterback
Jordan McCarty returns and was named the 2026 LSC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year. The senior threw for 1,521 yards and 12 touchdowns last season while running for another 507 yards and six scores.
Also returning is All-LSC First Team running back
Jermaine Land after the senior rushed for 578 yards and four touchdowns. In fact, the top five rushers for WOU return in Land, McCarty,
Terayon Sweet (335 yards, 3 TD),
Tyler Konold (189 yards, 3 TD) and
Carson Workman (184 yards, 7 TD - he also had 158 yards receiving and a score).
Those back holes opened up by familiar teammates this season as the Wolves return four of five of their starting offensive line - including sophomore
Kameron Splonski who earned All-LSC Second Team honors as a freshman and senior center
Nick Weber, who was named All-LSC Honorable Mention.
WOU lost its top two pass catchers from last season with the next top two pass catchers back in junior
Cyris Taylor (13 catches, 167 yards, 2 TD) and senior
Jaylen Fite (13 catches, 159 yards).
DEFENSE
The Wolves have more holes to fill defensively with six starters leaving - including much of their linebacker corps.
WOU does return a pair of All-LSC Second Team defensive linemen in senior tackle
Nijawn Sterling (44 tackles, 3.0 sacks) and senior end
LJ Imo (41 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 13 quarterback hurries).
In the secondary, WOU returns All-LSC Honorable Mention safety
Malik Ross as the senior had 38 tackles and four interceptions last year. Though he didn't play in 2025, 2024 all-region cornerback
Andrew Simpson returns as well after having 34 tackles, six interceptions and 12 pass breakups in two seasons ago.
Three of the four Wolves linebackers will be new starters as only sophomore
Elijah Pula returns and he'll move from outside to inside after racking up 33 tackles (8.5 for loss), two sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery as a freshman.
ABOUT COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES
The Orediggers are coming off a 7-4 campaign last season and a 5-4 mark in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play - though CSM is just three seasons off a national runner-up finish in 2023.
CSM is picked to finish third in the RMAC this season according to its preseason poll, behind nationally ranked CSU Pueblo (No. 6) and Western Colorado (No. 11 - which beat LSC foe West Texas A&M on the road 52-21 on Thursday).
Mines has three players earn All-RMAC preseason honors in running back Max Barnes (654 rushing yards, 5 TDs), wide receiver Pierce Richards (56 catches, 553 yards, 7 TDs) and tight end Blake Smotherman (21 caches, 218 yards, 3 TDs).
The Orediggers also return All-American punter Lucas LeSieur, long-snapper Josh Hildebrand and All-RMAC kicker Preston Lyle.
WOU VS. CSM HISTORY
The Wolves and Orediggers have played twice all-time, last playing Sept. 2, 2021 in Golden with CSM winning 42-3. The other matchup came Dec. 1, 2007, in St. George, Utah, in the Dixie Rotary Bowl.
