Oct. 13, 2003

BELLINGHAM, Wash. -

THIS WEEK: Western Washington University Vikings (1-5) vs. UC Davis Aggies (3-2) at Toomey Field (grass - 10,111 capacity) in Davis, Calif., on Sat., Oct. 18, at 1 p.m., in a non-conference contest.

Off to its worst start since 1983, Western was beaten 48-17 at Northern Colorado last week. The previous Saturday, the Vikings lost 29-20 to arch-rival Central Washington in the first "Battle in Seattle" before a crowd of 16,392, the largest to see a small college football game in the state of Washington.

Western's only win of the season came on Sept. 27, a 42-35 overtime decision at home over NCAA Division I-AA independent Saint Mary's CA after trailing by 21 points in the first half.

The Vikings opened the season with three losses, two of them to teams ranked nationally in the American Football Coaches Association/NCAA II Top 25. They fell in their season and home opener on Sept. 4, 44-27 to No.8 St. Cloud State MN. That was followed by two road setbacks, 23-20 in overtime at Western Oregon on Sept. 13 and 52-28 at No.19 Nebraska-Omaha on Sept. 20 (tied 28-all at halftime).

Western ends its campaign with three Great Northwest Athletic Conference games, beginning with Central at home on Oct. 25 (1 p.m.) in the eighth annual Cascade Cup contest and the Vikings' annual Homecoming and Hall of Fame game.

UC Davis began a two-game home stand last Saturday with a 27-7 win over Western Oregon. The Aggies, who like Northern Colorado, are in the first of a four-year transition from NCAA II to NCAA I-AA.

UC Davis opened its season at home against NCAA II No.1-ranked Grand Valley State MI and lost 9-6 in overtime. The Aggies then won two of three straight road games, bouncing back with a 23-14 win over No.20 North Dakota State, losing 34-32 to Texas State-San Marcos and defeating Sacramento State 31-27.

Western finished 6-4 last year, extending its school-record string of non-losing seasons to 12 (previous best was six). Its second-place finish in the GNAC snapped a string of three straight league titles for the Vikings, who had won five conference championships in seven years.

UC Davis, which holds NCAA II records for playoff appearances (17) and consecutive winning seasons (33), finished 9-3 last season and reached the playoff quarterfinals. It was the seventh straight post-season appearance for the Aggies, a school record.

SERIES HISTORY: Seventh meeting. UC Davis has won all six previous confrontations, the last three all decided by eight or fewer points (14-7 at Bellingham in 2002, 40-32 at Davis in 2001 and 35-28 at Bellingham in 2000. In fact, just one game has had a point spread of more than nine.

RADIO: KBAI (930 AM-Bellingham) is broadcasting all Western football games live this season with sports director Doug Lange handling the play-by-play duties for the eighth consecutive season. Providing the color commentary for the sixth straight year is former Viking quarterback Jason Stiles. The pre-game show, hosted by Mark Scholten, begins at 12:35 p.m. The KBAI broadcast can be picked up via the Internet at wwuvikings.com.

2002 RESULTS: Western finished 6-4 and placed second in the GNAC standings (2-1).

UC Davis was 9-3 and reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA II national playoffs. It was a sixth straight post-season appearance for the Aggies, a school record, and extended their NCAA II records for playoff appearances and consecutive winning seasons to 17 and 33, respectively.

WESTERN REPORT: With four games left in the season, the Vikings find themselves in unfamiliar territory. Western's 1-5 start is the worst since 1983, and the Vikings need to win out to extend the school's streak of non-losing seasons to 13.

A handful of stats give some indication of what's happened. Perhaps the biggest factor has been turnovers. The Vikings, who have had a positive turnover-takeaway ratio in 12 straight seasons, are a stunning minus-17. Western has committed 21 turnovers, with at least three in each of the last five games after an error-free opener. The other difficulty has been on defense, where Western is giving up 441.0 yards a contest and has forced just four turnovers.

But despite the difficulties, there have been bright spots. The Vikings are averaging 403.8 yards of offense a contest and are seventh among the top passing teams in NCAA II at 307.0 yards a game. Junior Steve Nichols, who saw most of the action last week, has completed 75-of-141 passes for 1,051 yards with 10 touchdowns and three interceptions. Senior Josh Shimek has also seen extensive time, completing 61-of-112 passes for 791 yards with five scores and six interceptions.

The big weapon in Western's offense is sophomore wide receiver Andy Olson, who has 44 receptions for 865 yards and eight touchdowns. (For more on Olson, see "Olson catching on'' below.) Senior slotback Nate Kuhns, who missed last week's game with a virus, has 19 catches for 164 yards and one score.

Sophomore Duncan Sherrard has rushed for 383 yards and two scores on 98 carries, and has added 86 yards and two touchdowns on 10 receptions. Jake Carlyle, another sophomore, has rushed 47 times for 178 yards and three touchdowns. They run behind an offensive line led by senior guard Jon Pagan.

On defense, junior strong safety Rob White, the lone returning starter in the secondary, has a team-high 62 tackles and one of Western's two interceptions. He ranks among the top 10 nationally in both tackles (ninth) and solo stops (fifth).

The linebacking corps starts three seniors, with middle linebacker Lann Olson being second on the team in tackles with 53, and leads the Vikings in tackles for loss (9) and sacks (3). Olson had a team-high nine tackles, including a sack, last week. Outside linebacker Jesse Looker has 40 stops.

On the defensive line, sophomore end Joey Joshua has 36 tackles, with 6.5 behind the line of scrimmage, and also has a team-best four passes broken up.

Junior Michael Koenen, a consensus NCAA II All-America punter last year, handles all kicking duties for Western. Koenen is averaging 42.5 yards a punt, with a 47.8 average over the last two weeks, and has sent 13 kickoffs for touchbacks. He is 17-of-18 on extra points, but just 5-of-11 on field goals, although he has had just one attempt of less than 40 yards.

OLSON CATCHING ON: Sophomore wide receiver Andy Olson is putting together an amazing season for Western. He is ranked among the NCAA II national leaders in five categories with 44 receptions for 865 yards and eight touchdowns, as well as being the team leader in average yards per catch (19.7). Extended over the full season, all four marks would be just short of school records.

Olson's already tied one school mark by having touchdown catches in seven consecutive games, a streak that began in last year's season-ending contest against UC Davis. He is second nationally in receiving yards per game (144.2), fifth in receptions per game (7.3), ninth in all-purpose yards per game (164.7), 20th in punt returns (13.7) and 34th in scoring (8.0).

In the three games prior to last week's loss at Northern Colorado, Olson had 27 receptions for 546 yards and four touchdowns, and posted three of the top 15 receiving yardage performances in school history, having seven catches for 182 yards and two touchdowns at Nebraska-Omaha, making 11 grabs for 199 yards and a score against Saint Mary's, and nabbing nine receptions for 160 yards and a touchdown against Central Washington. He has four 100-receiving games out of the six contests this season.

This season, Olson has twice garnered GNAC Offensive Player of the Week and honorable mention D2Football.com Player of the Week accolades.

UC DAVIS REPORT: UC Davis, which has a streak of 33 consecutive winning seasons and has made 17 NCAA II post-season appearances, is in the first year of a four-year transition to NCAA I-AA, meaning its current string of seven national playoff appearances will come to an end.

The Aggies are 3-2 overall, but their success has been less a product of the traditionally high-powered offense that has sent a number of quarterbacks to professional football than of a stingy defense that is allowing 18.2 points a game and has held four of five opponents under 300 yards of offense, last week limiting Western Oregon to just 97 yards and eight first downs, including just one first down in the second half.

Leading the UC Davis defense, which starts seven seniors, is senior linebacker Kelly Valaau, who has a team-best 38 tackles, including three for loss. Senior end Aaron Latzke has 29 stops, and sophomore end Pila Patukala has a team-leading seven tackles for loss.

Senior linebacker Justin Patterson has five defensive touchdowns during his career, two interception returns and three fumble returns.

In the secondary, senior safety Ejiro Evero has 28 tackles and has forced two fumbles, and junior cornerback Angelo Caffese has a team-high seven passes broken up.

Senior quarterback Ryan Flanagan, who has thrown for more than 3,800 career yards, started the first four games, completing 60-of-116 passes for 698 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions, but missed last week's game with an injury. Sophomore Jon Barragan started against Western Oregon, throwing for 152 yards. Their leading target is junior wide receiver Kevin Freeman, who has 19 receptions for 251 yards. Sophomore tight end Daniel Fells has 10 catches for 183 yards with two touchdowns, the Aggies' only scoring tosses of the season.

Senior running back Antar Mahasin has rushed for team-bests of 320 yards and seven touchdowns on 77 carries, and sophomore O.J. Swanigan, who rushed for 178 yards against Western last year, has seen almost as much work, rushing 70 times for 315 yards and two scores. They run behind an offensive line led by senior guard Forest Vance. Vance, who was born in Bellingham, has started every game since the beginning of the 2000 season and earned first-team All-America honors last year from D2football.com.

Junior placekicker Dusty Apocotos is 10-of-13 on field goals, including a perfect 7-of-7 inside 40 yards, and has made 9-of-11 extra points. Junior punter Chris Shibel is averaging 40.5 yards an attempt.

UC Davis is 24-3 during the regular season at Toomey Field since the start of the 1998 season and 25-6 overall.

NOTES: Going back to last season, the Vikings have won just twice in their last nine games, both victories coming in overtime ... Western has had 21 turnovers in its last five games, having at least three in every contest ... UC Davis is the Vikings' third I-AA opponent this season. The other two were Saint Mary's CA and Northern Colorado ... Cornerback Bryan Jarrett and free safety Justin Coronado are the first true freshmen to see action for Western since Nate Kuhns did so in 2000. Jarrett, who is starting, has 11 tackles and two pass breakups, and blocked a potential game-winning field goal in the dying seconds of regulation at Western Oregon ... Western had six turnovers against Western Oregon. The last time the Vikings did that was Nov. 8, 1997 in a 36-22 loss at Central ... Western has had eight overtime games in its history, including two each in 1997, 2002 and this season.

TURNOVER/TAKEAWAY: Western, which was a plus 107 in turnover/takeaway ratio (207 to 314) over the previous12 seasons, is minus-17 this year (21 to 4). The last time the Vikings finished with a negative total was in 1991.

INJURY REPORT: Starting offensive guard Todd Gowing, who has missed the last two games with an ankle injury, is expected to return this week as is defensive end Derek Noble. Wide receiver Nate Kuhns is out indefinitely with a virus.

WESTERN NATIONAL STATS RANKINGS: Western wide receiver Andy Olson is ranked nationally in five categories, including No.2 in receiving yards, and the Vikings are seventh in team passing offense in this week's NCAA Division II football statistical report. Olson is averaging 144.2 receiving yards per game. He is fifth in receptions per game (7.3), ninth in all-purpose yards per game (164.7), 20th in punt returns (13.7) and 34th in scoring (8.0). Western is averaging 307.0 yards through the air and ranks 35th in total offense (403.8). Strong safety Rob White is fifth in solo tackles (6.7) and 25th in tackles (10.3), and Michael Koenen is 11th in punting (42.5).

TOUGH SCHEDULE: Smith calls Western's 2003 schedule "the most challenging" in school history. The Vikings play three NCAA I-AA schools, two of which, UC Davis and Northern Colorado, are beginning their first year of provisional status after being longtime NCAA II powers. There are two games against teams from the rugged North Central Conference, St. Cloud State and Nebraska-Omaha. As well, the Vikings have two regular-season matchups with archrival Central Washington, which was 11-1 last year.

KOENEN NAMED TO FOUR PRESEASON A-A TEAMS: Junior Michael Koenen was named to four preseason All-America teams as a punter, being honored by Street & Smith, Don Hansen's Football Gazette, Lindy's Football Annuals and D2Football.com. He was a first-team Daktronics, D2Football.com and Football Gazette All-American last fall, and second-team Associated Press Little All-America. Koenen led DII in punting with school-record 44.9 average. He also holds school marks for longest punt (73 yards), longest field goal (54 yards), consecutive field goals (8), and consecutive PAT conversions (40). Koenen ranks No.8 among school's career scoring leaders with 175 points, converting 94-99 PATs and 27-48 field goals.

MILESTONES: Rob Smith needs four wins to become the first coach in Western history to reach 100. Only two four-year collegiate coaches have reached that figure while coaching in the state of Washington, those being Frosty Westering at Pacific Lutheran (251) and Don James at Washington (153). Smith currently ranks fourth, with Washington's Jim Owens third with 99.

COACHES: Rob Smith (Washington, 1981) is in his 15th year as head coach and his victory total (96-51-1) and winning percentage of 65.2 are the best in Western history. Smith has directed the Vikings to their only five national playoff berths in 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1999, and guided them to their best regular-season (No.1, 1995) and final (No.1, 1995) national rankings. He was named GNAC Coach of the Year in 2001, Columbia Football Association Coach of the Year in 1989, 1995, 1996, 1999 and 2000, and American Football Coaches Association College Division Region V Coach of the Year in 1995 and 1996.

Bob Biggs (UC Davis, 1973) is in his 11th year as head coach and 25th season overall at UC Davis. He was named AFCA West Region Coach of the Year in 2001 for the second time in his career. Biggs played quarterback for the Aggies and was the NCAA II national passing leader in 1972.

NEXT WEEK: Western returns home to host Central Washington on Sat., Oct. 25 (1 p.m.) in the eighth annual Cascade Cup game between the two arch-rivals and its Great Northwest Athletic Conference opener. It is also Western's annual Homecoming and Hall of Fame game.

WEBSITE: For the latest results, statistics and updates, including reports on all Western athletic events, visit the Vikings website at wwuvikings.com.

LAST WEEK AGAINST NORTHERN COLORADO: Running back Adam Matthews and wide receiver Vincent Jackson each contributed over 200 all-purpose yards, helping Northern Colorado defeat Western, 48-17, at Greeley, Colo.

UNC, in its first of a five-year transition from NCAA Division II to I-AA and an NCAA II semifinalist last season, improved to 5-1 with its 13th consecutive home victory.

Matthews ran for 158 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries, his sixth consecutive 100-yard rushing game, and added a 51-yard touchdown catch. Jackson had seven receptions for 205 yards and two scores, giving him a school-record 13 touchdown receptions on the season.

The Bears scored on their first three possessions. Jackson opened the scoring, taking a short pass over the middle from quarterback Tony Christensen and going 72 yards for a touchdown After a 33-yard field goal from Justin Zaitz, Matthews took a screen pass from Christensen and went 51 yards to make the score 17-0 at the end of the first quarter.

Early in the second quarter, a Western fumble gave UNC the ball on the Viking 14, and Matthews carried three straight times, finally scoring from 2 yards.

Western then put together its only scoring drive of the first half, moving 36 yards in 10 plays after a 41-yard kickoff return by Matt Wilson to set up a 40-yard field goal by Michael Koenen, but UNC responded by going 80 yards in just two plays, a 46-yard pass to Jackson and a 34-yard touchdown run by Matthews, giving the Bears a 31-3 lead at halftime.

UNC, which entered the game averaging 39.6 points and 446.0 yards a contest, reached its scoring average early in the third quarter, as Jackson caught a 26-yard pass from Christensen and Zaitz added a 42-yard field goal on the following series to make the score 41-3.

Christensen was 14-of-23 passing for 341 yards and three touchdowns as the Bears held a 536-300 edge in total offense.

The Vikings did score on consecutive possessions in the second half, as quarterback Steve Nichols threw scoring passes of 15 yards to Kevin Cooley late in the third quarter and 8 yards to Andy Olson four minutes into the fourth period.

Nichols completed 17-of-37 passes for 188 yards. Olson had six catches for 73 yards. UNC closed the scoring midway through the fourth quarter, as defensive end Tommy Cook picked up a bobbled snap and ran 41 yards for a touchdown.

Western committed four turnovers, three of them in the fourth quarter. The Vikings have 21 turnovers in last five games, having at least 3 in each contest, and have a minus-17 turnover ratio on the season.

Koenen's field goal and two extra points give him 173 career points, moving him into eighth in Western history. He also averaged 47.6 yards on five punts, and sent two kickoffs for touchbacks.

LAST MEETING WITH UC DAVIS: Nationally ranked UC Davis rushed for 336 yards and threw just nine passes in defeating Western, 14-7, in a game played in blustery conditions at Bellingham's Civic Stadium on Nov. 16, 2002.

Western scored its only touchdown of the game on a 58-yard pass from Josh Shimek to Andy Olson midway through the fourth quarter.

The Aggies, ranked No.14 nationally and No.4 in the West Region, improved to 8-2.

UC Davis had two rushers go over 100 yards for fifth time in school history despite losing starting running back Matt Massari to a quad bruise in the first quarter. O.J. Swanigan rushed for 178 yards on 31 carries and Elihu Vann added 130 on 22 rushes, and each scored a second-quarter touchdown.

Swanigan scored on a 1-yard run on the first play of the period, a touchdown set up by a 69-yard pass from Ryan Flanigan to Michael Oliva. Vann scored on a 4-yard run midway through the period that capped a nine-play, 58-yard drive.

Western had six first downs in the opening quarter, but didn't get another until the final two minutes of the third quarter. The Vikings then took their final drive of the third period into the fourth quarter, reaching the Aggie 14 before quarterback Steve Nichols was stripped of the ball by A.J. Avila. Nichols injured his right knee on the play and didn't return.

The Vikings finally got on the scoreboard with 7:29 left on a two-play, 80-yard drive. Shimek completed a 22-yard pass to Greg Dykstra, to open the possession, then hit Olson on a crossing pattern. Olson then slipped two tackles and charged down the left sideline for the touchdown.

Western had two possessions after that, but was unable to get a first down on either series, and the Aggies ran the final 88 seconds of the clock out.

Nichols completed 13-of-27 passes for 91 yards before leaving the game. Shimek was 2-of-9 for 80 yards. The Vikings were held to a season-low 176 yards of offense, including minus-6 rushing.

Dykstra had five catches for 61 yards and claimed the school record for consecutive games with a reception all to himself at 38. He finished his four-year career with a school-record 181 catches and was second in receiving yardage at 2,689.

The game was played in a steady 20-mile-per-hour east wind that sometimes gusted to 35, and with intermittent heavy rain showers.

HEAD COACH Rob Smith ON ...:

... NORTHERN COLORADO

"We were outplayed in every phase by a much better football team. They are probably the most physically impressive team I've seen in 15 years, maybe with the exception of Montana, but I would put them right there with Montana. A very physical football team with very good athletes, and a receiver that we just had no answer for in terms of matchups. You can see why they've had so much success in Division II, and why they'll have success as a I-AA program."

... INJURIES

"We're down at certain positions. It started early on with (cornerback) Ocie Moore, a starter going down two days before the opener, and it has really just continued. At the receiver positions we're very, very thin - as thin as I can ever remember being. But that's something that you have to deal with, that you have to find a way to overcome, and still get the job done."

... UC DAVIS

"They are a solid football team. They went to overtime with Grand Valley State, which is the best in Division II. They beat a much improved Sacramento State team, and really throttled Western Oregon last week. And they beat North Dakota State a week after North Dakota State beat Montana. So, their scores may not be as impressive, but they are every bit the same caliber of UC Davis team that we've faced in previous years."

... FOCUS

"Our focus is on ourselves and UC Davis. We've been our own worst enemy so many times this year. We've got to stop either beating ourselves or putting ourselves in very difficult situations. And against the level of competition that we've played, you just can't do that. So, our focus is on finding ways to eliminate our own mistakes and improve, and then on UC Davis."

PROBABLE TWO DEEPS

WESTERN WASHINGTON

OFFENSE

TE  82  Rick Carte (6-4, 240, **Jr., Juneau, AK/Juneau-Douglas)    13  Nick Yoney (6-4, 225, So., Arlington, WA/Arlington)ST  79  Justin Simpson (6-5, 310, So., Kennewick, WA/Kamiakin)    70  Brandon Torrey (6-3, 270, R-Fr., Graham, WA/Bethel)SG  62  Jon Pagan (6-5, 260, *Sr., Los Angeles, CA/El Segundo)    56  Jeff DeBuigne (6-5, 300, *So., Kennewick, WA/Kamiakin)C   53  Loren Winter (6-2, 250, *So., Bothell, WA/Juanita)    57  Lincoln Stalnaker (6-2, 225, *Sr., Flagstaff, AZ/Coconino)QG  67  Peter Van Datta (6-2, 265, R-Fr., Bremerton, WA/Central Kitsap)    73  Todd Gowing (6-3, 265, **Jr., Kirkland, WA/Inglemoor)QT  72  Geoff Hise (6-2, 255, *Jr., Snoqualmie, WA (Mount Si)    65  Jason Day (6-5, 250, **Jr., Tonasket, WA)SB   2  Jason Barton (5-9, 175, *So., Gig Harbor, WA/Gig Harbor)     8  Nate Kuhns (5-11, 190, ***Sr., Yakima, WA/Eisenhower)WR   5  James Laurence (6-4, 225, T-Jr., Kent, WA/Kent-Meridian)     9  Matt Wilson (5-11, 180, R-Fr., Auburn, WA/Auburn)WR   1  Andy Olson (6-3, 210, *So., Chehalis, WA/W.F.West)    83  Brett Upchurch (6-1, 170, R-Fr., Sammamish, WA/Eastlake)RB  29  Duncan Sherrard (6-0, 195, *So., Seattle, WA/Roosevelt)    27  Jake Carlyle (5-7, 190, So., Olympia, WA/Capital)FB  26  Nyle Chambers (6-1, 220, ***Sr., Sumner, WA/Sumner)    98  Joe Casillas (6-3, 220, So., Phoenix, AZ/Arcadia)QB  14  Steve Nichols (6-1, 205, **Jr., Stevenson, WA/Stevenson)    11  Josh Shimek (6-4, 205, **Sr., Pasco, WA/Pasco)
DEFENSE
E   85  Joey Joshua (6-4, 220, *So., Ferndale, WA/Ferndale)    54  Aaron Dahl (6-1, 235, *So., Gig Harbor, WA/Gig Harbor)N   99  Brad Mann (6-3, 285, **Sr., Redmond, WA/Lake Washington)    71  Andy Thompson (6-4, 300, T-Jr., Milan, IN/Milan)T   93  Nick Ball (6-1, 270, **Sr., Olympia, WA/Olympia)    97  Nicholas Buck (6-3, 245, R-Fr., Kent, WA/Seattle Christian/Kentridge)E   95  JeVarian Gamble (6-2, 270, ***Sr., Lynnwood, WA/Lynnwood)    36  Derek Noble (6-1, 215, **Sr., Bellevue, WA/Newport)ROV 28  Jesse Looker (5-10, 210, **Sr., Puyallup, WA/Puyallup)    38  Taylor Hutton (5-11, 205, ***Sr., Salado, TX (Salado)MLB 33  Lann Olson (6-0, 215, ***Sr., Chehalis, WA/W.F.West)    46  Adam Klingenberg (5-11, 215, *So., Walla Walla, WA/Walla Walla)OLB 51  Brett Thompson (6-0, 230, ***Sr., Auburn, WA/Auburn-Riverside)    43  Jeff Parks (6-3, 205, T-Fr., Graham, WA/Bethel)LCB 87  Bryan Jarrett (6-0, 180, Fr., Puyallup, WA/Puyallup)    15  John Shields (5-11, 190, T-Jr., Spanaway, WA/Bethel)RCB  4  Sly Whitfield Jr. (5-8, 160, R-Fr., Seattle, WA/Garfield)    42  Brett Hall (5-8, 175, *So., Kennewick, WA/Kennewick)SS  40  Rob White (6-1, 215, **Jr., Woodinville, WA/Inglemoor)    10  Darrius Tuggle (5-10, 185, R-Fr., Spanaway, WA/Spanaway Lake)FS  34  Shane Keck (5-9, 190, Sr., Everett, WA/Mariner)    98  Justin Coronado (5-10, 180, Fr., Walla Walla, WA/Walla Walla)
SPECIAL
K   19  Michael Koenen (5-11, 185, **Jr., Ferndale, WA/Ferndale)    37  Pat Mutzel (6-1, 205, R-Fr., Bellevue, WA/Bellevue)P   19  Michael Koenen (5-11, 185, **Jr., Ferndale, WA/Ferndale)    37  Pat Mutzel (6-1, 205, R-Fr., Bellevue, WA/Bellevue)H   14  Steve Nichols (6-1, 205, **Jr., Stevenson, WA/Stevenson)    11  Josh Shimek (6-4, 205, **Sr., Pasco, WA/Pasco)LS  56  Jeff DeBuigne (6-5, 300, *So., Kennewick, WA/Kamiakin)    13  Nick Yoney (6-4, 225, So., Arlington, WA/Arlington)PR   1  Andy Olson (6-3, 210, *So., Chehalis, WA/W.F.West)     2  Jason Barton (5-9, 175, *So., Gig Harbor, WA/Gig Harbor)KR  27  Jake Carlyle (5-7, 190, So., Olympia, WA/Capital)     9  Matt Wilson (5-11, 180, R-Fr., Auburn, WA/Auburn)*denotes letters won
UC DAVIS
OFFENSE
TE  87  Daniel Fells  (6-3, 225, So., Fullerton, CA/Fullerton)    84  Aaron Hines  (6-5, 240, So., Pacifica, CA/Saint Ignatius College Prep)    83  Nolan de Graaff (6-3, 220, So., Granite Bay, CA/Granite Bay)LT  68  Cory Lekkerkerker (6-6, 315, Jr., Chino, CA/Damien)    78  Kyle Skierski (6-5, 255, Fr., Trabuco Canyon, CA/Santa Margarita)LG  74  Eric Troglia (6-4, 315, Sr., Stockton, CA/Bear Creek)    79  Jeff Anderson (6-1, 290, Jr., Orange, CA/Villa Park)C   58  Marc Manfredda (6-3, 300, Jr., Eureka, CA/St. Bernard)    64  Michael Wolfson (6-2, 290, T-Jr., Long Beach, CA/Banning)RG  76  Forest Vance (6-5, 302, Sr., Meadow Vista, CA/Colfax)    79  Jeff Anderson (6-1, 290, Jr., Orange, CA/Villa Park)RT  71  Brad Lekkerkerker (6-7, 330, Sr., Chino, CA/Damien)    67  Elliot Vallejo (6-7, 290, Fr., Salinas, CA/Palma)QB  15  Ryan Flanigan (6-5, 215, Jr., Carmichael, CA/Rio Americano)     4  Jon Barragan (5-10, 165, Sr., San Jose, CA/Oak Grove)RB  13  O.J. Swanigan (5-7, 172, So., Elk Grove, CA/Laguna Creek)    35  Antar Mahasin (5-8, 195, Sr., Daly City, CA/Jefferson)WR   6  Kevin Freeman  (5-8, 167, Jr., Oceanside, CA/Oceanside)    81  Mo Mortazavi (5-10, 165, Sr., San Rafael, CA/Redwood)WR  85  Tony Kays (6-1, 180, R-Fr., Elk Grove, CA/Elk Grove)    10  Billy Zeier (6-2, 200, Sr., Point Richmond, CA/Albany)WR   5  Jesse Oliva (5-10, 180, Jr., Tuolumne, CA/Summerville)     3  Aaron Plunkett (5-10, 165, Jr., Chico, CA/Chico)    19  Brandon Gilmore (6-2, 190, T-Jr., Alta Loma, CA/Etiwanda)
DEFENSE
LE  62  Aaron Latzke (6-3, 240, Sr., Santa Cruz, CA/Bellarmine)    99  Kent Sheridan (6-4, 240, Jr., Grass Valley, CA/Bear River)LT  47  John Downs (6-5, 260, Sr., Republic, MO/Parkview)    59  Matthew Ngwun (6-2, 280, Fr., Torrance, CA/Torrance)RT  66  Daniel Kim (6-3, 275, Sr., Tres Pinos, CA/Fremont)    52  Chris Jones (6-1, 255, Sr., Stockton, CA/St. Mary's)RE  91  Jake Mossawir (6-3, 250, Jr., San Jose, CA/Bellarmine Prep)    66  Tyler Birkley (6-3, 230, Fr., Modesto, CA/De La Salle)SLB 27  Tom Parisi (6-1, 218, Jr., Rocklin, CA/Rocklin)    28  Lewis Burkhart (6-1, 235, Jr., Lake Oswego, OR/Lakeridge)MLB 42  Kelly Valaau (5-10, 220, Sr., Paso Robles, CA (Paso Robles)    23  Dan Elbanna (5-11, 210, So., Walnut Creek, CA (Las Lomas)WLB 20  Justin Patterson (5-11, 210, Sr., Santa Ana, CA/Mater Dei)    55  Clayton O'Kane (6-2, 200, Fr., Alrodena, CA/St. Francis)LCB 24  Michael Penna (6-1, 280, Sr., Aptos, CA/Aptos)    26  Nevan Bergan (5-10, 168, Jr., San Diego, CA/Hoover)FS   8  Ejiro Evero (6-0, 195, Sr. Rancho Cucamonga/Alto Loma)    30  Jonathan Barsi (6-0, 195, R-Fr., Los Altos, CA/St. Francis)SS  31  A.J. Avila (6-3, 210, Sr., Seaside, CA/Seaside)    19  Dan Reece (5-11, 200, Jr., Paso Robles, CA/Paso Robles)    17  Luis Amaral (6-3, 200, R-Fr., Salinas, CA/Palma)RCB 32  Angelo Caffese (5-8, 160, Jr., Lod, CA/Tokay)     7  Jashaun McCowan (5-8, 162, Jr., Oxnard, CA/Oxnard)
SPECIAL
PK  69  Dusty Apocotos (6-1, 195, Jr., S. Lake Tahoe, CA/Whittell)H   51  Chris Shibel (6-3, 215, Jr., Los Angeles, CA/Notre Dame)Punt51  Chris Shibel (6-3, 215, Jr., Los Angeles, CA/Notre Dame)PR   5  Jesse Oliva (5-10, 180, Jr., Tuolumne, CA/Summerville)    80  Aaron Plunkett (5-10, 165, Jr., Chico, CA/Chico)KR   6  Kevin Freeman  (5-8, 167, Jr., Oceanside, CA/Oceanside)    80  Aaron Plunkett (5-10, 165, Jr., Chico, CA/Chico)     9  Ryan Ramey (6-2, 190, So., Alta, Loma, CA/Etiwanda)LS  45  Ryan Payne (6-0, 215, So., Sonoma, CA/Sonoma Valley)
LAST WEEK'S STATS:
Western Washington vs. Northern ColoradoOct. 11, 2003 - 12 noon - Nottingham Field - Greeley, Colo.
SCORING SUMMARYWestern Washington  0    3  7   7    --- 17Northern Colorado      17   14     10   7    --- 48UNC - Jackson 72 pass from Christensen (Zaitz kick)UNC - FG Zaitz 33UNC - Matthews 51 pass from Christensen (Zaitz kick)UNC - Matthews 2 run (Zaitz kick)WWU - FG Koenen 40UNC - Matthews 34 run (Zaitz kick)UNC - Jackson 26 pass from Christensen (Zaitz kick)UNC - FG Zaitz 41WWU - Cooley 14 pass from Nichols (Koenen kick)WWU - Olson 8 pass from Nichols (Koenen kick)UNC - Cook 41 fumble return (Zaitz kick)Attendance: 6,301
                  WWU      UNCFirst downs        16       23Rushed-yards           41-112   35-195Passing yards             188      341Sacks by-yards lost      2-19     3-14Total Offense             300      536Return yards            9-153     7-97Passes            40-17-1  27-14-0Punts                  5-47.6   4-33.5Fumbles-lost          5-3      0-0Penalties-yards          5-35     6-50Time of possession      33:02    26:58
Rushing: WWU-Sherrard 17-65, Nichols 11-29, Monrean 1-9, Carlyle 8-8, K. Williams 3-7,Shimek 1--6;  UNC-Matthews 20-158, Wilson 6-46, Scott 2-12, Thompson 3-0, Nevarez 1-0,Farbes 1--2, Christensen 2--19.
Passing: WWU-Nichols 37-17-0-188, Monrean 3-0-1; UNC-Christensen 23-14-0-341,Stewart 4-0-0-0.
Receiving: WWU- Olson 6-73-1, Carte 4-31, Yoney 2-9, Upchurch 2-43, Cooley 1-14-1,Laurence 1-12, Barton 1-6; UNC-Jackson 7-205-2, Dudley 2-30, Farbes 2-29,Matthews 1-51-1, Scott 1-24, Sweitzer 1-2.