Oct. 17, 2005
BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Western Washington University Vikings (3-4, 2-1) vs. Humboldt State University Lumberjacks (4-3, 1-2) in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference contest on Sat., Oct. 22 (6 p.m.) at Redwood Bowl (7,000 cap., grass) in Arcata, Calif.
Western is coming off a big 38-16 league win last week at Western Oregon. That came on the heels of a 37-17 loss to arch-rival Central Washington on Oct. 8 before 11,312 fans in a GNAC contest and the third annual Battle in Seattle at Qwest Field.
The Vikings defeated Humboldt State 21-16 in their GNAC opener on Oct. 1. That snapped a three-game losing streak, all to nationally ranked teams. Western fell 47-7 at American Football Coaches Association/NCAA Division II No.4-ranked North Dakota on Sept. 17, 38-20 to No.15 St. Cloud State MN on Sept. 10 in its home opener, and 31-21 at D2Football.com No.25 Washburn KS on Sept. 3.
Western opened its season with a 49-20 victory at Mesa State CO on Aug. 27.
Humboldt State were beaten 30-7 at Central Washington last Saturday. The Lumberjacks have lost three of their last four games after a 3-0 start, which was their best since 1994.
Humboldt State defeated Western Oregon 17-9 at home on Oct. 8 after losing at Western 21-16 on Oct. 1. Prior to that the Lumberjacks had played three NAIA schools, losing 13-12 at home on Sept. 24 to Azusa Pacific CA after posting road wins over Southern Oregon, 19-14, on Sept. 17 and Menlo College, 60-14, on Sept. 10. They defeated Mesa State, 28-9, in their home opener on Sept. 3.
The Vikings finished 6-4 overall last year and tied for second place in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference with a 3-3 record. Western has won league titles four of the last six years and six crowns in 10 seasons.
Humboldt State posted a 5-5 overall record in 2004 and tied for second in the GNAC at 3-3, its first .500 record since the GNAC began in 2002.
SERIES HISTORY: 14th meeting. Western leads the series, 9-4. The Vikings have won the last two meetings, 21-16 on Oct. 1 at Bellingham, and 55-20 at Arcata, to end their 2004 season after having a seven-game series winning streak snapped on Oct. 16, when Humboldt State won 34-27 at Bellingham. Western's previous wins were 34-20 at Arcata in 2003, 27-7 at Bellingham in 2002, 41-7 at Arcata in 2001, 42-7 at Bellingham in 2000, 58-0 at Arcata in 1999, 36-17 at Bellingham in 1998, and 45-7 at Arcata in 1997. The schools had not met previously since 1962. The series began in 1956.
GNAC PRESEASON POLL: For the first time in nine years, Western is neither the favorite nor co-favorite to win a league title in football. The Vikings were voted second behind arch-rival Central Washington in the GNAC Coaches Preseason Poll. The only other time during the past decade that they were not favored was in 1996.
The Vikings placed second in the GNAC in 2004 with a 3-3 record. They have won four league championships over the past six years, and six crowns in the last 10 campaigns. Western's lowest finish during that stretch was second in 1997, 1998, 2002 and 2004.
Western got one first-place vote in this year's poll, with Central receiving the other three. The Wildcats finished with 15 points on the 4-3-2-1 system, with Western getting 12, Humboldt State nine and Western Oregon four.
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 10th consecutive season. Providing the color commentary for the eighth straight year is former Viking quarterback Jason Stiles. The pre-game show with host Mark Scholten begins at 5:35 p.m. The KBAI broadcast can also be heard on the Internet at wwuvikings.com.
The game also can be heard live on KATA (1340 AM-Eureka). Calling the action will be J.B. Mathers with the pre-game show beginning at 5:45 p.m.
2004 RESULTS: Western finished 6-4 and tied for second in the GNAC at 3-3 with Humboldt State which was 5-5 overall. The Lumberjacks' 2004 season was literally up and down, as they never won or lost more than one game in a row.
WESTERN REPORT: The Vikings are looking to post their first consecutive victories of the season as they travel to face Humboldt State this week.
A key factor in the victory over Western Oregon was turnovers, or rather, the lack of them. The Vikings did not commit a turnover, the first time since the opening game of 2003 that had occurred, after having seven the week before against Central Washington. And when keeping hold of the ball, Western has been very proficient offensively, averaging 417.1 yards and 24.3 points a game. The Vikings are averaging 481.0 yards in three GNAC contests.
Junior quarterback James Monrean ranks No.18 nationally in total offense at 290.7 yards a game and is on pace to throw for the fourth-best single-season passing yardage total in school history.
He has completed 157-of-248 passes for 1934 yards with 17 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, and has passed for 250 yards or more in six of Western's seven games.
Senior wide receiver Andy Olson has battled through a series of injuries, including a knee injury that kept him out for two-and-a-half games. Even so, he has 25 receptions for 403 yards and three touchdowns, and has three 100-yard receiving games. Olson ranks among the top two school career leaders in touchdown catches, receptions and receiving yardage.
Sophomore slotback Brett Upchurch has 29 receptions for 414 yards and two scores. Sophomore wide receiver Matt Wilson, who had two touchdown catches against Western Oregon, has 21 catches for 270 yards and three scores, and senior tight end Nick Yoney, who has a touchdown reception each of the last two games, has 18 grabs worth 239 yards and three touchdowns.
Senior running back Duncan Sherrard, Western's leading rusher each of the last three seasons, has missed much of the season with injuries, but returned to form against Western Oregon with 158 yards. For the year, he has 302 yards and a touchdown on 42 carries. Another senior, Jake Carlyle, continues to lead the Vikings in rushing with 466 yards and four scores on 108 attempts, and has added 177 yards on 22 receptions.
Anchoring an experienced offensive line is senior center Loren Winter, a first-team all-GNAC pick last season.
On defense, Western allowed just 16 points last week, matching a season-best. The Vikings have moved primarily to a 3-4 look the last two games, a formation that features two NCAA Division I-A transfers at outside linebacker. Sophomore Shane Simmons, from Idaho, has 45 tackles, including a team-high five for loss, and has forced three fumbles. Senior Ekene Agweunu, from Nevada, who had made three starts at cornerback, has 20 stops, and is the only Viking to have both an interception and a sack this season. Another newcomer, redshirt freshman strong safety Steve Davis, leads Western in tackles with 50, and also has an interception.
There's experience in the center of the defense in senior inside linebackers Craig Keenan and Adam Klingenberg. Keenan has 36 tackles, with 2.5 for loss, and two pass breakups; Klingenberg has 33 stops, 3.5 of them for loss, and one pass defensed. Sophomore backup Brandon Elliott earned GNAC Player of the Week honors as he had 11 tackles, eight unassisted. Another returning starter, junior free safety Todd McClellan, has 40 tackles, including three for loss; and senior cornerback Brett Hall has two interceptions.
Leading the defensive line is senior end Geoff Hise, who spent the past three years on the offensive line. He has 19 stops, including a team-high four sacks.
On special teams, sophomore Corbin Anderson is averaging 35.8 yards a punt, and has placed 14 kicks inside the 20. Freshman Ace Younggren has connected on 20-of-24 extra-point attempts and 1-of-3 field goals. In the return game, junior Zach Russell is averaging 21.8 yards on 12 kickoff returns.
HUMBOLDT STATE REPORT: The Lumberjacks are leading the GNAC in several team defensive categories, including total defense, scoring defense and passing defense. They rank No.15 nationally in scoring defense (13.3 avg.) and No.24 in total defense (277.0).
The stop unit is led by a pair of transfer linebackers from Fresno City College. Inside linebacker Josh Costa is third in the GNAC with 54 tackles and has 3.5 tackles for a loss and two interceptions. Outside linebacker Brian Iriye is fourth in the conference with 53 tackles and has two pass breakups.
Senior tackle Justin Butler, who previously attended NCAA I-AA Hofstra University in New York, is tied for first in the GNAC with 4.5 quarterback sacks.
In the secondary, strong safety Kyle Killingsworth, a first-team all-GNAC pick in 2004, has recorded 38 tackles, intercepted three passes and broken up seven more. Senior free safety Nick Dominelli is third on the team with 43 tackles and second with five pass breakups.
Killingsworth, a first-team all-conference selection as a kick returner, ranks eighth in the nation with a 17.8 yards per punt return average, returning one 89 yards for a touchdown versus Menlo College.
Against Southern Oregon on Sept. 17, Killingsworth set up the go-ahead touchdown with a 50-yard punt return and sealed the victory with an interception in the final minutes.
On offense, Humboldt State had to replace last year's quarterback-receiver tandem of Jason Baughman and Dustin Creager. Baughman threw for 2,119 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2004, while Creager had career totals of 293 catches for 3,929 yards, the third and eighth-best marks in NCAA II history.
Directing the Lumberjack offense is redshirt junior quarterback Blake Moorman. Moorman, who was the offensive MVP of San Diego Mesa JC two years ago, has completed 59.4 percent of his passes (126-of-212) this season for 1,528 yards with nine touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Senior tailback Daniel Nembhard, a second-team all-GNAC pick in 2004, has run for 370 yards and seven touchdowns.
Senior wide receiver Don Wilson leads the Lumberjacks' receiving corps with 34 catches for 506 yards and three touchdowns. Junior Joey Stein, who attended Fresno City College after starting as a freshman at defensive back for Cal Lutheran, has 30 receptions for 452 yards.
Humboldt State's offensive line is led by first-team GNAC all-star, senior tackle Michael Dean.
On special teams, junior Giancarlo Martinelli (1-2 FGs, 4-6 PATs) has assumed the placekicking duties, while Moorman, the starting quarterback, handles the punting chores (36.0 avg.)
WESTERN INJURY REPORT: Starting inside linebacker Adam Klingenberg, who suffered an ankle sprain early in the Western Oregon contest, is expected back this week. Also back will be starting offensive tackle Will Freitag, who missed the Western Oregon game with a dislocated toe. Three top reserves, wide receiver Chris Robinson (hamstring), defensive end Geoff Hise (calf) and defensive end Noel Tafoya (foot) did not travel to Western Oregon, but all should be ready for action Saturday.
OLSON STREAKS AND MILESTONES: Senior wide receiver Andy Olson is in a three-way tie for No.1 among Western career leaders in touchdown catches (30) and is No.2 in both receptions (175, six short of record) and receiving yards (2,883, 385 short of record). He had a school and GNAC record string of touchdown catches in 11 games end against St. Cloud State because of a strained knee.
Last year, Olson set school and league records by making 15 touchdown catches. He had 68 receptions overall for 1,075 yards. Olson ranked No.9 nationally in receiving yards per game (107.5 avg.) and broke his own GNAC record. He also finished No.12 nationally in receptions per game (6.8).
In five games this season, Olson has 25 catches for 403 yards and three touchdowns.
OLSON AMONG WESTERN CAREER LEADERS:
Touchdown Catches1. Chris Nicholl (1993-96) 301. Greg Dykstra (1999-2002) 301. Andy Olson (2002-05) 304. Ben Clampitt (1998-99) 24
Pass Receptions1. Greg Dykstra (1999-2002) 1812. Andy Olson (2002-05) 1753. Chris Nicholl (1993-96) 1704. Hoyt Gier (1975-78) 1485. Ben Clampitt (1998-99) 138
Receiving Yardage1. Chris Nicholl (1993-96) 32682. Andy Olson (2002-05) 28833. Greg Dykstra (1999-2002) 27204. Ben Clampitt (1998-99) 24815. Hoyt Gier (1975-78) 2321
WESTERN NOTES: The defensive two-pointer allowed by the Vikings against Western Oregon was the first since Portland State scored one in the 2000 season opener ... Western did not commit a turnover last week, which was the first time since the opening game of the 2003 season ... Monrean was named GNAC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against Mesa State. In eight career starts, including seven this season, Monrean has thrown 22 touchdown passes ... Senior running back Duncan Sherrard ranks fifth among school career leaders in rushing yards with 2,560. He needs 78 more to move into fourth place ... Sherrard's 61-yard touchdown scamper against Mesa State was the Vikings' longest run from scrimmage since 1999 ... Carlyle's career rushing total is 1,380 yards. His career-best 175-yard effort against Humboldt State was the most for a GNAC running back since Central Washington's Emilio Iniguez ran for 177 versus Western Oregon on Oct. 16, 2004. Carlyle was named GNAC Offensive Player of the Week ... Western's 49 points against the Mavericks were the most scored by the Vikings in an opener since 1929 ... Western logged more than 9,000 miles and 231 hours of travel time on its first three road trips of the season ... The Vikings are 63-20 at Bellingham's Civic Stadium during Smith's tenure as head coach ... Carlyle's 31 running attempts against Humboldt State was just the second 30-carry game by a Viking back since 1996 ... Sherrard and linebacker Brandon Elliott were named GNAC Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week, respectively.
COACHES: Rob Smith (Washington, 1981) is in his 17th year as head coach and his victory total (108-60-1) and winning percentage (.642) are the best in Western history. He ranks third in victories among collegiate coaches in the state of Washington. 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 and 2003, 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. Smith is 8-11 vs. Central Washington.
Doug Adkins (Central Washington, 1970) is in his sixth year at Humboldt State where he has a 21-38 record. A former defensive coordinator for five seasons with the Lumberjacks, Adkins served as the defensive line coach at Nevada for five years before returning to Humboldt State as the head coach in 2000. He played his college ball at then NAIA-member Central Washington, where he also served as an assistant coach for six years before making coaching stops at Oregon Tech and Wenatchee Valley CC.
TURNOVER/TAKEAWAY RATIO: In seven games this season, Western has had 10 takeaways and 16 turnovers. This is the third straight year that the Vikings have had a minus turnover/takeaway ratio after being on the positive side in that category for 12 consecutive campaigns.
VIKINGS JOIN NCC IN FOOTBALL BEGINNING IN 2006: Western has been admitted as a football-only member of the North Central Conference, one of the nation's most prestigious NCAA II alignments. The Vikings, along with arch-rival Central Washington, will begin playing a full slate of eight NCC games in 2006. The two schools had been competing as part of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. The NCC, founded in 1921, currently has seven members - Augustana SD, Minnesota Duluth, Minnesota State Mankato, Nebraska-Omaha, North Dakota, St. Cloud State MN, and South Dakota. Over the past three years, the NCC has had three of its member institutions leave to move up to NCAA Division I. North Dakota State and South Dakota State left after the 2003-04 academic year, and Northern Colorado left after 2002-03. In 2004, NCC member North Dakota finished 11-3 and reached the semifinals of the NCAA II national playoffs. St. Cloud State, which reached the first round of the playoffs, and NCC champion Nebraska-Omaha each had 8-3 records. North Dakota played in the NCAA II national championship game in 2003 and won a national title in 2001. The Vikings have played eight games (2-6) with NCC foes over the last four seasons, splitting with Nebraska-Omaha and South Dakota State, losing three times to St. Cloud State and once to North Dakota.
PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA PICKS: Western senior wide receiver Andy Olson was named to the Don Hansen's Football Gazette preseason All-America Team for the second straight year. He also was a second-team preseason All-American on www.CollegeSportsReport.com and d2football.com. Senior offensive center Loren Winter was a third-team www.CollegeSportsReport.com pick.
LAST WEEK'S GAME: Running back Duncan Sherrard rushed for 158 yards on 25 carries and wide receiver Matt Wilson caught a pair of first-quarter touchdown passes as Western defeated Western Oregon, 38-16, in a GNAC game at McArthur Field.
It was just the Vikings second triumph at Monmouth, Ore., in their last five contests there.
Western Oregon fell to 2-5 and 0-3 in conference play despite the efforts of the GNAC's leading rusher, Eliot Vinzant, who had his fourth consecutive 100-yard rushing game with 144 yards on 21 carries, including a 43-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter.
Western jumped to a 12-0 lead on its first two possessions. The Vikings took the opening kickoff and went 75 yards in six plays, capped by a 19-yard pass from quarterback James Monrean to Wilson on a fourth-and-six play.
The following series, the Vikings went 99 yards in five plays, starting with a 39-yard pass to Andy Olson, and capped by Wilson, who had two touchdowns in his entire career before Saturday, getting a key block from Brandon Torrey and going 45 yards for a score on a screen pass one play after the drive had been kept alive by a Western Oregon personal foul.
After Vinzant's touchdown run, Western scored again, with Jake Carlyle scoring from a yard out on a fourth-and-goal play. The Vikings, who missed extra points on their first two touchdowns, went for two, but Monrean's pass was intercepted by Jamil Wynn, who took it 100 yards for a defensive 2-point conversion, making the score 18-9. It was the first defensive two-pointer allowed by the Vikings since Portland State scored one in the 2000 season opener.
The Vikings put the game away with a pair of third-quarter touchdowns. Carlyle scored on a 3-yard run, then wide receiver Casey Dell reached the end zone on a 15-yard pass from Monrean.
Monrean completed 17-of-27 passes for 271 yards and four touchdowns, passing for more than 250 yards for the sixth time in seven games as Western, which did not commit a turnover for the first time since the opening game of the 2003 season, had a 467-405 edge in total offense.
Western Oregon scored midway through the fourth quarter, as backup quarterback Ryan Thorson threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kevin Boss, capping an 11-play, 92-yard drive; but Western scored the final points of the game, Monrean connecting with tight end Nick Yoney for a 14-yard score with just 1:25 to play.
Sherrard, who has led the Vikings in rushing each of the last three years but had not seen extensive action since suffering a knee injury in the opening week of this season, ran for 101 yards on 15 carries in the first half alone, helping Western have a 287-156 edge in total offense at halftime.
Linebacker Brandon Elliott, who came in for injured Adam Klingenberg, had a team-high 11 tackles for the Vikings, including one of the team's three quarterback sacks.
For there performances, Sherrard and Elliott were named GNAC Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week, respectively.
SCORING SUMMARYWestern Washington 12 6 13 7 --- 38Western Oregon 7 2 0 7 --- 16
WWU - Wilson 19 pass from Monrean (kick failed)WWU - Wilson 45 pass from Monrean (kick blocked)WOU - Vanzant 43 run (Voges kick)WWU - Carlyle 1 runWOU - 2pt. PAT return - Wynn 100 interception returnWWU - Carlyle 3 run (kick blocked)WWU - Dell 15 pass from Monrean (Younggren kick)WOU - Boss 16 pass from R. Thorson (Voges kick)WWU - Yoney 14 pass from Monrean (Younggren kick)Attendance: 2,300
WWU WOUFirst downs 25 26Rushes-yards 46-196 31-145Passing yards 271 260Sacks by-yards lost 3-20 3-9Total Offense 467 405Return yards 2-20 7-92Passes 27-17-0 41-24-0Punts 5-39.6 5-30.0Fumbles-lost 1-0 0-0Penalties-yards 10-100 11-95Time of possession 31:25 28:35
Rushing: WWU-Sherrard 25-158, Carlyle 14-46-2, Monrean 7--8; WOU-Vinzant21-144-1, Ramirez 6-18, Thorson, M. 4--17.
Passing: WWU-Monrean 27-17-0-271; WOU-Thorson, M. 21-11-0-113, Thorson,R. 14-8-0-87, Hubrich 6-5-0-60.
Receiving: WWU-Yoney 4-60-1, Upchurch 4-33, Carlyle 3-44, Wilson 2-64-2,Sherrard 2-16, Olson 1-39, Dell 1-15-1; WOU-Smith 5-66, Knudsen 4-39,Smith 4-37, Carter 3-26, Vinzant 3-18, Boss 2-28-1, Schmadeka 1-17, Ching1-15, Dickson 1-14.
LAST MEETING WITH HUMBOLDT STATE: Running back Jake Carlyle rushed for a career-high 175 yards on 31 carries and quarterback James Monrean threw for three touchdowns as Western snapped a three-game losing streak, defeating Humboldt State, 21-16, in the GNAC opener for both schools at Bellingham's Civic Stadium on Oct. 1.
The Vikings rolled up a 501-251 edge in total offense.
Western led the final 55 minutes, but Humboldt State pulled to within 21-16 with just over seven minutes to play, as Joey Stein blocked a punt which was recovered by Joevany Cueva in the end zone for a touchdown.
But the Vikings then put together a long drive that ran out the last 7:06 of the game, going 50 yards in 12 plays to get inside the Lumberjack 10 before Monrean took a knee on the final play of the game.
Western had over 200 yards both on the ground and in the air, having a season-high 223 yards rushing on 45 attempts, which enabled it to have a 37:17-22:43 edge in time of possession. Monrean completed 21-of-32 passes for 278 yards with three touchdowns and an interception, going 13-of-20 for 208 yards and a score in the second half.
The Vikings scored on the opening possession of the game, going 80 yards in 11 plays. Slotback Chris Robinson, returning to action after missing the last two games with a hamstring injury, capped the drive with a 20-yard touchdown reception from Monrean.
Humboldt State tied the game early in the second quarter, as a 1-yard run by running back Daniel Nembhard capped a 10-play, 56-yard drive.
Western took a 14-7 halftime lead as Monrean connected with wide receiver Casey Dell for a 25-yard score with 1:59 left in the half. Humboldt State appeared to tie the game on a 94-yard kickoff return by Kyle Killingsworth, but the play was called back because of a holding penalty.
The Lumberjacks pulled to within four, 14-10, on a 43-yard field goal by Ben Peterson three minutes into the third quarter. Later in the period, Humboldt State reached the Western 18 after converting a fourth-and-six, but quarterback Blake Moorman's pass on the next play was tipped at the goal line by cornerback Kevin Jones and intercepted by Brett Hall.
The Vikings then moved 80 yards in 10 plays, capped on the first play of the fourth quarter as Monrean threw a dart down the middle that found slotback Brett Upchurch for a 45-yard touchdown that gave Western a 21-10 lead.
Moorman completed 18-of-30 passes for 213 yards, but the Lumberjacks rushed for just 38 yards on 23 attempts.
Carlyle was named GNAC Offensive Player of the Game for his performance.
SCORING SUMMARYHumboldt State 0 7 3 6 --- 16Western Washington 7 7 0 7 --- 21
WWU - Robinson 20 pass from Monrean (Younggren kick)HSU - Nembhard 1 run (Peterson kick)WWU - Dell 25 pass from Monrean (Younggren kick)HSU - FG Peterson 43WWU - Upchurch 45 pass from Monrean (Younggren kick)HSU - Cueva recovers blocked punt in end zone (pass failed)Attendance: 2901
HSU WWUFirst downs 14 26Rushes-yards 23-38 45-223Passing yards 213 278Sacks by-yards lost 0-0 4-21Total Offense 251 501Return yards 8-110 6-74Passes 30-18-1 32-21-1Punts 6-34.0 4-26.2Fumbles-lost 0-0 1-0Penalties-yards 4-45 13-112Time of possession 22:43 37:17
Rushing: WWU-Carlyle 31-175, Sherrard 7-32, Monrean 3-9, Jackson 3-9,Team 1--2; HSU-Nembhard 12-21, Dotson 1-10, Stein 1-5, Moorman 8-2, Smith 1-0.
Passing: WWU-Monrean 32-21-1-278; HSU-Moorman 30-18-1-213
Receiving: WWU-Yoney 4-50, Wilson 4-46, Robinson 4-34-1, Upchurch 3-80-1,Dell 2-35-1, Russell 2-19, Sherrard 1-8, Carlyle 1-6; HSU-Wilson 8-76,Stein 4-88, Neuvert 3-26, White 1-14, Rosen 1-9, Nembhard 1-0.
LAST YEAR'S MEETINGS WITH HUMBOLDT STATE: Oct. 16 at Bellingham, Wash.
Humboldt State 34, Western 27
Lumberjacks beat Vikings for first time since 1962
Daniel Nembhard scored on a 5-yard run with 3:27 to play, lifting Humboldt State to its first victory over Western in 42 years, a 34-27 triumph in a GNAC game at Civic Stadium.
The Vikings had a six-game home winning streak snapped, and Humboldt State ended an eight-game road losing streak.
Western had rallied from a 17-point deficit, tying the game, 27-27, on a 5-yard run by Duncan Sherrard with 4:44 left. But Humboldt State responded by going 75 yards in just four plays for Nembhard's decisive score, the key play being a 49-yard rush by running back Lionel Arnold that put the ball on the Western 11.
Western failed to get a first down on the following series and were forced to punt, and the Lumberjacks then picked up two first downs to run out the clock.
Humboldt State's last victory over Western was a 32-0 triumph in 1962. The teams had met seven times since, all since 1997, with the Vikings winning each by margins of at least 14 points.
The Vikings started well, scoring on the opening play from scrimmage for the second time in three games as quarterback Steve Nichols threw a quick pass in the flat to wide receiver Andy Olson, who sprinted down the left sideline for a 76-yard touchdown.
But the Lumberjacks responded with 24 straight points from four drives that each lasted at least eight plays. Two of the scores came on touchdown passes from quarterback Jason Baughman to wide receiver Dustin Creager of six and 12 yards. The others were a 2-yard run by Arnold and a 29-yard field goal by Francisco Castellon.
The teams exchanged field goals late in the first half, giving the Lumberjacks a 27-10 advantage at halftime. Western narrowed the margin to 14 points on a 49-yard field goal by Michael Koenen late in the third quarter, then closed to 27-20 on a 7-yard run by Sherrard on the first play of the fourth quarter, a play set up on a 43-yard punt return by Olson.
Sherrard rushed for a game-high 153 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries for the Vikings. Nichols was 17-of-24 for 208 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
Humboldt State had a 416-361 edge in total offense. Baughman completed 23-of-37 passes for 212 yards and two touchdowns, with Dustin Creager having 11 receptions for 96 yards and both scores. Arnold led the Lumberjack rushing attack with 110 yards on 14 carries.
SCORING SUMMARYHumboldt State 17 10 0 7 --- 34Western Washington 7 3 3 14 --- 27
WWU - Olson 76 pass from Nichols (Koenen kick)HSU - Arnold 2 run (Castellon kick)HSU - Creager 6 pass from Baughman (Castellon kick)HSU - FG Castellon 29HSU - Creager 12 pass from Baughman (Castellon kick)WWU - FG Koenen 25HSU - FG Castellon 31WWU - FG Koenen 49WWU - Sherrard 7 run (Koenen kick)WWU - Sherrard 5 run (Koenen kick)HSU - Nembhard 5 run (Castellon kick)Attendance: 2,115
HSU WWUFirst downs 23 20Rushes-yards 39-204 38-153Passing yards 212 208Sacks by-yards lost 4-18 1-4Total Offense 416 361Return yards 9-151 8-139Passes 37-23-0 24-17-1Punts 5-46.8 3-50.7Fumbles-lost 0-0 1-1Penalties-yards 2-20 5-40Time of possession 31:30 28:30
Rushing: WWU-Sherrard 27-153-2, Bennum 1-4, Nichols 8-3, Williams 1--1,Koenen 1--6; HSU-Arnold 14-110-1, Nembhard 17-74-1, Baughman 6-15,Pierson 2-5.
Passing: WWU-Nichols 24-17-1-208; HSU-Baughman 37-23-0-212.
Receiving: WWU-Olson 4-110-1, Robinson 4-25, Karuza 2-35, Sherrard 2-17,Laurence 2-11, Yoney 1-9, Carte 1-4, Williams 1--3; HSU-Creager 11-96-2,Lopez 3-42, Heimiller 3-30, Nembhard 3-13, Wetsel 2-28, Arnold 1-3.
Nov. 6 at Arcata, Calif. Western 55, Humboldt State 20
Vikings use huge first half to finish season with winning record
Western Washington University scored on its first six possessions and went on to defeat Humboldt State University, 55-20, in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference football game Saturday at the Redwood Bowl that concluded the season for both schools.
Wide receiver Andy Olson and running back Jake Carlyle each had two touchdowns as Western, which led 34-0 at halftime, finished 6-4 overall and 3-3 in the GNAC to clinch its fifth winning record in the last six years.
Humboldt State finished at 5-5, its best record since 1995, and was 3-3 in the GNAC.
Olson, who had five receptions for 102 yards, caught scoring passes of 19 and 42 yards from quarterback Steve Nichols, giving him a school-record 15 touchdown receptions on the season. Carlyle, who had missed most of the last month with injury, scored a pair of first-half touchdowns with a 1-yard run in the first quarter and an 11-yard rush in the second period.
Western's other touchdowns came on a 6-yard run by running back Duncan Sherrard, who rushed for 16 yards on 93 carries; a 94-yard kickoff return by Zach Russell in the third quarter, marking the first time a Viking had two kickoff return touchdowns in a season; and a 21-yard pass from Nichols to tight end Rick Carte.
Nichols, who played just two series in the second half, completed 16-of-24 passes for 268 yards and three scores, and was not intercepted. He finished the season having completed a school-record 63.7 percent of his pass attempts (181-of-284).
Running back Lionel Arnold had 100 yards on 16 carries and all three of the touchdowns for Humboldt State, scoring on runs of nine, three and four yards. Lumberjack quarterback Jason Baughman was 17-of-30 for 131 yards and was intercepted once. Humboldt State wide receiver Dustin Creager had 10 receptions for 68 yards.
Western's Michael Koenen became the Northwest small college career scoring leader with a 44-yard field goal late in the first half. Koenen, who hit a 29-yard field goal to open the scoring and also made seven extra points to finish his career with 272 points, five more than Western's Wade Gebers (1993-96).
The Vikings had a 447-324 edge in total offense, including a 296-96 advantage in the first half.
Nichols earned GNAC Offensive Player of the Week honors for his performance.
SCORING SUMMARYWestern Washington 10 24 14 7 --- 55Humboldt State 0 0 13 7 --- 20
WWU - FG Koenen 29WWU - Carlyle 1 run (Koenen kick)WWU - Sherrard 6 run (Koenen kick)WWU - Carlyle 11 run (Koenen kick)WWU - Olson 19 pass from Nichols (Koenen kick)WWU - FG Koenen 44WWU - Olson 42 pass from Nichols (Koenen kick)HSU - Arnold 9 run (Castellon kick)HSU - Arnold 3 run (kick blocked)WWU - Russell 94 kickoff return (Koenen kick)WWU - Carte 21 pass from Nichols (Koenen kick)HSU - Arnold 4 run (Castellon kick)Attendance: 2,254
WWU HSUFirst downs 28 23Rushes-yards 47-165 40-193Passing yards 282 131Sacks by-yards lost 3-10 0-0Total Offense 447 324Return yards 9-180 6-102Passes 27-18-0 30-17-1Punts 1-48.0 6-40-8Fumbles-lost 1-1 2-1Penalties-yards 6-67 12-148Time of possession 31:09 28:51
Rushing: WWU-Sherrard 16-93, Carlyle 13-29, J. Williams 6-19, Tuggle 4-6,Robinson 1-5, Porter 1-5, Nichols 1-4, Monrean 3-3, White 2-1; HSU-Arnold16-100, Nembhard 13-65, Spencer-Albert 1-18, Baughman 8-5, Smith 1-3, K.Williams 1-2
Passing: WWU-Nichols 24-16-0-268, Monrean 2-1-0-6, Huebschman 1-1-0-8;HSU-Baughman 30-17-1-131.
Receiving: WWU-Olson 5-102-2, Robinson 4-32, Laurence 3-89, Carte 2-25-1,Karuza 1-13, Russell 1-8, Hall 1-7, Morris 1-6; HSU-Creager 10-68, Wetsel3-31, Nembhard 2-15, Matthews 1-9, Maples 1-8.
NEXT GAME: The Vikings return home after three weeks on the road to play arch-rival Central Washington University in the 10th annual Cascade Cup game. The GNAC counter is on Sat., Oct. 29 (1 p.m.). Central won the first meeting between the two schools this year, 37-17 on Oct. 8 at the third annual Battle in Seattle at Qwest Field. The Wildcats hold a 5-4 edge in Cascade Cup triumphs.
WEBSITE: For the latest results, statistics and updates, including reports on all Western athletic events, visit the Vikings website at wwuvikings.com.
PROBABLE TWO DEEPS
WESTERN WASHINGTON
OFFENSETE 13 Nick Yoney (6-3, 240, Sr.-2V, Arlington, WA) 86 Logan Cullen (6-2, 235, Fr.-RS, Anacortes, WA)LT 70 Brandon Torrey (6-3, 290, Jr.-2V, Graham, WA/Bethel) 59 Dale Moore (6-2, 270, Fr.-RS, Vancouver, WA/Evergreen)LG 67 Peter Van Datta (6-2, 270, Jr.-2V, Bremerton, WA/Central Kitsap) 57 Zach Myers (6-2, 295, So.-TR, Sammamish, WA/Skyline/CWU)C 53 Loren Winter (6-1, 270, Sr.-3V, Bothell, WA/Juanita) 66 Dan Trask (6-2, 275, Fr.-RS, Aberdeen, WA)RG 64 Tyler Sleeman (6-1, 305, Jr.-2V., Black Diamond, WA/Tahoma/EWU) 78 Phil Hayes (6-4, 335, Fr.-RS, Renton, WA/O'Dea)RT 56 Will Freitag (6-3, 265,Sr.-1V,Maple Valley,WA/East.Cath./Minn.-Crookston) 59 Dale Moore (6-2, 270, Fr.-RS, Vancouver, WA/Evergreen)SB 19 Brett Upchurch (6-1, 175, So.-1V, Sammamish, WA/Eastlake) 8 Chris Robinson (5-10, 200, So.-1V, Lakewood, WA/Clover Park)WR 9 Matt Wilson (5-10, 185, So.-1V, Auburn, WA) 81 Casey Dell (5-11, 185, So.-1V, Moxee, WA/East Valley)WR 1 Andy Olson (6-2, 210, Sr.-3V, Chehalis, WA/W.F. West) 87 Zach Russell (6-2, 180, Jr.-1V, Bothell, WA/Lake Washington)RB 27 Jake Carlyle (5-7, 195, Sr.-3V, Olympia, WA/Capital) 29 Duncan Sherrard (5-9, 200, Sr.-3V, Seattle, WA/Roosevelt) 5 Jordyn Jackson (5-9, 175, Fr.-RS, Vancouver, WA/Columbia River)QB 14 James Monrean (6-1, 230, Jr.-1V., Bellingham, WA/Sehome) 6 Adam Perry (6-0, 185, Fr.-RS, Longview/R.A. Long)
DEFENSEE 93 Matt Overton (5-11, 245, Jr.-TR, Tracy, CA/Diablo Valley JC) 72 Geoff Hise (6-2, 260, Sr.-3V, Snoqualmie, WA/Mount Si)N 71 Junior Aumavae (6-1, 280, Fr.-RS, Palmer, AK) 94 Ryan Lucas (6-5, 275, Jr.-1V, Vancouver, BC/North Delta/Simon Fraser) 75 Kyle Winkley (6-3, 280, Fr., Tumwater, WA/Black Hills)E 30 Chase Schmidtz (6-1,210,Sr.-TR,Bellingham,WA(Meridian/EWU/Moorpark JC) 54 Aaron Dahl (6-1, 230, Jr.**, Gig Harbor, WA/Gig Harbor)OLB 39 Shane Simmons (6-1, 215, So.-TR, Kent, WA/Kentlake/Idaho) 47 Tieba Bropleh (5-10, 215, So.-1V, Bremerton, WA/Bremerton)ILB 32 Craig Keenan (6-0, 225, Sr.-1V, Salem, MA/Hamilton-Wenham/Palomar JC) 49 Brandon Elliott (6-2, 235, So.-1V, Auburn, WA/Fife)ILB 46 Adam Klingenberg (5-11, 215, Sr.-3V, Walla Walla, WA/Walla Walla) 48 Joe Pennell (6-0, 255, Fr.-RS, Everett, WA/Cascade)OLB 18 Ekene Agwuenu (6-1, 205, Sr.-TR, Chino Hills, CA/Ayala/Nevada) 34 James Day (5-10, 195, So.-1V, Vancouver, WA/Mountain View)LC 42 Brett Hall (5-7, 175, Sr.-3V, Kennewick, WA/Columbia Basin CC) 3 Ocie Moore (5-9, 185, So.-1V, Seattle, WA/Kent-Meridian)RC 7 Kevin Jones (5-10, 180, Jr.-TR, Seattle, WA/Kentwood/C.of Siskiyous) 28 Anthony Rosso (5-10, 185, Fr.-RS, Walla Walla, WA (Walla Walla)SS 33 Steve Davis (5-9, 190, Fr.-RS, Kennewick, WA/Kamiakin) 25 Mike Schmit (5-10, 180, So.-SQ, Vancouver, WA/Columbia River)FS 22 Todd McClellan (5-10, 200, Jr.-2V, Lacey, WA/Timberline) 2 Jason Barton (5-9, 185, Sr.-3V, Gig Harbor, WA)
SPECIALK 83 Ace Younggren (6-0, 175, Fr., Snohomish, WA) 31 Bobby Peck (6-0, 180, Fr.-TR, Edmonds, WA/Meadowdale/Edmonds CC)P 45 Corbin Anderson (6-0, 190, So.-TR, Veradale, WA/University/EWU) 88 Josh Lider (6-2, 190, Fr., Bellevue, WA/Sammamish)H 15 A.J. Porter (6-1, 215, So.-1V, SeaTac, WA/Kennedy) 19 Brett Upchurch (6-1, 175, So.-1V, Sammamish, WA/Eastlake)LS 93 Matt Overton (5-11, 245, Jr.-TR, Tracy, CA/Diablo Valley JC) 15 A.J. Porter (6-1, 215, So.-1V, SeaTac, WA/Kennedy)SS 93 Matt Overton (5-11, 245, Jr.-TR, Tracy, CA/Diablo Valley JC) 99 Ryan Conwell (6-5, 215, So.-1V, Kent, WA/Kentwood)PR 22 Todd McClellan (5-10, 200, Jr.-2V, Lacey, WA/Timberline) 25 Mike Schmit (5-10, 165, R-Fr., Vancouver, WA/Columbia River)KR 87 Zach Russell (6-2, 180, Jr.-1V, Bothell, WA/Lake Washington) 9 Matt Wilson (5-10, 185, So.-1V, Auburn, WA) 5 Jordyn Jackson (5-9, 175, Fr.-RS, Vancouver, WA/Columbia River) 7 Kevin Jones (5-10, 180, Jr.-TR, Seattle, WA/Kentwood/Utah State)
PROBABLE TWO-DEEPS
HUMBOLDT STATE UNIVERSITY
OFFENSETE 88 Justin Heimiller (6-4, 245, Sr., Taft, CA/Bakersfield JC) 45 Trevor Messersmith (6-3, 230, Fr., Herald, CA/Galt)LT 55 Michael Dean (6-2, 280, Sr., Santa Barbara, CA/Santa Barbara JC) 58 Richard Torrence (6-4, 275, So., Sacramento, CA/Johnson)LG 57 John Toohey (6-2, 265, Sr., Booneville, CA/Chadron University) 66 Eddie Casillas (6-2, 280, Jr., Los Angeles, CA/East L.A. JC)C 52 Matthew Albanese (6-0, 300, Sr. Paso Robles, CA/West Hills JC) 65 Niko Alo (6-2, 300, Jr., Coalinga, CA/West Hills JC.)RG 54 Bryant Kendall (6-2, 275, Fr., Modesto, CA/Thomas Downey) 69 Chris Wallace (6-1, 285, Sr., Manteca, CA/Butte JC)RT 58 Richard Torrence (6-4, 275, So., Sacramento, CA/Johnson) 71 Brett Battle (6-3, 290, Sr., Eureka, CA/Eureka)FL 14 Milton White (6-1, 196, Jr. Glendora, CA/Citrus JC) 83 Efren Lopez (6-0, 190, Sr., Arleta, CA/College of the Canyons)QB 21 Blake Moorman (6-1, 195, Jr., Palm Desert, CA/San Diego Mesa) 12 Monty Duke (6-2, 210, Jr., Santee, CA/Clarion)TB 2 Daniel Nembhard (5-9, 185, Sr., Pasadena, CA/Mt. San Antonio JC) 26 Maurice Dotson (5-11, 190, Jr., Winton, CA/San Joaquin Delta JC)WR 80 Joey Stein (6-0, 165, Jr., Fresno, CA/Fresno City College) 1 Richard Perkins (5-11, 190, So., Gardena, CA/El Camino JC)WR 82 Craig Neuvert (5-10, 180 Jr., Jackscon, CA/Santa Barbara CC) 1 Richard Perkins (5-11, 190, So., Gardena, CA/El Camino JC)
DEFENSEE 92 Sean Shertbert (6-6, 265, Jr., Moraga, CA/Campolindo) 95 Derek Ross (6-2, 234, So., Palmdale, CA/Antelope Valley JC)T 99 Chris Hegler (6-0, 230, Jr., Stockton, CA/Franklin) 96 Matt Dale (6-2, 225, Jr., Yorba Linda, CA/San Diego Mesa)T 91 Justin Butler (6-4, 250, Sr., Ukiah, CA/Hofstra University) 72 Adam Maser (6-3, 240, So., Sutter, CA/Sutter)E 34 Justin Funderburk (6-5, 260, Sr., Fort Bragg, CA/Santa Rosa JC) 47 Adam Fain (6-3, 255, Sr., Fresno, CA/Fresno City College)LB 9 Allen Brunner (5-11, 220, So., Oxnard, CA/St. Bonaventure) 53 David Demarco (5-9, 215, Jr., Anaheim, CA/Santa Ana JC)LB 46 Josh Costa (6-2, 240, Jr., Visalia, CA/Fresno City College) 40 James Nelson (6-0, 220, Jr., Kelseyville, CA/Mendocino JC)LB 11 Brian Iriye (6-0, 220, Jr., Lindsay, CA/Fresno City College) 7 Johnny Terrell (6-1, 230, So., Oakland, CA/Oakland Tech)CB 20 Emmet Bowman (6-0, 190, Sr., Healdsberg, CA/Cardinal Newman) 29 Brandan McCullen (6-0, 190, Fr., Inglewood, CA/Morningside)CB 19 Marvin Pulley (5-9, 180, Jr., Sacramento, CA/American River JC) 29 Brandan McCullen (6-0, 190, Fr., Inglewood, CA/Morningside)FS 42 Nick Dominelli (6-2, 205, Sr., Santa Barbara, CA/New Mexico Highlands) 15 Travis Anderson (6-0, 190, Jr., Fresno, CA/College of the Sequoias)SS 24 Kyle Killingsworth (5-11, 195, Jr., Ferndale, CA/Ferndale) 5 Eli Curtis (6-2, 207, Sr., Bellflower, CA/Fulleton JC)
SPECIALP 21 Blake Moorman (6-1, 195, Jr., Palm Desert, CA/San Diego Mesa)PK 25 Ben Peterson (5-10, 200, Jr., Campbell, CA/Westmont) 39 Giancarlo Martinelli (5-11, 160, Jr., Merced, CA/Fresno City College)LS 72 Adam Maser (6-3, 240, So., Sutter, CA/Sutter)H 80 Joey Stein (6-0, 165, Jr., Fresno, CA/Fresno City College)PR 24 Kyle Killingsworth (5-11, 195, Jr., Ferndale, CA/Ferndale) 80 Joey Stein (6-0, 165, Jr., Fresno, CA/Fresno City College)KR 24 Kyle Killingsworth (5-11, 195, Jr., Ferndale, CA/Ferndale) 31 Chris Smith (5-8, 185, Sr., San Clemente, CA/Saddleback JC)
