Sept. 5, 2006

Western Washington Release / Washburn Release
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Bellingham, Wash. - The Western Washington University Vikings (0-1) and the Washburn University Ichabods (1-0) meet in a non-conference contest Sat., Sept. 9 (1 p.m.) at Civic Stadium (3,500 cap., FieldTurf) in Bellingham, Wash. It is the home opener for the Vikings, who lost 28-23 at Humboldt State in their season debut last Thursday. Junior transfer running back Calvin McCarty ran for 139 yards and three touchdowns in that contest.

Western now faces four-straight opponents ranked in the American Football Coaches Association preseason Top 25. All of them reached the NCAA Division II playoffs last year. Washburn, ranked No.15 nationally in this week's AFCA/Division II Poll, is coming off a 41-21 season-opening victory at home over Colorado Mines. In that contest, junior quarterback Jordan Brill passed for 309 yards and tied his career high with five touchdown passes, completing 18 of 27 attempts.

The Ichabods won their first Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association title last year. The conference championship was the first for Washburn since the 1983 season. The Ichabods finished the 2005 season with a school-record nine wins and made the school's first NCAA Division II playoff appearance, reaching the second round.

SERIES HISTORY

Saturday's contest marks just the second meeting between the two schools. Washburn leads, 1-0, winning 31-21 at Topeka, Kan., last year.

HOME OPENERS

The Vikings have lost three of their last five home openers. Last year, Western fell 38-20 to St. Cloud State MN in its home debut. Their last home opening win came in 2004 when they defeated Fort Lewis CO, 27-25. Western won six straight home openers from 1995 to 2000 and nine of 10 from 1991 to 2000.

NCC PRESEASON POLL

Western was picked to finish eighth among nine teams in the 2006 preseason NCC coaches poll and last in the media poll. North Dakota was the first-place pick in both polls.

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 11th consecutive season. Providing the color commentary for the ninth straight year is former Viking quarterback Jason Stiles. The pre-game show with host Mark Scholten begins at 6:05 p.m.

The game also can be heard live on WIBW (580 AM-Topeka, KS) with Bruce Steinbrock (play-by-play), former Washburn quarterback Mark Elliott (color) and Jamie Overocker (sideline).

WEBCAST

Viking football is back on the Internet for 2006. To listen to the live broadcast via the web, go to www.wwuvikings.com and follow the links. The web provides streaming audio of the KBAI 930 AM radio broadcast of WWU Vikings athletic events. The audio stream is only available during event broadcast times.

TICKET INFORMATION

Tickets for Viking football cost $12 for reserved seating, 8 for general admission adults, $6 for students and seniors and $5 for Western students. For ticket information, contact the WWU Athletic Department at 360-650-2583 (BLUE).

CIVIC STADIUM

Western is in its 45th of playing home football games at Bellingham's Civic Stadium. The facility has undergone numerous renovations over the years. The Vikings have a 118-83-7 (.582) record there. Last year, Western was 1-3 at home, its first losing record at Civic Stadium since 1990 (2-3).

2005 RESULTS

Western finished 4-6 and tied for second in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference at 3-3. Washburn finished 9-3, winning its first MIAA title and reaching the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs.

WESTERN REPORT

Following a season-opening loss at Humboldt State, Western plays its home opener against Washburn. Three of Western's four September games are at Civic Stadium, but that won't make things easy, as all four contests are against teams which reached the NCAA II playoffs last season.

One of the brightest performances of the opener came from junior running back Calvin McCarty. The transfer from Reedley College (Calif.) rushed for 139 yards and three touchdowns on 30 carries, the first three-touchdown rushing game for a Viking since 2002.

Helping open holes for McCarty was an offensive line led by senior tackle Brandon Torrey, a unanimous Great Northwest Athletic Conference pick last season.

Senior quarterback James Monrean was 9-of-17 for 98 yards and was intercepted twice. Monrean, a second-team all-league pick last year, threw for 2,322 yards, the sixth-best single-season mark in Western's history, and had 19 touchdown passes. Western ranked 25th nationally in passing offense in 2005, averaging 251.7 yards a game.

Junior slotback Chris Robinson had four receptions against Humboldt State. He had 40 catches as a freshman in 2004 before being slowed by injuries last season. Junior wide receiver Brett Upchurch is the top returning receiver, having 45 grabs for 620 yards and three scores last year.

Western held Humboldt State to just 85 yards rushing, limiting the Lumberjacks to less than three yards a carry. Junior middle linebacker Shane Simmons had 13 tackles, 11 of them unassisted. Simmons had 66 tackles last season and ranked ninth nationally in fumbles forced.

Sophomore tackle Junior Aumavae, a first-team all-GNAC pick last year, anchors the defensive line. Junior end Ryan Conwell had two tackles for loss last week, and also deflected a pass, leading to an interception by senior end Matt Overton.

Leading the secondary are safeties Steve Davis, a junior, and Todd McClellan, a senior. Davis had 10 tackles last week and led Western in tackles last season with 79. McClellan had seven stops against Humboldt State, six of them unassisted.

Sophomore placekicker Robby Smith, a transfer from Ventura Junior College, connected on both extra-point attempts and made a 33-yard field goal. Junior punter Corbin Anderson averaged 42.0 yards on three attempts.

WESTERN INJURY REPORT

Wide receiver Travis McKee missed the Vikings' opener because of a shoulder separation suffered early in preseason practice, but is expected to be ready for Saturday.

Starting cornerback Maurice Jones and back-up wide receiver Casey Dell each suffered knee injuries in the Humboldt State game that will sideline them five to six weeks.

Second-string cornerback Anthony Rosso sustained a shoulder injury and his status is indefinite.

Cornerback Anthony Zackery should be ready after missing the opener with a hip flexor. Starting cornerback Kevin Jones is expected to miss the entire season with an Achilles injury.

WASHBURN REPORT

The Icabods, ranked No.15 in the latest AFCA/NCAA II Coaches Poll, are coming off perhaps the finest season in school history, as they went 9-3, setting a school record for victories in a season, winning their first MIAA championship, and hosting a post-season game for the first time in school history.

The Washburn offense returns six starters from a unit that rolled up an average of 35.8 points a game in 2005, led by junior quarterback Jordan Brill. Brill, an honorable mention all-MIAA pick, set a school record for passing yards in 2005 with 2,775. He ranked 16th nationally in passing efficiency, completing 168 of 297 attempts and throwing 24 touchdowns.

In last week's win over Colorado Mines, Brill passed for 309 yards and tied his career high with five touchdown passes, completing 18 of 27 attempts.

Brill's top target is senior wide receiver Sam Sissom, the MIAA career touchdown reception leader with 37. Sissom had three touchdown catches in the first 16 minutes of last year's season opener, finishing the game with seven receptions for 231 yards, but suffered a knee injury early the next game and missed the rest of the season.

Sissom had 65 receptions for 1,109 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2004, and ranks second in school history in catches with 156 and third in receiving yards at 2,707. Junior wide receiver Jake Lebahn had 19 catches for 372 yards and five touchdowns last year.

The Icabods return two 1,000-yard rushers. Senior Trent Hearn rushed for school single-season records of 1,203 yards and 20 touchdowns last season. He holds the Washburn career record with 39 rushing touchdowns, and has 2,696 career rushing yards, just 99 short of the school best.

Also back is junior Ra'Shawn Mosley, who rushed for 1,084 yards in 2004.

Against Colorado Mines, senior Aaron Gardiner led Washburn in receiving yards with 128, making six receptions, including two for touchdowns; and Sissom had four receptions for 93 yards. On the ground, Hearn had 22 carries for 99 yards.

Three starters return on the offensive line, led by junior guard Jeff Rickard, an honorable mention all-MIAA pick last year. A key addition is junior guard Trent Stanley, a first-team All-American at Coffeyville CC.

Washburn returns six starters from a defense that forced an MIAA-leading 30 turnovers, led by All-America senior cornerback Fletcher Terrell. Terrell is the school leader in career interceptions with 17 and holds the NCAA record for passes defended with 59.

The defensive line returns intact after having the same group every game last year. Senior tackle Trey Lewis was a first-team all-MIAA pick last season. Sophomore end Eric Lawrence, an honorable mention all-MIAA selection, had 11 tackles for loss in 2005, and senior end Cody Huenefeld, who has started 31 consecutive games, had 10 tackles for loss.

The lone starter back at linebacker is senior Aaron Neal, who is the leading returning tackler after having 69 stops in 2005.

Against Colorado Mines, redshirt freshman linebacker Zach Watkins had 11 tackles, including six solo stops and a tackle for loss. Neal had nine stops and junior cornerback Cary Williams had two interceptions and three pass breakups.

Senior Connor Sabel returns at placekicker. Sabel is the school career record holder for successful extra point kicks with 131. He has 164 career points and needs 47 points to become Washburn's all-time leading kick scorer. Sabel booted five extra points as well as connecting on field goals of 36 and 38 yards against Colorado Mines.

VIKING NOTES

Western returns 13 starters and 32 letter winners from last year's 4-6 team for first-year head coach Robin Ross. The Vikings, who are making their NCC debut this fall, have won league titles in four of the last six years and six crowns in the last 10 seasons

WWU FOOTBALL-ONLY NCC MEMBER

Western is 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, begin playing a full slate of eight NCC games this fall. The two schools had been competing as part of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

The NCC, founded in 1921, currently has nine members in all, the others being 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 2005, there was a four-way tie for the NCC title between Nebraska-Omaha, North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota Duluth. 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.

LAST WEEK VS. HUMBOLDT STATE

Aug. 31 - Western 28, Humboldt State 23 (Arcata, Calif.)

Running back Calvin McCarty rushed for 139 yards and three touchdowns on 30 carries, but it wasn't enough as Western was unable to overcome an early deficit and fell to Humboldt State, 28-23, in the season-opening game for both schools at the Redwood Bowl. It was the first game for new Western head coach Robin Ross, who has been a Division I assistant for most of the last 30 years.

Humboldt State marched 98 yards for a touchdown on its opening possession, and led the rest of the game, going up by 14 points on two occasions.

Western pulled to within five, 28-23, with 2:45 to play on a 3-yard run by McCarty, his third touchdown of the game. Humboldt State recovered the ensuing onside kick, then put the game away with 1:45 left as quarterback Blake Moorman found wide receiver Joey Stein for a 12-yard completion on third-and-11, allowing the Lumberjacks to run out the clock.

Moorman completed 15-of-25 passes for 223 yards, three touchdowns and an interception, with Stein having two of the scoring grabs.

McCarty, a transfer from Reedley College (Calif.) playing his first Western game, became the first Viking to rush for three touchdowns in a game since Duncan Sherrard accomplished the feat against Western New Mexico on Oct. 5, 2002. In addition to his fourth-quarter touchdown, he scored on a 5-yard run with 28 seconds left in the first half, and an 8-yard run in the third period. He had 98 yards on 19 carries in the opening half.

After the Vikings punted on the first possession of the game, Humboldt State marched 98 yards in 15 plays, capped by a 19-yard touchdown pass from Moorman to a wide-open Stein, to take a 7-0 lead. The Lumberjacks extended the lead to 14-0 with 3:45 left in the first half, as Tyson Hampson intercepted a Monrean pass in the flat and returned it 18 yards for a touchdown.

Humboldt State's other touchdowns came on a 44-yard pass from Moorman to Richard Perkins in the third quarter, and a 28-yard Moorman-to-Stein connection in the fourth period.

Aside from McCarty's touchdowns, Western's other points came on a 33-yard Robby Smith field goal with 7:17 left. The Vikings then appeared to recover a short kickoff, but the recovery was negated by a penalty, and the Lumberjacks scored in just four plays on Moorman's second touchdown pass to Stein, putting the lead at 11, 28-17, with 5:34 to play.

Humboldt State had a 308-282 edge in total offense.

Western quarterback James Monrean completed 9-of-17 passes for 98 yards and two interceptions. The Vikings had a 184-85 advantage in rushing yards.

Linebacker Shane Simmons led the Western defense with 13 tackles, 11 of them unassisted.

The loss snapped a three-game series winning streak for the Vikings over Humboldt State as well as a string of two season-opening victories.

WESTERN PLAYERS OF THE GAME

Offense - Calvin McCarty

Running Back Calvin McCarty rushed for 139 yards and three touchdowns on 30 carries.

Defense - Ryan Conwell

Defensive End Ryan Conwell was credited with four tackles, including two for loss against the Lumberjacks. He also deflected a pass leading to an interception.

Special Tms. - Corbin Anderson

Punter Corbin Anderson averaged 42.0 yards on three kicks.

LAST YEAR VS. WASHBURN

Aug. 31 - Western 21, Washburn 31

(Topeka, Kan.)

Washburn took the lead midway through a wild first half, then held off Western in a scoreless second half and claimed a 31-21 victory in a non-conference contest at Yager Stadium.The Vikings fell to despite rolling up 403 yards of total offense.

The Ichabods, ranked No.25 nationally in the D2football.com NCAA II Top 25, had 226 yards rushing on 42 attempts.

The game was played in 90-degree heat and 50-percent humidity.

Western's Andy Olson extended his school and Great Northwest Athletic Conference record streak of games with a touchdown reception to 11. He opened the scoring with an 8-yard touchdown rush on a reverse on Western's first possession. The play was set up through a 58-yard scramble by quarterback James Monrean that put the ball on the Washburn 12.

But the Ichabods took control of the game by scoring 31 points in a 14-minute span. Connor Sabel started the charge with a 41-yard field goal, then Washburn got two touchdowns just 15 seconds apart late in the first quarter.

Ra'Shawn Mosley scored on a 4-yard run, then on the first play after the kickoff, Fletcher Terrell intercepted Monrean and returned the pick 23 yards for another score, giving the Ichabods a 17-7 lead.

Washburn backup quarterback Brandon Walker continued the onslaught with a 78-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter, then running back Trent Hearn completed it with a 19-yard touchdown rush to make the score 31-7 with 6:17 left in the first half.

The Vikings responded with a pair of touchdowns late in the half. Monrean hit Olson deep in the end zone for a 35-yard score, then with 11 seconds left in the half, Monrean and fourth-string running back Darrius Tuggle combined for a touchdown on a 28-yard screen pass, narrowing the gap to 31-21.

Monrean completed 22-of-39 passes for 266 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Olson had six receptions for 105 yards and a score. The touchdown reception was the 29th of his career, just one short of the school record.

After the two teams combined for 52 points in the opening half, neither seriously threatened to score after halftime. Western had the ball in Washburn territory on four drives, but never got past the Ichabod 16, and had two of those drives end because of fumbles.

The Ichabods played much of the game without senior wide receiver Sam Sissom, Washburn's career touchdown reception leader with 36. Sissom left after being injured on a punt return in the second quarter and didn't return, but Mike Odupitan filled the spot with six catches for 119 yards and also added 64 yards on three kickoff returns.

Washburn quarterback Jordan Brill completed 11-of-18 passes for 199 yards, but Western sacked him six times. Hearn led rushing attack for the Ichabods with 94 yards on 16 carries.

QUOTES

WWU HEAD COACH Robin Ross

On Humboldt State loss...

"We played hard. Turnovers were obviously a factor. Fumbling going in and the interception for a touchdown, that's at least a 10, possibly a 14-point turnaround. The defense settled down after the first series and started making some plays."

On the debut of Calvin McCarty...

"He's a physically strong person, and you see that when he runs. He's tough to tackle and he's got good balance. He took a lot of hits where they thought they had him and he didn't go down."

"He's one of those backs that you can't arm tackle, you've got to wrap up and get a lot of plastic on him or he's not going to go down. He's a fun guy to watch."

On upcoming opponent, Washburn...

"They're a very good football team and very explosive. Brill threw for five touchdowns last week and with the receiving corps, Colardo Mines really tried to play them in tight coverage and load up the box and they hit some big plays on them."

"We need to make sure we don't give them the big play and stop the run because they are a running football team. The running back they have (Hearn) has good balance and runs hard. He's explosive and has a chance to break some big plays. So, we've got to stop the run and not give up the big play on the pass."

On new NCAA timing procedures...

"It's shortened the game. We only had 10 possessions (against Humboldt State). I figured that it was going to cost one to two possessions a game and that's about what it was.

The rules were more for Division I and TV. They're dealing with three media timeouts during each half, which we don't deal with."

NEXT GAME

The Vikings make their NCC debut, entertaining University of Nebraska-Omaha on Saturday, Sept. 16 (1 p.m.) at Bellingham's Civic Stadium. The Mavericks are looking for their third consecutive league title after being co-champions last year and their 11th straight winning season.

The contest is also the second of four straight for Western against preseason NCAA Division II top 25-ranked teams. Nebraska-Omaha won its season opener 29-19 at home over Nebraska-Kearney, and is at Northwest Missouri State on Sept. 9.

BATTLE IN SEATTLE

The fourth annual Wells Fargo Battle in Seattle for the Cascade Cup, presented by Comcast, takes place Sat., Oct 21 (6 p.m.) at Qwest Field in Seattle between arch-rivals Western and Central Washington University.

Tickets will be priced at $35 reserved with Club access, $25 reserved and $15 general admission. They can be purchased through Ticketmaster, the Western Box Office or at the Qwest Field Box Office.

This is the first time that the contest will be the only meeting of the season between the two schools. Central won the first BIS in 2003, defeating the Vikings 29-20 before 16,392 fans, a record for a non-NCAA Division I collegiate football game in the state of Washington.

Western won the 2004 meeting, 28-21, with 11,458 in attendance, but the Wildcats bounced back for a 37-17 victory in 2006 with a crowd of 11,312.