Sept. 13, 2008
Final Stats
ARCATA, Calif. - Western Washington University scored the final 16 points to pull away from a tie score and claim a 30-14 victory over Humboldt State University in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference football game Saturday at the Redwood Bowl.
The Vikings, who snapped a six-game losing streak, improved to 1-1 overall and in league play. Humboldt State fell to 1-2 overall and 0-1 in conference action.
The score was tied 14-14 at halftime, but the Vikings took a 17-14 lead on a 23-yard field goal by Josh Lider (Jr., Bellevue/Sammamish) late in the third quarter. The Western defense then forced Humboldt State to punt, with Caleb Jessup (Jr., Kenmore/Inglemoor) getting a third-down sack on the final play of the period.
Western then opened the fourth quarter with a 11-play, 62-yard drive that took more than five minutes off the clock, capped by a 1-yard plunge by fullback Matt Clark (Sr., College Station, TX).
The Viking defense took over from there, forcing two three-and-outs from the Humboldt State offense. The Lumberjacks did not have a first down from the middle of the third quarter until the final minute of the game, and had just 53 yards of offense in the second half, and more than half of those came in the final minute.
Western closed the scoring in the final minute as quarterback Adam Perry (Sr., Longview/R.A. Long), who completed 17-of-27 attempts for 188 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, connected with tight end Zack Hekker (Sr., Bothell) on a fourth-and-two play that capped an eight-play, 45-yard drive.
It was the third game as Humboldt State head coach for Rob Smith, who directed Western for 17 seasons and is the winningest coach in Viking history. Each team scored on their opening possession. The Vikings went 75 yards in 13 plays, capped by a 4-yard touchdown run by freshman Domenique Hill (Fr., Vancouver/Mountain View). But Humboldt State returned the kickoff across midfield and evened the score seven plays later on an eight-yard pass from Mike Proulx to Kevin Miles.
Proulx then connected with Matt Smith for a 15-yard touchdown in the second quarter, giving the Lumberjacks a 14-7 lead. But the Vikings tied the score when David Johnson (Fr., Odessa) blocked a punt and wide receiver Pat McCann (Jr., Olympia) caught an 11-yard pass from Perry with 51.5 seconds left in the first half.
Randall Eldridge (Jr., Lynnwood) rushed for 78 yards on 23 carries for the Vikings, who had a 333-227 edge in total offense, including a 200-53 advantage in the second half. McCann had eight receptions for 88 yards for Western.
Jessup led Western's defense with a game-high15 stops, including 2.5 for losses.
The Vikings next are on the road to face NCAA I-FCS Eastern Washington University on Saturday, Sept. 20 (6:05 p.m.).
SCORING SUMMARYWestern Washington 7 7 3 13 --- 30Humboldt State 7 7 0 0 --- 14
WWU - Hill 4 run (Lider kick)HSU - Miles 8 pass from Proulx (Leyva kick)HSU - M.Smith 15 pass from Proulx (Leyva kick)WWU - McCann 11 pass from Perry (Lider kick)WWU - FG Lider 23WWU - Clark 1 run (kick blocked)WWU - Hekker 25 pass from Perry (Lider kick)Attendance: 4,208
COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Strong second half lifts WWU over Humboldt State
ARCATA, Calif. - Western Washington University scored the final 16 points to pull away from a tie score and claim a 30-14 victory over Humboldt State University in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference football game Saturday at the Redwood Bowl.
The Vikings, who snapped a six-game losing streak, improved to 1-1 overall and in league play. Humboldt State fell to 1-2 overall and 0-1 in conference action.
"It was long trip, so to come down here and win is huge," Western Washington coach Robin Ross said in a phone interview.
The Western defense dominated the second half, holding the Lumberjacks to 53 yards of offense in the third and fourth quarters.
With Humboldt State holding a 14-7 lead and the apparent momentum late in the second quarter, Western turned the game around when David Johnson blocked a punt deep in the Lumberjacks' territory.
One play later, wide receiver Pat McCann caught an 11-yard pass from Adam Perry with 51.5 seconds left in the first half to tie the game 14-14.
"That turned the momentum of the game around," Ross said. "With a momentum change like that, after halftime we thought we were in good shape."
The score was tied 14-14 at halftime, but the Vikings took a 17-14 lead on a 23-yard field goal by Josh Lider late in the third quarter. The Western defense then forced Humboldt State to punt, with Caleb Jessup getting a third-down sack on the final play of the period.
Western then opened the fourth quarter with a 11-play, 62-yard drive that took more than six minutes off the clock, capped by a 1-yard plunge by fullback Matt Clark.
The Vikings defense took over from there, forcing two three-and-outs from the Humboldt State offense. The Lumberjacks did not have a first down from the middle of the third quarter until the final minute of the game, and had just 53 yards of offense in the second half, and more than half of those came in the final minute.
Western closed the scoring in the final minute as Perry, who completed 17 of 27 attempts for 188 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, connected with tight end Zack Hekker (Sr., Bothell) on a fourth-and-two play that capped an eight-play, 45-yard drive.
"In the second half, we were making some critical first downs; a couple on fourth down," Ross said. "That makes me want to go for them."
It was the third game as Humboldt State head coach for Rob Smith, who directed Western for 17 seasons and is the winningest coach in Viking history.
"Coach Smith and his guys do a great job," Ross said. "Those kids played hard. We were lucky to win this one."
Each team scored on their opening possession. The Vikings went 75 yards in 13 plays, capped by a 4-yard touchdown run by freshman Domenique Hill. But Humboldt State returned the kickoff across midfield and evened the score seven plays later on an eight-yard pass from Mike Proulx to Kevin Miles.
Proulx then connected with Matt Smith for a 15-yard touchdown in the second quarter, giving the Lumberjacks a 14-7 lead.
Randall Eldridge rushed for 78 yards on 23 carries for the Vikings, who had a 333-227 edge in total offense, including a 200-53 advantage in the second half. McCann had eight receptions for 88 yards for Western.
Jessup led Western's defense with 15 stops, including 2.5 for losses.
The Vikings next are on the road to face NCAA I-FCS Eastern Washington University on Saturday, Sept. 20.
Jacks' O flat-lines in second half for home opening loss to Western Washington
Ray Aspuria/The Times-Standard
ARCATA -- The Humboldt State football team looked good ... for a half at least.
Carrying momentum with less than a minute before half time, a blocked punt changed the outcome in the Jacks' 30-14 loss to Western Washington in their conference home opener on Saturday night.
"That was inexcusable," HSU head coach Rob Smith said after the game. "Everyone knew in the house they were trying to block it and we had to protect and we didn't.
"Good teams don't do that."
Up until that game-altering play, the Jacks (1-2, 0-1 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play) moved the chains well behind freshman quarterback Mike Proulx and running back Bobby Thomas.
Proulx's uncanny agility kept drives alive as he avoided certain sacks and scrambled with the ball for good gains.
"You know, you can't think (back there)," Proulx said regarding his ability to escape pressure. "It's all about reaction. The offensive line was doing a good job up front setting blocks for running back and myself."
With ample time in the pocket, Proulx found Kevin Miles in the back of the end zone in the first quarter on a throw only the wide out could get to the tie the score at seven apiece and he hit Mike Smith on a nice 15-yard lob for another touchdown to give HSU a 14-7 lead in the second. The latter play came after the Jacks gambled and made crowd pleasing fourth-down conversions.
HSU gained even more momentum in the quarter when safety Guy Riccarduli picked off Western Washington's Adam Perry's pass to Pat McCann in Humboldt territory. But the inability to move the chains after the interception forced HSU to punt and that led to the crucial block. Second later, the Vikings' Perry found McCann on an out route in the end zone to ties things up.
Even then, however, Humboldt had a chance to regain their foothold in front of the home crowd. It didn't happen.
"We seemed to think we were going to come out (after halftime) with a lot of energy," Proulx said. "You have to give (Western Washington) credit. They came out with a lot of energy."
The Jacks went three-and-out, but fortunately for them, the Vikings could only muster a field goal with 1:15 left in the quarter.
HSU went for the big play on the ensuing drive with Proulx firing a deep pass to an open Smith only to have the receiver misplay the ball for an incomplete pass.
"We've got to make those plays," coach Smith said. "We're the type of team that has to work hard for everything we get."
In the fourth quarter, the Vikings went into time-consuming mode.
Running the rock effectively, Western Washington rumbled into the end zone taking more than five minutes off the clock. With the extra point blocked, the Vikings took a 23-14 lead.
The Jacks were forced to play catch-up and the Vikings defense went on the attack. HSU didn't help their situation as catchable balls from Proulx bounced off receivers hands leading to short lived drives.
Western Washington kept the ball on the ground eating more time and they even found soft spots in HSU's defense to convert not one, but two, fourth downs, with the last being the most painful.
With fourth-and-two on the Jacks' 25-yard line and a minute to play, Perry found tight end Logan Cullen on a naked slip and No. 86 literally jogged into the end zone with blockers in front of him for the final score of the evening.
It might have appeared to be pouring salt in the wound to the crowd, but Smith didn't think so.
"We have got to make that play, it was fourth down," Smith said. "We got hurt by not keeping contain. It was a naked slip by the tight end and we have got to do a better job of making plays at critical times."
The loss only proved the Jacks have work to do, but like Proulx, Smith likes where the team is headed.
"We've had three games in a row with two touchdowns and that's the most we've got," Smith said. "But no one's hanging their heads. I'm proud of the kids, and how they battled hard throughout, even when the score got away from them at the end. "We've progressed, but there's still a lot of work to be done."
Up next for the Jacks is a trip to GNAC foe Central Washington this Saturday.
