GNAC Football

November 28

Central Washington Loses on Blocked Extra Point


Waller	Wood

Northwest Missouri State defensive tackle Tyler Roach blocked an extra point with six seconds remaining enabling the second-ranked Bearcats to escape with a 21-20 win over top-ranked Central Washington in a NCAA quarterfinal game Saturday at Tomlinson Stadium before 5,625 fans.

CWU, which finished its season with a 12-1 record, had scored on a dramatic 70-yard, nine-play touchdown drive after taking the ball over at their own 30 with just 1:11 remaining.

Wildcat quarterback Cole Morgan needed nine plays to get the 'Cats in the end zone. On the final play, Morgan tossed a 15-yard pass to wide receiver Mike Waller who made a leaping grab on the third down pass to apparently set up an overtime between the two teams.

Roach, however, changed all that blocking Garrett Rolsma's extra-point kick. Rolsma had made 99 consecutive PATs before missing one three weeks ago in CWU's regular-season finale.

Prior to the touchdown toss all of CWU's yards on the final drive had come on completions of 21 yards to Waller and 19 yards to Justin Helwege and on a fourth-down pass interference call which took the ball to the Bearcat 15.

For the game Morgan, who became CWU's starter at mid-season, completed 21 of 38 passes for 250 yards. Waller caught six for 88 yards. Running back Randall Eldridge, who scored CWU's first two touchdowns on runs of one and 12 yards in the first and second quarters, respectively, had 69 yards on 19 rushes and also had five receptions for 37 yards.

Central Washington, which had 337 yards in total offense, held Northwest Missouri to 395 yards, well below its average of 485.7 yards, which ranks fifth nationally. The Bearcats also came in ranked second in scoring averaging 43.8 points per game.

Quarterback Blake Bolles did complete 31 of 40 passes for 295 yards and running back LaRon Council rushed for 102 yards, but the Bearcat offense got the ball in the end zone just twice on 78 and 73-yard TD drives in the third quarter.

Bolles capped the two drives with TD passes of 15 and 19 yards to Jake Soy and Jordan Simmons to give the visitors a 21-14 lead heading into the fourth quarter. They also got a defensive touchdown in the first quarter on 25-yard interception return by Chad Kilgore.

Defensively, the Wildcats, who finished their season ranked No. 1 nationally in scoring defense allowing 11.9 points per game, were led by linebacker Buddy Wood with 19 tackles and Adam Bighill with a career-high 16, including four for losses of 15 yards.

Wood ended his career with 385 career stops, breaking the CWU career record of 370 set by Blake Walker between 2001 and 2004.

The wins advances Northwest Missouri (12-1), which has lost in the national championship each of the past four seasons, to next weekend's national semifinals where they will host California (Penn.). California advanced with a 57-35 win over West Liberty, W. Va.

The other national semifinal will pit Carson-Newman, Tenn., which was a 24-21 winner over North Alabama against Grand Valley State, Mich., which ousted defending national champion Minnesota Duluth 24-10. Grand Valley will host that contest. All four winners Saturday were the No. 2 seeds.

November 21

Central Washington Throttles Tarleton State 27-6 To Improve to 12-0


Hall	Williams

Central Washington employed a familiar story line - outstanding defense and superb special teams play - to defeat Tarleton State 27-6 in a NCAA Division II second-round playoff game before a standing room only crowd of 6,162 at Tomlinson Stadium Saturday.

The top-ranked Wildcats now advance to a quarterfinal game next Saturday against Northwest Missouri State. Kickoff will be at noon at Tomlinson Stadium. Northwest Missouri advanced with a 35-10 win over Abilene Christian.

After scoring 57 points in its first-round victory, the Texans (10-3) could never get anything going offensively against CWU, which came into the game ranked first nationally in scoring defense.

Tarleton managed just two field goals by Garrett Lindholm (39 and 31 yards), one after a 58-yard interception return in the first quarter that briefly gave the visitors a 3-0 lead and another after a 10-play, 48-yard drive in the second period.

Tarleton netted only 178 yards in total offense - they came in averaging 403.6 per game - including minus 14 yards rushing as CWU held a team to minus rushing for the fourth time in its 12 victories.

Linebackers Prince Hall, Adam Bighill and Buddy Wood led the CWU defense, which had five tackles for losses of 22 yards including two sacks by Ryan Dyer for losses of 17 yards and held Tarleton without a rushing first down.

Hall had nine tackles, including one for a loss. Bighill had eight and also recovered a fumble, while Wood, the GNAC Defensive Player-of-the-Year, had five and also forced a fumble and broke up two passes.

Defensive back Jerome Williams had four tackles, but he had more of an impact on CWU's specialty teams.

Williams had 168 return yards, 88 on six punts and 80 on two kickoff returns, including a 43-yarder to set up a 48-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Cole Morgan to wide receiver Johnny Spevak for CWU's first quarter touchdown.

Central had great field position throughout the afternoon thanks to Williams and Garrett Rolsma, who had three punts downed inside the 20, including one at the two-yard line and one at the three.

Meanwhile, CWU's offense was also productive producing 409 yards. Morgan completed 21 of 31 passes for a career-high 287 yards, while running back Randall Eldridge netted 101 yards on 18 carries scoring on a pair of short touchdown runs of three and two yards.

Eldridge, who also had five receptions for 68 yards, had a 60-yard run to set up a 30-yard field goal by Rolsma in the third quarter. Rolsma also booted a 27-yard field goal with 1:39 left in the second quarter to give CWU a 17-6 lead at halftime.

Spevak caught five passes for 97 yards, increasing his career reception total to 315. He needs just eight more to equal the all-time NCAA Division II career reception record of 323.

November 7

CWU Finishes As Division II's Only Unbeaten Team

Quarterback Cole Morgan and tailback Randall Eldridge ran for touchdowns and wide receiver Johnny Spevak scored a school-record 53rd career TD as Central Washington defeated Western Oregon 20-6 Saturday at McArthur Field completing an undefeated regular-season.

The win likely also clinched Central (11-0, 6-0), which has won 17 straight regular-season games, a No. 1 seed and a first-round bye in the NCAA playoffs, which begin next Saturday. CWU would host a second-round game on Nov. 21.

The Wildcats will go into the playoffs as the only unbeaten team - and likely as the No. 1 ranked team - after losses by No. 1 North Alabama and No. 4 Minnesota State Mankato Saturday.

The official announcement of playoff qualifiers will be made Sunday between noon and 12:30 p.m. on the cable network ESPNEWS.

The pairings will also be available on the NCAA web site after the conclusion of the show. Pairings will also be posted on the GNAC web site.

Morgan scored in the first quarter on a 14-yard run to cap an eight-play, 63-yard drive as CWU grabbed a 6-0 halftime lead. The drive also featured Morgan passes of 10 yards to Spevak and 13 yards to Reggie Westmoreland and a 27-yard run by Bryson Kelly.

After the touchdown, Onest Robert blocked Garrett Rolsma's extra point try, ending Rolsma's string of consecutive PATs at 99.

CWU's second touchdown was virtually all Morgan and Spevak, while the third was all Eldridge. After a two-yard run by Eldridge, Morgan connected with Spevak for a seven-yard gain and then on third-and-one, Spevak scored his record-breaking TD on a 66-yard slant pass.

Spevak caught the ball over the middle and then broke two tackles on the way to the end zone.

The Wildcats added an insurance touchdown a few moments later as Eldridge carried the ball three consecutive times for five, three and seven yards after CWU got the ball at the WOU 15 following a short punt into a stiff wind.

Western Oregon avoided the shutout scoring on a three-yard pass from Josh Riddell to Shaun Kauleinamoku on fourth down with 2:07 remaining.

As they have done most of the season, the Wildcats relied on a stellar defense to stay unbeaten, allowing just 167 yards, including only 31 rushing. Riddell completed 15 of 30 passes for the Wolves' other 136 yards. Sean Fullerton (40 yards) and Kauleinamoku (24 yards) each had four catches.

CWU netted 293 yards, including 151 rushing as Eldridge had 78 on 18 carries and Kelly had 56 on seven totes. Morgan was 11 of 18 passing for 142 yards.

Spevak had three catches for 83 yards. The touchdown enabled him to move past Rolsma as CWU's all-time career scorer. Spevak has 320 points and Rolsma has 319.

Linebacker Buddy Wood led the Wildcat defense with 14 tackles, including 3 1/2 for losses of six yards. Linebacker Prince Hall had seven tackles, one for a loss, and an interception.

Linebacker John Breza had 12 tackles and defensive backs Caleb Singleton and Andy Jackson had 10 each for Western Oregon, which ended its season 5-5 overall including 3-3 in the GNAC.

Humboldt State Ends Conference Loss Skid at 17

Mike Proulx completed 26 of 42 passes for 299 yards and four touchdowns and Kyle Schierholt kicked field goals of 33 and 19 yards in the fourth quarter as Humboldt State ended a 17-game conference game losing streak with a 33-23 home win over Dixie State.

The Lumberjacks hadn't won a conference game - they played as an independent in 2006 and 2007 when they posted records of 9-1 and 2-8 - since defeating Western Oregon 17-9 at Arcata on Oct. 8, 2005.

Humboldt, which has had four conference single-digit losses this season (1, 4, 7 and 3), finished the season with a 5-5 record, including 1-5 in the GNAC. Dixie ended up 4-7, 2-4 in the conference.

Proulx threw TD passes of 10 and 12 yards to Matt Devlin in the first quarter, 15 yards to Dirk Dallas in the second quarter and five to Edwin Henry in the third quarter. The latter TD snapped a 21-21 halftime tie.

Later Dixie got a safety as Proulx was called for intentionally grounding in the end zone to pull within four points, but Humboldt's defense didn't allow a score in the second half and Schierholt finished off scoring drives of 74 yards on 14 plays and 50 yards on 13 plays with three-pointers.

Devlin had a big day for the Lumberjacks, who finished with 403 yards, catching 10 passes for 123 yards. Dallas had six receptions for 74 yards. Daniel Wyatt rushed 26 times for 73 yards.

Dixie State had 308 yards on the day. Quarterback Judd Thompson completed 15 of 24 for 224 yards and three touchdowns. Skyler Ence had nine receptions for 147 yards including second-quarter TD catches of 27 and 52 yards. Nash Fowler also scored on a 10-yard pass from Thompson in the second period.

Ence's second touchdown came on the final play of the first half after Dallas had scored for Humboldt with 44 seconds remaining in the half.

Tauni Vakapuna had 66 rushing yards on 10 carries for the Red Storm, which netted only 46 yards on the ground. Defensively, Nick Cragin and Nick Rocco, both Western Washington transfers, led Dixie with 14 and 12 tackles, respectively.

For Humboldt State Dawiet Haile had seven tackles, two of them for losses of nine yards. Humboldt also got interceptions from Guy Ricciardulli and Elzie Gatson. For Gatson it was his fifth of the season, tying him for the conference lead.

October 31

Special Teams Key Central Washington's 10th Victory

Central Washington's special teams contributed to all five of its scores Saturday as the Wildcats wrapped up their 32nd all-time conference football title with a 23-9 victory over Dixie State at Saint George, Utah.

In Saturday's only other game, Miguel Gonzalez intercepted Mike Proulx's pass in the end zone with nine seconds left preserving Western Oregon's 31-28 Homecoming win over Humboldt State.

The Wildcats (10-0, 5-0) got field goals of 37, 23 and 44 yards from Garrett Rolsma and added a pair of short-field touchdowns in winning their 16th consecutive regular-season game and clinching their third straight double-digit win season.

CWU's first touchdown came early in the first quarter as Rolsma's punt bounced off a Red Storm player and was recovered by Buddy Wood.

It took just three plays for the Wildcats to convert the Dixie mistake into six points as running back Randall Eldridge carried three straight times, scoring the touchdown from five yards out.

The Wildcats got their only other touchdown on a five-yard run early in the third quarter from quarterback Cole Morgan following a 72-yard kickoff return to start the second half by Jerome Williams.

Williams had 130 return yards, including 93 on two kickoffs and 37 on four punt returns. Meanwhile, CWU also blocked two kicks in specialty team situations.

Wood blocked a PAT after Dixie's touchdown. Courtney Smith also had a block on a 33-yard field goal try after a successful 28-yarder by Mike Langston was wiped off the scoreboard due to a penalty.

Rolsma's three field goals enabled him to extend his season total to 18 and break his own GNAC record of 15 he set last season. He also made two extra points extending his three-year streak to 99 in a row without a miss. He's 33 of 33 this season.

Central Washington also got solid efforts on both offense and defense in clinching its fifth GNAC title. Morgan completed 17 of 27 passes for 217 yards and also led the Wildcats to 381 yards in total offense.

Eldridge rushed for 69 yards and Jerome Morris had 65 yards on the ground, while wide receiver Johnny Spevak had six catches for 65 yards and Reggie Westmoreland had three of 82, including a 62-yard reception to set up Rolsma's second-quarter field goal.

Defensively, CWU held Dixie to 235 yards in total offense limiting a team to minus rushing for the third time this season.

Red Storm quarterback Judd Thompson completed 20 of 45 passes for 256 yards, but Dixie finished with minus 21 yards rushing on 14 carries. In two games this season against CWU, Dixie had a minus 50 yards on the ground.

Thompson's top targets were Nash Fowler (6-73) and Adam Wells (5-61). Skyler Ence had three catches for 59 yards, including a 52-yarder. The Dixie touchdown came on a 12-yard pass from Thompson to Wells in the second quarter.

Dixie's Keauntea Bankhead had 14 tackles to lead four players in double figures for the Red Storm. Wood was one of three CWU players to earn six tackles.

Two of Wood's tackles were for losses of seven yards. His fumble recovery was his fifth of the year, tying his own GNAC single-season record he set last year. No one else in the the conference has more than one this season.

Western Oregon 31, Humboldt State 28

The two teams combined for 733 passing yards and 888 yards in total offense before Western Oregon (5-4, 3-2) finally secured the victory with an interception by defensive back Miguel Gonzales in the Humboldt State end zone with nine seconds remaining

Quarterback Josh Riddell completed 25 of 40 passes for 324 yards and three touchdowns for the Wolves and Humboldt State (4-5, 0-5) had 409 yards passing, including a 50-yard completion by wide receiver Sergio Allen.

HSU quarterback Mike Proulx completed 30 of 45 passes for 359 yards and three touchdowns, including five of seven for 54 yards after the Lumberjack took over the ball on their own 26 with 2:33 remaining.

Proulx drove his team to the WOU 29 where a 10-yard holding penalty gave HSU a first down at the 19. But after a false start set the ball back to the 24, Proulx was intercepted by Gonzalez to end the threat and deny the 'Jacks an opportunity at a potential tying field goal.

Humboldt, which has four single-digit losses this season (by margins of 1, 4, 7 and now 3) had already missed two field goals (from 52 and 32) and three extra points (one on a two-point try).

As in their other three close losses, Humboldt led this one in the fourth quarter before D.J. Jackson scored on a five-yard run with 9:38 to cap a 12-play, 68-yard WOU drive. Twice on the drive, on fourth and third downs, the Wolves got first downs on penalties.

Jackson's TD was the only score of the fourth quarter. Humboldt, which trailed 24-19 at halftime, got the only scores in the third quarter on a 34-yard field goal by Kyle Schierholt and on a six-yard run by Corey Stollmeyer.

Jackson finished the contest with a game-high 92 yards on 15 rushes. Sean Fullerton led WOU's receivers with six catches for 96 yards, including a five-yard touchdown in the first quarter right after he caught a 62-yarder to set it up.

Justin Ore and Tirrell Thompson also had TD receptions of 49 and 30 yards in the first and second quarter, respectively, to spark the Wolves to an early 21-7 lead.

Stollmeyer rushed for 59 yards for Humboldt before leaving the game in the fourth quarter with an injury. Matt Smith had eight receptions for 122 yards, including touchdowns of 35 and eight yards, while Matt Devlin had six for 93 yards, He scored in the second quarter from 32 yards.

DB Caleb Singleton led Western Oregon defensively with a GNAC season-best 16 tackles, including 10 solos. He also had a 60-yard interception return in the second quarter on a second-and-goal play from the WOU 5 that not only prevented a Humboldt touchdown but set up Riddell's TD toss to Thompson.

Outside linebacker Chris Peterson was one of three players with seven tackles for the 'Jacks. He also had a tackle for a loss and one of two HSU interceptions.

October 24

Central Washington Runs Past Humboldt State To Stay Unbeaten

Cole Morgan

Central Washington had its most productive rushing performance in six years and netted a season-high 470 yards in total offense in defeating Humboldt State 38-7 Saturday in its Homecoming game before a crowd of 5,410 at Tomlinson Stadium.

In a pair of non-conference games, Western Oregon leveled its record at 4-4 defeating Azusa Pacific 27-6, while Dixie State fell to Division I Cal Poly San Luis Obispo 44-14.

Central Washington netted 288 yards on the ground and quarterback Cole Morgan, making his first collegiate start at age 23, also threw for 182 yards and two touchdowns and finished with 213 yards in total offense as the nationally second-ranked Wildcats (9-0, 4-0) opened up a two-game lead in the conference race.

In the first half Morgan completed 13 of 19 passes for 161 yards including touchdown passes of 30 yards to Johnny Spevak and two yards to Griffin Squires as the Wildcats produced 298 yards and opened up a 31-0 lead at the break.

Spevak's grab was his 52nd career touchdown, tying the CWU school record set by running back Dan Murphy between 1996 and 1999.

Spevak finished the day with seven catches for 95 yards increasing his career reception total to 301 becoming the first receiver in CWU and GNAC history to catch 300 passes.

In addition to the two passing TDs, the Wildcats also scored in the first half on a pair of runs of six and five yards by Randall Eldridge and on a career-best 47-yard field goal by Garrett Rolsma.

Rolsma, who also made five extra points to increase his career point total to 306 and his consecutive PAT streak to 97, joined Spevak (314 points) and Murphy (312 points) as the only players in school history to score 300 or more points.

CWU's only second-half score came on a 72-yard run by Bryson Kelly, who netted 93 yards on six carries.

Eldridge had 66 yards on 19 totes and Jerome Morris netted 56 yards on 11 rushes as CWU produced its most rushing yards since a 302-yard effort in a 39-8 win over New Haven (Conn.) on Nov. 8, 2003.

Humboldt State, which had just 71 yards and three first downs in the opening half, put together a 10-play, 80-yard drive for its only touchdown on a two-yard run by Corey Stollmeyer late in the third period.

The Lumberjacks (4-4, 0-4) finished with 275 yards of offense including 197 passing. Starting QB Mike Proulx completed 11 of 19 for 139 yards. Dirk Dallas (66 yards), Matt Devlin (40 yards) and Sergio Allen (36 yards) all had four receptions.

Linebacker Bubba Reynolds led Humboldt State with 14 tackles and also forced a fumble. Linebackers Emeka Aludogby and Adam Bighill each had seven tackles for the Wildcats, who extended their regular-season win streak to 15 games. Safety Loa Madon had the game's only interception.

Western Oregon 27, Azusa Pacific 6

Josh Riddell threw for 328 yards and three touchdowns and Western Oregon held Azusa Pacific to 29 second-half yards in leveling its record at 4-4 and handing the Cougars (1-8) their fourth straight loss.

Riddell completed 16 of 31 passes, including a touchdown pass of nine yards to DJ Jackson in the second quarter and 24 and 25 yards to Justin Ore and Sean Fullerton in the third quarter.

WOU led 7-3 at halftime as Jackson scored the lone touchdown in the first half to cap off a nine-play, 80-yard drive.

The Wolves, however, scored on their first two possessions of the second half. Ore's catch finished off a 69-yard, five-play drive. Fullerton then scored to cap an 80-yard, six-play drive.

Tirrell Thompson added a final six-pointer in the fourth period on a five-yard run after a 15-yard punt return by Shaun Kauleinamoku gave WOU the ball at the Cougar 29.

Thompson finished with 89 yards rushing on 12 carries, all in the second half. Ore led the Wolf receivers with 113 yards on five catches, while Fullerton had 74 yards on four catches.

WOU finished the contest with a 419 to 172 edge in total offense, limiting the Cougars to 82 yards on the ground and 90 passing.

Linebacker John Breza and defensive back Andy Jackson led WOU with 11 and 10 tackles, respectively. Breza had 3 1/2 tackles for losses of eight yards. Jackson and DB Bryan Huber had interceptions.

Cal Poly SLO 44, Dixie State 14

Cal Poly scored three touchdowns in the first three minutes of the third quarter, two by its defense en route to a 44-14 victory over Dixie State in a non-conference football game before 9,231 fans in Alex G. Spanos Stadium.

Quarterback Tony Smith scored on a one-yard run following a 59-yard punt return by Asa Jackson to start the scoring spree.

Ryan Taylor then blocked a Dixie State punt, scooped the ball up and ran two yards for another touchdown and freshman linebacker Kenny Jackson recovered a Dixie State fumble and ran 32 yards for the third score and a 37-0 Mustang lead with 11:53 to play in the third period.

Cal Poly led 9-0 after one period following a 24-yard field goal by Chris Pinto and a 73-yard scoring pass from Smith to wide receiver Dominique Johnson. Smith's six-yard touchdown pass to Mike Anderson early in the second quarter gave the Mustangs a 16-0 cushion which they carried to the break.

After Cal Poly's three quick scores to open the second half, Dixie State got on the board on a 33-yard run by running back Tauni Vakapuna with 3:13 to play in the third period.

Smith's second one-yard sneak of the game gave Cal Poly a 44-7 advantage with 11:31 to play in the game and Dixie State capped the scoring with 7:30 to go on a six-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Judd Thompson to running back Adam Wells.

Smith completed seven of 13 passes for 119 yards and two scores. Fullback Jake Romanelli rushed for 96 yards on 19 carries as the Mustangs had 178 of their 297 yards in total offense on the ground.

Dixie, which had seven more first downs than Cal Poly (18-11), had 275 yards in total offense, 244 passing. Thompson completed 21 of 46 passes for 211 yards and one touchdown but was intercepted three times, all in the first half.

Wide receiver Skyler Ence caught nine passes for 119 yards and Wells had five receptions for 22 yards. Vakapuna finished with 52 yards rushing on 12 carries.

Defensively, linebacker Keauntea Bankhead led Dixie with 15 tackles and a forced fumble. DB Justin Ence and linebacker Micah Harward each had eight tackles. Harward had 3 ½ for losses of 16, including an eight-yard sack.

October 17

Central Washington Edges Western Oregon On Late FG

Garrett Rolsma kicked a 44-yard field goal with 32 seconds left and backup quarterback Cole Morgan rallied Central Washington from a 21-0 halftime deficit as the nationally third-ranked Wildcats stayed unbeaten with a 23-21 win over Western Oregon Saturday in front of a crowd of 5,334 at Qwest Field in Seattle.

Elsewhere, Dixie State and Humboldt State earned non-conference home victories. The Red Storm defeated Asuza Pacific 33-23. Humboldt State beat Southern Oregon 34-3.

Rolsma had three field goals and Central Washington (8-0, 3-0) also got a 100-yard interception return from Jerome Williams to extend its regular-season unbeaten streak to 14 games.

Central's comeback started on the first series of the second half after Morgan replaced starter Ryan Robertson at quarterback. The senior QB hit Justin Helwege for a 45-yard touchdown to complete a 71-yard, six-play drive.

CWU's next possession ended with a 32-yard field goal by Rolsma to pull the Wildcats within 11 points. Moments later Western Oregon (3-4, 2-2) appeared ready to regain the momentum after linebacker John Breza intercepted Morgan and returned the ball 11 yards to the CWU 13.

However, on the next play Williams intercepted the ball at the CWU goal line and aided by two blocks near the end of the return by Courtney Smith returned it all the way for a touchdown.

Another Rolsma field goal pulled CWU to within one point in the fourth quarter. The Wildcats then got the ball back at their own 47 following a short punt with 2:27 remaining.

Two eight-yard completions by Morgan to Jamal Weems and Reggie Westmoreland and a holding call on a third down pass play set up Rolsma for the game-winning kick.

Western Oregon had taken a 21-0 halftime lead scoring twice on runs of 15 and 10 yards by D.J. Jackson and on a 60-yard interception return by Gavin Romanick.

Jackson finished the contest with a game-high 40 yards as WOU outrushed Central 79-50.

CWU, however, had a 316-165 edge in passing as Morgan completed 12 of 29 for 219 yards in the second half. Wide receiver Johnny Spevak had six receptions for 104 yards.

WOU quarterback Josh Riddell completed 18 of 32 for 165 yards. Sean Fullerton caught eight passes for 83 yards.

Defensively, four players - linebackers Prince Hall (13 tackles) and Adam Bighill (10 tackles) for CWU and defensive backs Caleb Singleton (12) and Andy Jackson (10) for WOU - reached double figures in tackles.

Dixie State 33, Azusa Pacific 23

Quarterback Judd Thompson threw for 344 yards and two touchdowns, running back Tauni Vakapuna ran for 111 yards and Mike Langston kicked four field goals leading Dixie State to its win at Saint George, Utah.

The Red Storm built a 27-0 lead in the third quarter in leveling their record at 4-4. Azusa fell to 1-7 with the loss.

Dixie jumped ahead 20-0 in the first half, scoring in the first quarter on a 14-yard pass from Thompson to Robert Evans and in the second quarter on field goals of 24 and 37 yards by Langston and on a one-yard run by Sione Tapousi.

A 20-yard pass from Thompson to Adam Wells made it 27-0 in the third quarter. Dixie later got two more field goals from Langston of 40 and 36 yards. In addition to his four field goals, Langston also averaged 44 yards on five punts.

Thompson completed 19 of 38 passes as Wells caught seven for 118 yards. Vakapuna recorded his second consecutive 100-yard rushing game as Dixie finished with 464 yards in total offense, while holding Azusa to 207.

Defensively, Dixie was led by linebacker Nick Cragin, who had 13 tackles, including two for losses. He also forced a fumble and broke up a pass.

Humboldt State 34, Southern Oregon 3

Corey Stollmeyer, playing his first game at running back, rushed for 129 yards and scored three touchdowns leading Humboldt State to its win at Arcata against Southern Oregon.

HSU's defense was also spectacular, limiting the Raiders to 241 yards of offense and picking off three passes. Elzie Gatson, Guy Ricciardulli and Justin Price all had interceptions and Chris Peterson and Bubba Reynolds each were credited with 10 tackles as the Lumberjacks improved to 4-3.

Stollmeyer, HSU's regular starting slotback, was inserted into the backfield because of injuries. Two quick scores put the Jacks in control early. The first touchdown came on a 14-yard run by Stollmeyer with 8:55 remaining in the first quarter. Key to the scoring drive was a 36-yard pass completion from Mike Proulx to Matt Devlin that moved the ball to the Southern Oregon 21-yard line.

The HSU defense quickly forced the Raiders to punt, and after taking the ball back the Jacks needed only two plays to score again. This time, Proulx hit Matt Smith for a 68-yard connection and Kyle Schierholt's kick put the Jacks up 13-0 with 4:29 left in the opening period.

Tyler Crowley connected on a 35-yard field goal for the Raiders only 27 seconds before halftime, keeping the game close enough to give Southern Oregon hope.

But the second half was all Lumberjacks, starting with Stollmeyer's second touchdown on a one-yard run.

Proulx posted another strong performance as one of three Lumberjack quarterbacks seeing action. He finished 14 of 28 for 204 yards,with one interception and two touchdowns, including a nine-yard connection to Dirk Dallas that gave HSU a 27-3 lead with 10:21 left in the game.

HSU's final score was set up when Price intercepted Paul Sweeney's pass at the Southern Oregon 16-yard line. Stollmeyer took over from there, rushing for 13 yards on his first carry and taking the ball the final three yards for the TD that accounted for the final score.

October 10

Vakapuna Leads Dixie State Past Western Oregon

Tauni Vakapuna ran for 126 yards and two touchdowns and Dixie State had six takeaways in defeating Western Oregon 31-23 in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference football game Saturday at Hansen Stadium in Saint George, Utah.

Meanwhile at Arcata, Central Washington overcame a 20-13 halftime deficit to defeat Humboldt State 34-27 and remain unbeaten at 7-0. The Wildcats took the lead early in the fourth quarter on a blocked punt return by linebacker Adam Bighill.

Bighill scooped the ball up, which was blocked by Tyler Cardin, at the two and took it into the end zone.

Dixie's win was its first over the Wolves in six tries since moving up from the JC ranks. Dixie (3-4) also evened its conference record at 2-2, handing WOU (3-3) its first conference loss in three contests.

Vakapuna scored on a one-yard in the second quarter and then broke loose for a 74-yard run in the fourth quarter to give the Red Storm a 31-17 lead with 9:53 remaining.

Right after Vakapuna's long run, the Wolves drove to the Dixie 20, but Ross Doman picked off WOU quarterback Josh Riddell in the end zone. It was Riddell's fifth interception of the game as Doman and safety Wesley Beavers had two each.

WOU later put together a 13-play, 63-yard drive, scoring with 1:04 left on a Riddell eight-yard pass to Sean Fullerton.

The Wolves, after missing the extra point to remain eight points back, then tried an on-side kick but the ball was tipped out of bounds and Dixie was able to run out the clock.

Western Oregon outgained Dixie 413-306 in total offense, but four possessions into Red Storm territory ended at the 32, 49, 46 and 20, respectively, on interceptions.

Dixie also took advantage of a fumble recovery by Justin Ence to drive 15 yards for Vakapuna's second-quarter touchdown.

Dixie quarterback Judd Thompson completed 21 of 36 passes for 170 yards. He tossed a pair of five-yard third-quarter touchdowns to Grant Jimenez and Robert Evans as the Red Storm overcame a 17-9 deficit to go ahead 24-17.

Riddell launched 59 balls, completing 32 for 299 yards. Fullerton had 13 receptions for 163 yards. Running back DJ Jackson netted 70 of WOU's 114 yards on the ground.

DB Andy Jackson led Western Oregon with 11 tackles. Linebacker John Breza had seven tackles, two for losses. He also recovered a fumble.

Linebacker Keauntea Bankhead had nine tackles for the Red Storm. Cornerback James Freed and linebacker Micah Harward had eight each.

Central Washington 34, Humboldt State 27

Central Washington used a blocked punt return early in the fourth quarter to take the lead and went on to defeat Humboldt State 34-27.

Linebacker Adam Bighill scooped the ball up, which was blocked by Tyler Cardin, at the two and took it into the end zone enabling the nationally fourth-ranked Wildcats (7-0, 2-0), who trailed 20-13 at halftime, to snap a 20-20 tie.

Humboldt State fell to 3-3 with the loss, but is 0-3 in the GNAC. Its earlier conference losses were by just one and four points after leading both entering the final stanza.

"We expect to win, and we prepared to win," Humboldt State head coach Rob Smith said. "We're past the point where we show up just to feel good when we play against a quality team. We have to correct those mistakes that are costing us games we feel we should have won."

After gaining the lead, the Wildcats rode home on the legs of running back Randall Eldridge, who finished with 111 yards on 30 carries.

Eldridge carried the ball nine consecutive plays on CWU's next drive after taking the lead, finishing it with a three-yard run for touchdown that put the Wildcats up 34-20.

HSU's second quarterback of the game, Chris Bolt, then directed a four-play, 40-yard drive, completing a 14-yard scoring pass to wideout Matt Smith to cut Central's lead to 34-27 with 3:36 remaining.

The Wildcats, however, kept the ball on the ground after recovering an onside kick, running out the clock to claim the win and extend their regular-season win streak to 13 games.

CWU, which tied the game 20-20 on a one-yard run by Eldridge midway through the third quarter, controlled the football for 11 1/2 minutes of the fourth quarter and finished the game with a 35:31 to 24:29 edge in time of possession.

The Wildcats finished the game with a lead in total offense, but just barely. Central netted 317 yards, including 124 rushing, while Humboldt had 291, 241 of it through the air.

The 'Jacks threw four touchdown passes as Bolt completed nine of 17 for 124 yards and two touchdowns and starter Mike Proulx was seven of 10 for 117 yards and a pair of TDs. Bolt was also the Jacks' leading rusher with 38 yards on eight carries.

All three of CWU's touchdowns came on short runs by Eldridge (3, 1 and 3) as the Wildcats had a string of consecutive games with a touchdown pass snapped at 53.

Wildcat starter Ryan Robertson was 13 of 22 for 127 yards with one interception, while Cole Morgan, who played all of the second half, was six of 13 for 66 yards.

Eldridge led CWU with five catches for 51 yards, while wide receiver Johnny Spevak had five catches for 45 yards including a 19-yard completion from Morgan during a 12-play, 59-yard drive that tied the game in the third quarter.

Defensively linebacker Prince Hall led Central with 13 tackles, including two for losses. DB Guy Ricciardulli and outside linebackers Kevin Duley and Chris Peterson all finished in double figures for Humboldt with 12, 11 and 10 tackles, respectively.

October 3

Central Washington Wins GNAC Opener 37-6 over Dixie

Cole Morgan came off the bench to throw for 161 yards and two touchdowns, Garrett Rolsma kicked three first-half field goals and Johnny Spevak became Central Washington's all-time receiving yards career leader in a 37-6 Great Northwest Athletic Conference win over Dixie State Saturday at Tomlinson Stadium before a crowd of 4,519.

The nationally fifth-ranked Wildcats, who held a team to minus yards rushing for the second week in a row, improved to 6-0, winning their GNAC opener and running their regular-season win streak to 12.

In non-conference games, Western Oregon defeated Southern Oregon 23-0 and Humboldt State outscored Azusa Pacific 31-10. Both GNAC teams improved to 3-2 with the victories.

The Red Storm (2-4, 1-2) netted a minus 29 yards as not a single player finished with positive rushing yardage against the Wildcat defense that allowed just 174 yards and a single touchdown.

Checking box scores dating back 45 years (to 1964), Central had never previously had back-to-back games where it had held its opponents to minus rushing yards.

Dixie did grab a 6-3 lead in the first quarter on a 49-yard pass from quarterback Judd Thompson to tight end Alex Nelson following a failed CWU onside kick. But Morgan then came in to lead CWU on four scoring drives.

Rolsma kicked field goals from 35, 41 and 21 yards to give CWU a 9-6 lead early in the second quarter and Morgan connected for TD passes of five yards to Spevak and seven yards to Sam Togar to make it 23-6 at halftime. A 50-yard Morgan to Togar pass set up the latter touchdown.

Central added two more TDs in the third quarter on a 14-yard pass from starting QB Ryan Robertson to Spevak and on a 15-yard return by Jamal Weems of a blocked punt by Tyler Cardin.

Spevak finished with eight catches for 71 yards increasing his career totals to 283 for 3,907 yards. His 283 catches ties the school record set by Brian Potucek between 2001 and 2005 and his 3,907 yards breaks Potucek's record of 3,889 yards.

The two TD catches were the 50th and 51st of his career, putting him over the 300-point career scoring milestone, the first player in GNAC history to accomplish that feat.

Ironically, Spevak and Potucek have a combined 84 career TD catches - that's the uniform number the two have shared for most of the decade.

Morgan completed 13 of 16 passes in the first half and finished 13 of 19, while Robertson was 10 of 21 for 80 yards. Central ended up with 385 yards in total offense, including 134 on the ground and 251 passing.

Running backs Randall Eldridge and Bryson Kelly had productive days. Eldridge netted 68 yards on 10 carries, while Kelly had 65 yards on 17 rushes.

Thompson completed 24 of 43 passes for 198 yards to lead Dixie. Nelson had eight receptions for 97 yards. Defensively Nick Cragin led the Red Storm with 11 tackles.

Linebacker Adam Bighill led the Central defense with 11 tackles, including 2 1/2 for losses totaling 17 yards and one sack. He and fellow linebacker Prince Hall both had interceptions for the Wildcats.

Western Oregon 23, Southern Oregon 0

Western Oregon's specialty teams accounted for four of their five scores as the Wolves blanked Southern Oregon 23-0 Saturday at McArthur Field in Monmouth.

Jon Dowd had 102 yards on five punt returns, including a 49-yard touchdown return, and kicker Kelly Morgan had field goals of 20, 42 and 33 yards to key the victory.

Dowd's touchdown came after a 32-yard punt by Scott Buche had pinned Southern Oregon at its own 11 yard line. Moments later, Dowd recovered a fumble on a SOU punt return to set up a 20-yard field goal by Morgan.

WOU then put together a 75-yard, six-play drive to go ahead 17-0. The drive featured passes of 10 yards to Trevor Gates and 11 to Dowd and runs of 11 by D.J. Jackson and 13 by Tirrell Thompson prior to a 34-yard TD catch by Sean Fullerton.

Morgan completed the scoring in the second half connecting on field goals of 42 and 33 yards. An interception by Alex Miller set up Morgan's third-quarter three-pointer.

Dowd ended the game with 139 all-purpose yards, including 14 on one kickoff and 23 on two receptions.

Quarterback Josh Riddell led the Wolf offense that outgained Southern Oregon 296-131, completing 17 of 32 passes for 173 yards. Jackson had 75 yards on 18 rushes and Fullerton had 73 yards on six receptions.

Defensively, the Wolves were led by defensive back Caleb Singleton and linebacker Gavin Romanick with eight tackles each. DB Andy Jackson had seven tackles.

WOU was able to post the shutout, its first since blanking Humboldt State 64-0 two years ago, despite being flagged 17 times for 180 yards. WOU held SOU to just three conversions in 16 third-down attempts.

Humboldt State 31, Azusa Pacific 10

Humboldt State's defense had four takeaways and allowed just 242 yards in defeating Azusa Pacific 31-10 Saturday at Cougar Stadium in Azusa.

The takeaways led to three scores, including a pair of short drives early in each half as the 3-2 Lumberjacks improved to 3-0 in non-conference games.

An 18-yard interception return by linebacker Mike Lynch down to the four-yard line led to a one-yard TD run by Nick Ricciardulli two plays later to give the 'Jacks a 7-0 lead with 1:40 left in the first quarter.

HSU got another touchdown in the second quarter on a 72-yard, 10-play drive - all on the ground - to go up 14-3 on a one-yard run by backup QB Chris Bolt, then used a fumble recovery by Max Apodaca to set up a 25-yard pass from Mike Proulx to Matt Devlin on their first offensive snap of the third period in building a 21-3 lead.

Defensive back Justin Price, who later had an interception, was credited with a forced fumble on the play.

After Humboldt forged a 28-3 lead in the third quarter on a two-yard run by Proulx to finish off a 48-yard, six-play drive, HSU's third interception (by Guy Ricciardulli) set up a 32-yard field goal by Kyle Schierholt to account for its final three points early in the final stanza.

Humboldt finished the game with 342 yards, including 201 rushing as Bobby Thomas netted 81 on 16 totes. Proulx was seven of 17 passing for 110 yards.

APU quarterback John van den Raadt had 191 yards in total offense, rushing for 88 on 10 carries and passing for 103, including a 10-yard TD pass to Matt Davis for the Cougars only touchdown in the third stanza.

Linebacker Bubba Reynolds helped key Humboldt's defense, earning 12 tackles. Three other players - Ricciardulli, Lynch and lineman Chris Holmes - had six each.

September 26

Central Washington Dominates Idaho State 33-22

Central Washington jumped to an early 26-0 lead and was never seriously challenged by Idaho State as the nationally fifth-ranked Wildcats improved to 5-0 with a 33-22 win over the Bengals Saturday at Holt Arena in Pocatello.

In the lone conference game, Dixie State got two interceptions from Wesley Beavers and scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns to overcome a 17-10 deficit and defeat Humboldt State 24-17. In another non-conference game, Western Oregon lost 27-13 at Division I UC Davis.

The Wildcats took advantage of six first-half turnovers by Idaho State and dominated the Division I team on the ground in running their regular-season win streak to 11 games.

Running backs Bryson Kelly and Randall Eldridge combined for 154 yards as CWU outrushed ISU 191 to minus 33 and finished with a 383-215 advantage in total offense.

Kelly had 91 yards on 16 carries, while Eldridge netted 65 yards on 16 carries. Meanwhile, redshirt freshman quarterback Ryan Robertson had decent numbers completing 26 of 43 for 192 yards.

He was, however, picked off four times, one of which set up a 20-yard TD pass. Moments later a fumble set up a 26-yard TD pass that enabled the 0-4 Bengals to cut CWU's lead to 12 at the break.

But, ISU didn't get in the end zone again until quarterback Kyle Blum hit Kelvin Krosch for a 67-yard score with just 1:35 left in the game. CWU then recovered an onside kickoff try by ISU and ran out the clock with two kneel-downs.

CWU's early lead was mostly due to its defense. Late in the first quarter, defensive end Taylor Tanasse pressured Blum into an intentional grounding call in the end zone, earning Central a safety.

The Wildcats then scored three touchdowns in 102 seconds, getting a five-yard touchdown reception by Johnny Spevak from Robertson to finish off a eight-play, 56-yard drive.

A few seconds later linebacker Prince Hall sacked Blum and LB Buddy Wood picked up the ball and took it in from five yards out.

Then immediately after the kickoff, Tanasse recovered a fumble - CWU's fourth of the game - and Spevak, who had six receptions for 55 yards, caught an 18-yard TD on the next play stretching the Wildcat lead to 23-0.

Another turnover - a 25-yard interception return by Hall - then set up a 28-yard field goal by Garrett Rolsma stretching CWU's advantage to 26-0.

In the second half, CWU took advantage of a blocked punt to go ahead 33-14 on an eight-yard pass from Robertson to Justin Helwege, then played ball control most of the rest of the period, maintaining possession of the football for nearly 19 of the 30 minutes, including 11:23 in the fourth stanza.

CWU finished the contest with 12 tackles for losses - Wood had 2 1/2 for losses of 30 - and five sacks. Linebacker Adam Bighill had a team-high nine tackles, two of them for losses and also forced and recovered a fumble.

The defense was dominating on third downs holding former CWU coach John Zamberlin's Big Sky team to zero conversions in 11 tries, though Idaho State did convert twice on fourth downs on its final TD drive.

Dixie State 24, Humboldt State 20

Wesley Beavers set up the go-ahead touchdown with an interception, then sealed the victory with another steal as Dixie State defeated Humboldt State 24-20 to even its conference record at 1-1.

Dixie (2-3 overall) trailed 20-10 in the fourth quarter but then put together an 80-yard, nine-play drive to pull within three points with 9:19 left on a five-yard pass from Judd Thompson to Adam Wells.

Three players later, Beavers got the ball back for the Red Storm intercepting the ball at the Humboldt 41 and returning it 34 yards to the seven. Wells gained six yards to the one-yard line where Tauni Vakapuna dove in for the go-ahead score.

After an exchange of possessions, Humboldt State (2-2, 0-2) used a 27-yard pass from Mike Proulx to Dirk Dallas to get to Dixie's 25. However, Proulx was sacked on second down and then on a third-and-17 from the 33, Beavers intercepted at the seven to secure the victory.

Thompson led the Dixie offense, connecting on 19 of 30 passes for 264 yards, including six of eight for 79 yards on its long fourth quarter drive.

Nash Fowler had six receptions for 53 yards and Wells had 86 on five catches, including a 13-yard TD catch in the opening quarter. Wells also netted 38 yards on seven carries.

The Red Storm outgained the Lumberjacks 346 to 291 in total offense. Proulx accounted for most of Humboldt's total completing 15 of 27 for 239 yards and two touchdowns. Bobby Thomas had 55 yards on 22 carries.

Proulx gave HSU the lead going into the fourth completing TD passes of 15 yards to Dallas in the second quarter and 38 to Matt Smith in the third quarter. Kyle Schierholt added six points on field goals of 23 and 46 yards.

Defensively each team had three interceptions - Wes Montgomery had two for the Lumberjacks - and four takeaways. The top tacklers were Dixie linebackers Micah Harward and Nick Cragin with eight each. Both players had sacks.

Defensive end Jacob Taylor and linebacker Michael Lynch had six each for Humboldt. Taylor also had two tackles for losses of eight yards and HSU's only sack for a loss of six yards.

UC Davis 29, Western Oregon 13

UC Davis repelled a third-quarter comeback try by Western Oregon and went on to defeat the Wolves 29-13 in a non-conference game before 10,078 fans at Aggie Stadium in Davis.

Trailing 16-0 at halftime, the Wolves (2-2) scored twice in the third quarter on a 41-yard pass from Josh Riddell to Justin Ore and on an 11-yard run by Riddell to finish off an 80-yard, 12-play drive.

But, the Division I Aggies responded getting a three-yard TD pass from Greg Denham to Sean Creadick and two fourth-quarter field goals by Sean Kelley (36 and 39 yards) to win their first game after two losses.

UCD finished the contest with a 285-247 edge in total offense, including 225-199 passing. Riddell completed 16 of 39 passes for 200 yards (punter Scott Buche had one pass for a loss of one).

Ore had four catches for 92 yards and Sean Fullerton had four for 43 yards.

Denham completed 29 of 50 for 225 yards for the Aggies, including 11 for 77 yards to Chris Carter.

Defensively, linebacker John Breza and defensive back Andy Jackson led WOU with 10 tackles. DB Miguel Gonzalez had WOU's lone interception and defensive end Gavin Romanick had the Wolves' lone sack. In all Romanick had two tackles for losses of 14, including the nine-yard sack.

September 19

Western Oregon Edges Dixie State 17-16

Freshman kick Kelly Morgan kicked a 46-yard field with 3:39 left Saturday to give Western Oregon a 17-16 Great Northwest Athletic Conference victory over Dixie State before 1,850 fans at McArthur Field.

The win - WOU's second consecutive by a 17-16 score - gives the Wolves (2-1 overall) the early lead in the GNAC race with a 2-0 record. Central Washington (4-0), which defeated Azusa Pacific 42-10 Saturday at Ellensburg, has yet to play a conference game.

Humboldt State (2-1), which defeated Menlo State 44-16 Saturday, and Dixie (1-3) are both 0-1 in the conference.

Morgan's game-winning field goal, which came with 3:39 left, capped off a 58-yard, nine-play drive that officially began at the WOU 13, but really began at the 7 with a first-and-16 after a holding penalty.

Quarterback Josh Riddell and wide receiver Sean Fullerton teamed up for receptions of 20 yards, nine, 16 and 12 on the game-winning drive to set up the field goal.

Fullerton ended the game with 14 receptions - one short of the GNAC single-game record - for 164 yards, while Riddell completed 27 of 41 for 402 yards.

Fullerton had a 15th reception, which would have equaled the GNAC record held jointly by Dustin Creager of Humboldt State and Central Washington's Brian Potucek, but it was wiped out by the holding play on the winning drive.

Riddell also connected with sophomore wide receiver Trevor Gates six times - twice for touchdowns - for 141 yards. The first six-pointer was a 52-yarder to finish off an 80-yard, nine-play first-quarter drive.

The second, following 16 unanswered points by Dixie (a 53-yard second-quarter interception return by linebacker Nick Cragin, an 11-yard third-quarter run by quarterback Judd Thompson and a 31-yard third quarter field goal by Mike Langston), came with 3:43 left in the third period from 34 yards away.

Despite the one-point margin, Western Oregon dominated the stats outgaining the Red Storm 490-198, including 88-17 on the ground.

Thompson led DSC completing 25 of 44 passes for 181 yards and also was his team's top rusher with a net 10 on eight totes. Skyler Ence had six receptions for 28 yards and Grant Jimenez had five for 39 yards.

Prior to his winning kick, Morgan had missed from 48 and 36 yards and had made only one of his previous five attempts this fall - and that was little more than an extra point (from 22 yards). He did, however, average 63.5 yards on four kickoffs.

Defensively, the standouts included Cragin for Dixie, who had 11 tackles in addition to his interception return. Cornerback James Freed also had an interception for the visitors.

Linebackers Andy Douglas and John Breza each had seven tackles and DB Miguel Gonzalez had an interception to set up the game-winning field goal drive and three breakups for the Wolves.

Defensive tackle Sitani Tupou also had a huge impact on the outcome of the game blocking Dixie's extra point attempt on it first touchdown and sacking Thompson to end the game.

Humboldt State 44, Menlo 16

Quarterback Chris Bolt completed 15 of 26 passes for 191 yards and one touchdown and running back Nick Ricciardulli rushed for 78 yards and two touchdowns as Humboldt State cruised to a 44-16 road win against Menlo Saturday at Atherton.

Bolt, who was playing in place on injured starter Mike Proulx, tossed a 44-yard TD pass to Matt Smith early in the third quarter and also scored in the final minute on the first half on a five-yard run. Ricciardulli had TD runs of two and seven yards.

HSU also got touchdown runs of one yard from Bobby Thomas and three yards from Daniel Wyatt in overcoming an early 8-0 deficit and improving to 2-1 on the season.

The Lumberjacks finished the contest with a 358-282 edge in total offense, netting 167 yards on the ground in addition to Bolt's 190 through the air. Smith caught six catches for 83 yards.

Defensively, linebacker Bubba Reynolds had eight tackles and Justin Price had a 35-yard interception return as the Lumberjacks held Menlo to 82 yards rushing and 200 passing.

Central Washington 42, Azusa Pacific 10

Freshman quarterback Ryan Robertson completed 10 of 15 passes for 163 yards and three touchdowns and linebacker Prince Hall had 14 tackles, including 3 1/2 for losses as NCAA Division II nationally fifth-ranked Central Washington defeated Azusa Pacific 42-10 before 4,428 fans at Tomlinson Stadium.

The Wildcats (4-0) extended their regular-season win streak to double digits (10) since losing last September 38-35 at the University of Montana on a last-second field goal.

The Wildcats, who have allowed only 30 points in four games, built a 28-0 halftime lead on touchdown passes by Robertson of 15 yards to running back Bryson Kelly and 63 yards to All-American wide receiver Johnny Spevak along with a 33-yard fumble return by linebacker Buddy Wood and a one-yard run by Randall Eldridge.

Central extended its lead to 42-3 in the second half as Spevak caught a seven-yard TD pass from Robertson and a pair of Western Washington transfers - quarterback Cole Morgan and tight end Zach Hekker - teamed up for a seven-yard scoring toss.

Azusa didn't get into the end zone until Chris Brown scored on a one-yard run with 4:44 left in the fourth quarter. In the third quarter the Cougars drove 73 yards in 17 plays before settling for a 23-yard field goal by Ben Hansen.

CWU outgained Azusa 319 to 252 in total offense, including 177-97 passing. Spevak had three catches for 84 yards as nine different players caught passes.

In addition to Hall, who had nine solos and five assists, Wood was also in double figures in tackles. He had 11, two of them for losses. Linebacker Matt Snell had nine stops, 2 1/2 for losses.

Two Wildcats had interceptions - safeties Taylor Breitzman (39-yard return) and Lao Madon (24-yard return).

September 12

CWU Blasts West Texas A&M 34-10

Freshman quarterback Ryan Robertson threw for 256 yards and four first-half touchdowns and Central Washington's defense continued to play outstanding football as the nationally sixth-ranked Wildcats rolled to a 34-10 win over the Buffs Saturday for 2,977 fans at Tomlinson Stadium.

In Saturday's other two games, Western Oregon edged Humboldt State 17-16 and Dixie State lost to Montana State 23-20. The WOU-HSU game was a conference counter.

Central's win came in the home opener for the Wildcats, who have allowed just 20 points in winning their first three games. Last November, West Texas scored 49 points against CWU in a 49-42 NCAA Division II first-round playoff game in Canyon, Tex.

Central held West Texas (0-3) to 230 yards, 140 below its season average, but the story of the game was the Wildcat offense. At least in the first 30 minutes.

Robertson completed 18 of 24 passes for 227 yards in the opening half as the Wildcats opened up a 31-3 lead. He tossed touchdown passes of 18 yards to Jamal Weems and two yards to Justin Helwege in the first quarter and 20 yards to Johnny Spevak and 25 to Reggie Westmoreland in the second period.

Spevak had nine catches for 121 yards, recording a school-record 18th 100-yard career receiving game as Robertson completed 21 of 36 and was not intercepted.

CWU finished the contest with 366 yards in total offense, including 110 on the ground. Randall Eldridge had 64 on 14 carries. Kelvin Thompson led West Texas with 81 yards on 16 carries. Buff QB Taylor Harris was 23 of 38 for 174 yards.

West Texas's only touchdown came early in the fourth quarter when Josephius Martin caught a six-yard pass from Taylor to finish off a nine-play, 80-yard drive.

Defensively, the Wildcats were led by linebackers Prince Hall and Buddy Wood. Hall, a transfer from Alabama, had 10 tackles including a 10-yard sack. Wood also had 10 tackles and forced and recovered a fumble.

Western Oregon 17, Humboldt State 16

Jon Dowd caught a 23-yard pass from Josh Riddell with 13:26 left in the fourth quarter to lead Western Oregon to a 17-16 road win at Humboldt State.

Following Dowd's TD catch, Humboldt State pulled to within one point on a 46-yard field goal by Kyle Schierholt with 10:17 left.

Schierholt also had field goals of 36 and 34 yards, the latter of which gave HSU a 13-10 lead inside the final minute of the third quarter.

After Schierholt's final three-pointer, the 'Jacks had two more scoring opportunities, but twice had drives stall inside WOU territory (at the 36 and 45).

WOU was then able to run out the final 1:41 as Ben Kuenzi had runs of five, three and nine yards to secure the final first down needed to kill the clock.

Kuenzi finished the contest with 117 yards on 24 rushes. Riddell completed 14 of 27 passes for 213 yards, including a five-yard TD pass to Sean Fullerton to tie the game at 10-10 late in the third quarter.

Justin Ore had three catches for 105 yards for WOU, including a 66-yarder to set up a 22-yard field goal by Kelly Morgan in the opening quarter.

For the game, Humboldt State outgained Western Oregon 388-368 in total offense.

Linebackers John Breza and Andy Douglas led the Wolf defense with eight tackles each. DB Guy Ricciardulli and outside linebacker Kevin Duley had 10 tackles each for Humboldt State.

Montana State 23, Dixie State 20

Dixie State put a scare into Montana State, but the Bobcats held on to beat the Red Storm 23-20 Saturday before 13,767 fans at Bobcat Stadium.

Dixie led late in the third quarter before MSU used a 32-yard pass from quarterback Mark Iddins to Kyle Begger and a 35-yard field goal from Jason Cunningham to go ahead 23-14 with 5:50 left.

Dixie then put together an 80-yard, seven-play drive, scoring on a six-yard pass from Judd Thompson to Kyser Christensen with 11 seconds left. Dixie's on-side kickoff attempt then went out-of-bounds enabling the Bobcats to run out the clock.

Thompson threw three touchdowns passes against the Big Sky school, combining with Nash Fowler for a 49-yarder in the second quarter and Skyler Ence for a 12-yarder in the third quarter.

For the game, Thompson completed 28 of 55 passes for 417 yards, but was picked off four times, twice each by Michael Rider and Clay Bignell. Fowler had eight catches for 144 yards and Christensen had eight for 136.

Aaron Mason led MSU with 112 rushing yards on 17 carries. Iddins completed 24 of 40 passes for 305 yards and two touchdowns. Cunningham hit on three of four field goals (from 44, 25 and 35).

Keauntea Bankhead led Dixie defensively with 13 tackles, recovered a fumble and broke up a pass. Nick Cragin had seven tackles, including three for losses of 13. Seth Mortensen and Wesley Beavers had interceptions.

September 5

Humboldt State Beats Adams State In Opener

Quarterback Mike Proulx threw for 336 yards and four touchdowns and Bobby Thomas rushed for 143 yards and a touchdown to lead Humboldt State to a 36-24 win over Adams State Saturday at Alamoso, Colo.

In Saturday's only other game involving a GNAC team, Division I Eastern Washington scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns in defeating Western Oregon 35-14.

The games were the season openers for both Humboldt State and Western Oregon who face each other next Saturday in Arcata.

Proulx teamed up with Matt Smith for three touchdown passes, including a 24-yard game-clinching throw with 19 seconds remaining. Smith, who had seven receptions for 138 yards, also scored from 11 yards in the second quarter and eight yards late in the third quarter to stretch a 23-21 lead to 29-21.

Adams State's Adam Bolt cut the margin back to five points with a 21-yard field goal with 11:45 remaining before Proulx led HSU on a 52-yard, seven-play drive for the final score. That score was set up on an interception by Wes Montgomery.

Proulx also tossed a 77-yard TD pass to Corey Stollmeyer in the first quarter. Later, Thomas capped off an 80-yard, eight-play drive with a one-yard TD. A safety gave the 'Jacks a 16-0 lead, a lead Adams could never quite overcome though it did pull within two points at 23-21 early in the third quarter on a 22-yard run by Stephan Baca.

Baca finished with 91 yards on 16 rushes as Adams netted 286 yards on the day, including 184 passing. Humboldt, however, finished with 507 yards, 122 of it by Stollmeyer who caught six passes for 109 yards and added 13 yards on three rushes.

Defensively Elzie Gatson led Humboldt with six tackles, an interception and three breakups. Three other players - Michael Lynch, Dawiet Haile and Justin Hornsby - also had six tackles for the 'Jacks.

Eastern Washington 35, Western Oregon 14

Matt Nichols tossed touchdown passes of 20 and 21 yards to Nathan Overbay in the fourth quarter as Eastern Washington defeated Western Oregon.

The Wolves trailed by only a 14-7 margin at halftime. Twice they had opportunities to pull into a tie late in the half following interceptions by John Beza and Gerritt Vincent, but couldn't convert either time.

Nichols finished the game completing 20 of 30 passes for 286 yards and three touchdowns and Eastern outgained the Wolves 445 to 321 in total yards. Taiwan Jones had 122 yards on 12 rushes, scoring from 87 yards on the Eagles first play from scrimmage and on a one-yard run in the third period.

Josh Riddell completed 20 of 41 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns to lead WOU offensively. Sean Fullerton caught five for 85 yards, including a 21-yard TD reception to tie it at 7-7 in the first quarter.

John Beza scored on a three-yard pass from Riddell with 5:49 left in the third quarter to pull WOU within 21-14 before Overbay and Nichols combined for two scores in the final period.

Jon Dowd had 203 all-purpose yards for WOU, including a 58-yard kickoff return to start the game. He had 163 yards on five returns and caught five passes for 40 yards.

Defensively Gavin Romanick led the Wolves with eight tackles. Caleb Singleton had seven.

September 3

Central Washington Stuns Defending National Champions

Ryan Dyer and Eugene Germany blocked second-half field goal tries and Garrett Rolsma snapped a 10-10 tie with a 24-yard field goal with 4:13 left as Central Washington stunned No. 3 ranked Minnesota Duluth 13-10 before 5,389 fans and a CBS College Sports Network national television audience Thursday at Malosky Stadium in Duluth.

CWU, which came into the game ranked ninth in two different polls, snapped UMD's 17-game win streak. The Bulldogs were 15-0 last year on the way to winning the NCAA Division II national title.

After Rolsma's field goal put CWU ahead, Duluth had two possessions. The first went nowhere, but on the second which started with just 1:09 remaining, the Bulldogs drove to CWU's 35.

On second down, freshman quarterback Chase Vogler completed a five-yard pass to running back Isaac Odim. However by the time the teams could untangle only two seconds remained forcing a field goal from 48 yards by David Nadeau. Dyer blocked it to preserve the win.

Germany's block came on a 23-yard try by Nadeau late in the third quarter following an 18-play, 59-yard drive by Duluth that consumed 12 1/2 minutes.

That drive came right after CWU had gone 76 yards in nine plays on its opening possession of the second half to tie the game 10-10 on a six-yard TD pass from quarterback Ryan Robertson to wide receiver Johnny Spevak.

Spevak had three catches on the drive and also forced a defensive pass interference call at the 16. The touchdown was the 44th receiving TD of his career, setting a CWU school record.

For the game Spevak had five catches for 37 yards. Robertson completed 21 of 30 passes for 155 yards. CWU finished with 267 yards, including 113 rushing as Randall Eldridge netted 65 yards on 15 carries.

UMD had 340 yards, including 213 rushing (120 by Odim), but didn't score in the second half as CWU (2-0) outscored an opponent 10-0 in the final 30 minutes for the second week in a row.

Defensively, the Wildcats were led by linebacker Buddy Wood with nine tackles, including one for a loss. Linebacker Prince Hall, a transfer from Alabama, had seven.

Dixie State Loses To Division I Southern Utah 36-7

Southern Utah scored two touchdowns in the final 2:15 of the first half to overcome a 7-6 deficit and also got five field goals from Ryan Griffith to defeat Dixie State 36-7 before a Eccles Coliseum stadium record crowd of 10,028 fans in Cedar City.

Dixie drove 69 yards in 10 plays to go ahead 7-6 on a two-yard run by Tauni Vakapuna with 7:35 remaining in the first half. But Southern Utah scored on a three-yard pass from Cade Cooper to Fesi Sitake with 2:15 left, then took advantage of a turnover to go ahead 20-8 on a 10-yard pass from Ammon Olsen to Jared Ursua 61 seconds later.

SUU added another Sitake-Cooper TD pass early in the third quarter, then tacked on field goals of 23, 32 and 37 by Griffith, who also connected in the first quarter from 31 and 20 yards.

The Thunderbirds finished with 433 yards in total offense, including 244 rushing. Austin Minefee had 147 on 27 carries. Cooper was 16 of 19 for 179 yards.

Judd Thompson completed 16 of 27 passes for 146 yards for the Red Storm, who had 215 total yards. Vakapuna rushed for 50 on 13 carries. Kyser Christensen and Skyler Ence each caught four passes for 47 and 43 yards, respectively.

Nick Cragin led the Dixie defense with 14 tackles. Keauntea Bankhead had 11. Dixie did not have a takeaway or a sack in the contest.

August 29

Spevak's One-Hand Grab Keys CWU Victory

Johnny Spevak made a one-hand grab and raced 68 yards for the game's only touchdown in the opening minute of the third quarter to lead 14th ranked Central Washington to a 10-0 win over Mesa State in a non-conference game Saturday at Grand Junction, Colo.

Spevak's TD catch was the 43rd of his career tying a CWU school record. He finished the game with eight catches for 133 yards, increasing his career yardage total to 3,539 yards.

Spevak also had 57 yards on two punt returns to finish the contest with 190 all-purpose yards.

The game's only other score was a 30-yard field goal by Garrett Rolsma early in the fourth quarter. Rolsma, who extended his PAT streak to 67, also averaged 40.6 yards on five punts and did not allow a return yard.

CWU finished the game with 340 yards in total offense as freshman quarterback Ryan Robertson completed his first eight passes on the way to a 205-yard pass performance. Robertson ended up completing 14 of 30.

The Wildcats also rushed for 135 yards as Western Washington transfer Randall Eldridge netted 84 yards on 11 carries and Bryson Kelly had 41 on 14 totes.

Meanwhile, the Wildcat defense limited Mesa to 252 yards in recording its first shutout since blanking Saint Cloud State 29-0 two years ago. CWU had four takeaways, including Jerome Williams' 12th career interception.

Linebackers Buddy Wood and Matt Ah You, a transfer from Brigham Young, each had 10 tackles.

August 27

Dixie State Wins Opener 37-28 Against Adams State

Quarterback Judd Thompson threw for 374 yards and four touchdowns and Dixie State converted two of its four interceptions into touchdowns in defeating Adams State 37-28 Thursday before 3,463 fans at Hansen Stadium in St. George. (PDF)

Thompson, who was Dixie's starting tight end a year ago, completed 27 of 40 throws, including touchdown passes of six and 55 yards to Kyser Christensen.

He also connected with Skyler Ence from 22 yards out and Nash Fowler from 10 yards away. Fowler's TD came after a 20-yard interception return from Western Washington transfer Nick Cragin and gave the Red Storm a 31-13 lead early in the fourth quarter.

Adams State struck back for two touchdowns to pull within 31-28 with 3:27 left, but Dixie sealed the win with a 15-yard run by Tauni Vakapuna with 1:14 left after Micah Harward returned an interception 23 yards to the 17. Vakapuna had 52 yards on 17 rushes.

Richard May had a pair of interceptions for Dixie which had a 4-1 takeaway advantage.

Ence (11-88), Christensen (9-215) and Fowler (6-65) accounted for all but one of Dixie's receptions. Christensen's yardage total was the fourth highest total in GNAC history and only the sixth 200-yard reception total in conference history.

Dixie finished with a 417-315 edge in total offense. Defensively, Cragin led the Red Storm with eight tackles, including one for a one-yard loss.