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The final home game of the 2013 season for Central Washington University will have the Wildcats (5-3, 5-2 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) taking on Humboldt State University (0-8, 0-7 GNAC) for Senior Day here at Tomlinson Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.

Two of the more dominant programs in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference in recent years meet up Saturday afternoon, with much more on the line for the host Wildcats than for the visiting Lumberjacks. CWU still has a Great Northwest Athletic Conference championship within its sights, as the Wildcats are a game out of first place with three to play, while Humboldt State is still in search of its first win of 2013 after an inauspicious 0-8 start.

The Wildcats continue to boast the top defense in the GNAC — and one of the top defenses in all of the NCAA Division II — as they are allowing just 15.9 points and 298 yards per game through eight contests this season. Those numbers rank 11th and 10th in the nation, respectively, and the team's rushing defense is eighth-best in Division II. On offense, CWU is scoring just under 22 points per game, but the team's yardage totals — both overall (295.6 per game) and passing (122.4 per game) — rank last in the six-team conference.

Conversely, Humboldt State has struggled on the defensive side of the ball, allowing more than 475 yards and nearly 34 points per game in its eight losses this season. The Lumberjacks do post decent numbers offensively — 365 yards of total offense including 247 per game through the air — but HSU is averaging just 15.6 points per game in 2013.

Individually, running back Jordan Todd (Bellevue/Interlake HS) and cornerback/return specialist Isaiah Davis (Bremerton/South Kitsap HS) lead the Wildcats in terms of all-purpose yardage. Todd is approaching the 1,000-yard mark on the ground this season, while Davis has been a return threat while leading the defense with five interceptions. Davis accounted for three of those picks in the first meeting of the season between these two schools in Arcata on Oct. 5.

Humboldt State counters with freshman standout Chase Krivashei, who ranks second in the GNAC in all-purpose yards. The wide receiver/kick returner is averaging nearly 145 all-purpose yards per game between his receiving and returns. The Lumberjacks also boast one of the top kickers in the conference in Matt Bruder, whose 11 field goals lead the GNAC and his 45 total points are third among kickers.

SERIES HISTORY
CWU leads the all-time football series with Humboldt State by a 19-9-1 count. The series began with significant winning streaks on both sides — HSU won six straight after a tie in the first-ever meeting between the two schools in 1958, only to have CWU win 16 consecutive meetings between 1998 and 2009. Humboldt State has won four of the last seven since snapping that streak, including the last meeting between the two schools here in Tomlinson Stadium during the 2011 campaign.

LAST SEASON'S FINISH & THIS YEAR'S PROJECTIONS
The top two teams in the pre-season coaches' poll have gone in opposite directions so far in 2013. CWU, which was picked to finish second this season after winning the league title in 2012, is currently tied for second place in the GNAC standings with a 5-2 record. Humboldt State, meanwhile, was the pre-season favorite to win the conference title but has yet to win a game this fall with a 0-8 overall record and a 0-7 GNAC mark. CWU has won four of the last five conference titles, with Humboldt State claiming the other title during that span (in 2011).

DOWN THE STRETCH
CWU hits the road for the final two weeks of the season, traveling to Western Oregon University next Saturday (Nov. 9) and then closing the campaign at Dixie State University in St. George, Utah, on Nov. 16.

Humboldt State will remain on the road next week, visiting Simon Fraser University on Nov. 9. The Lumberjacks will then conclude the 2013 season at home against Western Oregon on Nov. 16.

THE FIRST MEETING
CWU sophomore ISAIAH DAVIS had three second-half interceptions, and the Wildcats scored a touchdown on the ground, through the air, and on defense in a 21-13 victory over Humboldt State on Oct. 5 at the Redwood Bowl in Arcata, Calif.
The Wildcats scored two big-play touchdowns in the second quarter to take a 14-10 halftime lead, and then picked up an insurance score on a 40-yard touchdown run by sophomore Jordan Todd in the third quarter. Redshirt freshman Jesse Zalk (Battle Ground/Prairie HS) had a 59-yard touchdown reception, and sophomore Cole Graves (Kirkland/Juanita HS) scored on a 60-yard fumble recovery to help CWU build its first-half lead, and Davis then helped the visitors preserve the victory over the final 30 minutes with three interceptions of Humboldt State quarterbacks.

SENIOR DAY
Today's game marks the final home game for 18 Central Washington University seniors. The Wildcats' senior class includes seven fifth-year players — namely defensive back Stan Langlow (University Place/Curtis HS) and offensive lineman Mike Nelson (Carnation/Mount Si HS), who have been heralded with numerous pre-season and post-season All-American honors during their respective careers. Also finishing up their fifth seasons in the Wildcat program are defensive linemen Jerod Baker (Arlington) and Donnie Johnson (Olympia/Capital HS), linebacker Riley Wall (Olympia/Capital HS), and offensive linemen Neil Fuhrmann (Sumner/Cascade Christian HS) and Mac Morrison (Renton/Hazen HS). Eleven others will also wear their home crimson jerseys for the final time today, and all will be recognized prior to kickoff.

EXTENSIVE STREAK ON THE LINE
The CWU football program will put a pretty extensive streak on the line today when the Wildcats take the field against Humboldt State. CWU needs a win over the Lumberjacks today to finish at the .500 mark at home this season. The last time the Wildcats finished with more losses than wins inside Tomlinson Stadium was the team's last season as a member of the NAIA in 1998, when CWU posted a 1-3 home record but went 6-1 on the road. CWU did finish at .500 (2-2) at home during the 2006 season -- its first of a two-year stint in the North Central Conference.

HEARTBREAK HOTEL
Tomlinson Stadium has been the site of several close losses this season. In fact, all three of the Wildcats' defeats in 2013 have been at home, and all three of those have been by exactly seven points. CWU lost 21-14 to both Texas A&M-Kingsville (Sept. 7) and Simon Fraser (Sept. 21), and then fell by a 24-17 score last Saturday against Azusa Pacific. The Wildcats also squeaked out a last-second, 27-24 win over Dixie State on Oct. 12, overcoming a fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the Red Storm.

NUMBERS MAY BE DECEIVING
The statistics from last Saturday's 24-17 loss to Azusa Pacific are definitely deceiving, as CWU had a commanding advantage over the Cougars in virtually every category -- except on the scoreboard. The Wildcats had the ball for more than 28 of the 30 first-half minutes, and did not allow a first down prior to halftime, yet they trailed APU by a 14-10 score at the intermission. The numbers evened out a bit in the second half, but CWU still finished with 120 more yards of total offense and a 2-to-1 advantage in time of possession (40:08 to 19:52).

SHOOTING FOR 1,000
Sophomore running back Jordan Todd is looking to become just the 12th player in CWU history to rush for 1,000 yards in a single season. The Bellevue native, who missed three-quarters of last week's game due to injury and may be a game-time decision for today's contest, has accumulated 933 rushing yards in eight games. If he gets those necessary 67 yards over the final three contests, it would mark the second straight season that the Wildcats had a 1,000-yard rusher, as former teammate DEMETRIUS SUMLER totaled 1,090 yards last season. Ellensburg native Ed Watson is the only sophomore in school history to have reached the 1,000-yard rushing plateau in a single season, totaling 1,003 yards in 11 regular-season games in 1984.

ON-SIDE WORKS TO PERFECTION
CWU senior punter/kicker Matt Burke (Laguna Hills, Calif.) and the special teams unit executed the Wildcats' on-side kicks to perfection last Saturday against Azusa Pacific. Burke and the Wildcats attempted an on-side kick following their opening score of the game to start the second quarter, with senior Deionte Gordon (Seaside, Calif.) recovering and setting the stage for a 20-yard Sean McDonald (Sammamish/Skyline HS) field goal. Then, after the Wildcats had closed to within seven points in the fourth quarter, CWU was again successful, with Gordon again recovering the kick with the help of a sideline save by senior Stan Langlow  Unfortunately for the Wildcats, they were unable to score the equalizing points following the second on-side attempt. For the year, CWU has been successful in recovering three of five on-side kicks.

DAVIS MOVES INTO THE TOP TEN
With three games still remaining in 2013, sophomore Isaiah Davis has already moved into the top 10 for single-season totals and averages in punt returns. The former South Kitsap High standout now ranks eighth in school history for total punt return yards in a single season with 242, and his 12.7-yard average is 10th-best all-time. In addition, his 359 kickoff return yards and 25.6 yards-per-return average on kickoffs are on the verge of cracking the top 10 among the school's record books.

A BALANCED DEFENSE
Central Washington's successful defense has been the result of a balanced effort throughout the 2013 season, and the individual statistical totals can truly attest to that. Twelve Wildcat players have double-digit tackle totals on the season, and all 12 of those (plus five others) have been credited with at least one tackle for loss. Senior Stan Langlow leads that balanced group with 50 total tackles from his free safety position, while fellow senior Ridge Nielsen (Mesa, Ariz./Mountain View HS) has 46 stops, and senior Deionte Gordon and junior JB Torsy (Mission Viejo, Calif./Trabuco Hills HS) are next on the tackle charts with 41 apiece. Senior defensive tackle Austin Schnizler (Ventura, Calif./St. Bonaventure HS) currently tops the Wildcats with 8 1/2 tackles for losses and 4 1/2 quarterback sacks, while Nielsen (6 1/2 TFL) and senior Gabe Bruno (San Francisco, Calif./St. Ignatius Prep; 6 TFL) are close behind in that department.

CWU PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Following each week's game, the CWU coaching staff selects players of the game and week. The following were chosen as the Wildcats' top performers for last week's game versus Azusa Pacific:
Defensive Player of the Game: Ridge Nielsen
Offensive Player of the Game: Adam Schechter
Special Teams Player of the Game: Matt Burke
Wildcat of the Game: Stan Langlow
Defensive Scout Team Player of the Week: Bo Banner
Offensive Scout Team Player of the Week: Arthur Burns