Football | 10/8/2014 10:38:00 AM

Game notes

ELLENSBURG, Wash. (Oct. 8) — For the first time in school history, the Central Washington University football team will square off Saturday against South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. The game will be played in Rapid City, South Dakota, and is a Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) counting contest.
 
The Wildcats are 2-3 on the season and 1-1 in GNAC play after Saturday's 27-20 home loss to Azusa Pacific. The Wildcats caused some self-inflicted damage in that game with penalties and three turnovers. First-year head coach Ian Shoemaker says the Wildcats have been working this week to clean up those areas.
 
"We're talking about increasing our discipline, holding on to the ball, penalties and making quality decision in how we're playing the game," he adds.
 
CWU sophomore quarterback Jake Nelson (6-2, 210, Lake Stevens) enters Saturday's game second in the GNAC in total offense (291.4) and passing yardage (270.4). Nelson's 1,352 passing yards tops the conference. His nine touchdowns are second in the GNAC. And he's third in completion percentage (61.8).
 
Senior wide receiver Greg Logan (5-10, 181, Graham-Graham-Kapowsin) has caught 37 of Nelson's passes, tied for the 12th best total in the country, covering 532 yards, which is No. 13 in the nation. Logan is averaging 106.4 yards in receptions per game, the country's 17th top mark.
 
Sophomore wide receiver Kent McKinney's (6-1, 177, Seattle) leads the GNAC in yards per catch (19.9) on his 19 receptions. That includes the school-record 87-yard touchdown catch he made in the Azusa Pacific game. It eclipsed the previous record of 84 yards.
 
Defensive end Tovar Sanchez (6-4, 230, Jr., Seattle-Ingraham) is currently second in the GNAC, and tied for sixth nationally, in sacks with six and tied for second in tackles for loss with eight-and-a-half. Redshirt freshman middle linebacker Kevin Haynes (6-0, 230, Brush Prairie-Battle Ground) is second in the GNAC in tackles (44), with outside linebacker Mitch Haldane (6-0, 217, Jr., Mountlake Terrace) just one tackle behind, and third in the conference.
 
South Dakota Mines is led by quarterback Trent McKinney (6-0, 185, Jr., Mililani, Hawaii), who was the starting signal caller for most of the 2012 season at the University of Montana.
 
Already recording 1,537 combined rushing and passing yards this season, McKinney leads the GNAC in total offense per game (307.4 yards), with is 17th best in the country in NCAA Division II. His 66.1 percent pass completion rate tops all GNAC passers, and is No. 16 in the nation. His 14 touchdowns—six rushing and eight passing—are also tied for the conference lead. Overall, McKinney's third in passing and fourth in rushing.
 
"They're spreading the field and taking advantage of a quality quarterback," says Shoemaker. "He's using his legs and his arm to spread the ball around and they're using a number of options in throwing and running the ball, and having the quarterback read-option game as well."
 
The Hardrockers, who are averaging 315.4 yards through the air, on average, this season, can boast the nation's No. 13 passing offense. Meanwhile, averaging 453.6 yards of total offense, South Dakota Mines is the GNAC's most productive unit.
 
While moving the ball has been the Hardrockers' forte, stopping it has been a bit of a struggle. The team is last in the conference in a variety of statistical categories, including giving up and average of 545 yards and 45 points per game.
 
Last week, South Dakota Mines fell at Humboldt State 53-0.
 
The Hardrockers' head coach, Stacy Collins, previously served as an assistant coach at both CWU and Western Oregon. Now in his third season leading the Hardrockers, Collins has an overall record of 9-17.
 
South Dakota Mines is in its first season in the GNAC. It's one of just two years that the Hardrockers will play in the conference, as they will join the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference in 2016.
 
The Wildcats will leave Thursday morning for the 17-hour bus trip to Rapid City, South Dakota.
 
"I think it going to be a good test of our character," Shoemaker points out. "After a tough loss, and going on a big road trip, we'll see who we are."
 
Next Saturday, the Wildcats return to Tomlinson Stadium for the 2014 Homecoming game against Western Oregon.