Box Score MONMOUTH, Ore. (Sept. 20) — The Central Washington University football team scored 20 fourth-quarter points and had a lead of 34-33 with 3:48 left in the game. But Western Oregon responded with a drive that that took nearly three minutes off the clock to set up the winning field goal for a 36-34 win at McArthur Field in Monmouth, Oregon, in the Wolves season home opener.
 
"We showed a lot of character in the second half and we showed we could compete," said Ian Shoemaker, CWU's first-year head coach. "If we would have played a little better in the first half, we could have come off that field with a victory."
 
The Wildcats and Wolves were tied at seven at the end of the first quarter. Western Oregon then scored the next three touchdowns to take a 27-7 lead with 3:59 left in the third period. WOU wide receiver Tyrell Williams scored two of the touchdowns on scoring strikes from quarterback Ryan Bergman of 72- and five-yards. However, Bergman, who had not been intercepted this season, was picked off four times Saturday, two of which were returned for touchdowns by the Wildcats.
 
Defensive tackle MATT MILLER (So., Spokane—Gonzaga Prep) recorded the first pick six, running in a 46-yard interception return to cut the Western Oregon lead to 27-21 with 11:06 to go the game. Four passes later, Bergman saw safety DEANDRE BAINES (Jr., Tacoma—Mount Tahoma) take another interception in from 54-yards out. With that score, and the point after touchdown, Central led by a point.
 
"Our defense played great getting us two huge touchdowns," Shoemaker acknowledged.
 
Following CWU's go-ahead score, Western Oregon responded with what proved to be a game-winning 12-play, 55-yard drive that ended when Jesse Correa, who had missed on an extra point and a 36-yard field goal attempt earlier in the game, connected on a 32-yard kick.
 
CWU, without any timeouts left, took over at the Wildcats 32-yard line with 37-seconds remaining, but was unable to mount a drive into WOU territory.
 
For the second straight game, CWU quarterback JAKE NELSON (So., Lake Stevens) set a career high for passing yards, throwing for 303 yards and two touchdowns, hitting on 27 of 47 passes in the process.
 
GREG LOGAN (Sr., Graham—Graham-Kapowsin), who led the Great Northwest Athletic Conference and was tied for No. 20 in the NCAA Division II receptions category heading into the game, grabbed seven passes for 123 yards.     
 
Defensively, redshirt freshman middle linebacker KEVIN HAYNES (Brush Prairie, WA—Battle Ground), last week's GNAC Defensive Player of the Week, led the Wildcats with 12 tackles. Fellow linebacker MITCH HALDANE (Jr., Mountlake Terrace) added 11½ tackles to go along with two-and-a-half sacks, half of CWU's sack total for the day.
 
With the loss, CWU fell to 1-2 on the season, while the Wolves improved to 2-1. It was the second straight year that WOU has defeated the Wildcats in Monmouth, both coming by single digits. With the victory, Western Oregon tied the all-time series with CWU, which dates back to 1929, in games played in Monmouth at 14 win apiece. CWU still leads overall 34 win to 22.
 
It was the first road game this season for Shoemaker and the Wildcats against an NCAA Division II opponent. CWU's season opening game was at the University of Montana, of the NCAA Division I FCS.
 
This game was not a GNAC counting contest. The rematch, at the CWU Homecoming game in Ellensburg Oct. 18, will be a conference game.
 
Next Saturday, the Wildcats taken on Simon Fraser in the inaugural Battle for the Border, presented by the Washington National Guard, at Pop Keeney Stadium in Bothell. It will also be the opening game of the season in the GNAC. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. The Washington National Guard Fan Zone will be open two hours before the game.
 
Information about game tickets and bus transportation from Ellensburg to the Battle for the Border is available at Wildcat Tickets.