Football | 10/16/2015 11:55:00 AM
ELLENSBURG, Wash. (Oct. 16) – The Central Washington University football team (3-3, 1-1 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) will look to rebound from a heartbreaking home loss last week as they travel to Monmouth, Ore. for a rematch with Western Oregon University on Saturday Oct. 17.
In the Wildcats home opener on Sept. 19 the Wildcats defeated the Wolves 40-19, scoring all of their points in the first half to secure CWU's first win of 2015. That win was a non-conference game, but the game this weekend will have more on the line.
Central Washington's hopes of winning the GNAC crown are still more than alive as they still have four more conference games to play and still await a matchup against conference leading Humboldt State. Before head coach
Ian Shoemaker and the Wildcats face the Lumberjacks at home on Oct. 24 they have to get past WOU on the road, which hasn't been easy.
"We still have a lot to fight for, and we are focusing at the task at hand and that is to win the game in front of us," CWU Head Coach
Ian Shoemaker said. "We can't control the past at this point, we can only do our best as a staff, and as a team to prepare ourselves for the task at hand, and this week it is going down to Monmouth and coming home with a W."
The Wildcats have lost the last two games in Monmouth, Ore and the last four games on the WOU campus have been decided by an average of 5.5 points with neither team winning by more than a single score.
The Wildcats are coming off their largest offensive output to date amassing 579 yards of total offense.
The offensive attack has weighed heavily on the legs of senior running back
Arthur Burns who ran for 228 yards and three touchdowns last week. In the last two contests Burns has ran for a total of 370 yards and six touchdowns. That yardage has made up over 75-percent of Burns' 493 rushing yards this season and the Corona, Calif. native has averaged 185 yards per game the last two weeks.
"When we run the ball with the success we have the last two games, it opens up our entire playbook," Shoemaker added. "When you are forced to be one dimensional we lose the ability to keep the defense off balance, fortunately we have been able to find success on the ground and in the air."
The Wildcats welcomed back wide receiver
Jesse Zalk last week and the standout pass catcher did not disappoint gaining 166 yards and a touchdown on six receptions.
With the recent influx of offensive production the Wildcats hope the defense will do its part to help lead the Wildcats to victory. The Wolves host the conferences top pass offense averaging 255.2 yards per contests while the Wildcats have the second stingiest pass defense allowing just 172.3 yards a game.
Western Oregon is coming off an impressive victory over then sixth-ranked North Alabama, defeating Lions 24-22. The Wolves played without their top passer, Trey Shimabukuro who is averaging 269 passing yards per game. Shimabukuro is not listed on the team's depth chart and the likely starter will be David Sowards who has led WOU to back-to-back wins. With the Wildcat defense allowing 201.7 rushing yards per game, it would be no surprise to see quarterback Philip Fenumiai get a large portion of the snaps as he is seen as a "duel threat" quarterback, and the type of quarterback that has been affective against the Wildcats so far this season.
"Regardless of who their starting quarterback is, and what quarterbacks come into the game, we have to minimize big plays, which means always knowing were Paul Revis is on the field" Shoemaker said. "Revis is a very talented player, and they will find different ways to put the ball in his hands."
The game in Monmouth, Ore., will be streamed live at Wildcatsports.com and radio for the game can be found locally on the Wildcat Sports Radio Network at 88.1 FM. For those outside of Ellensburg, you can listen live online here, or you can download the 88.1 The Burg app at via the Apple Store or Google Play and listen live.
