ELLENSBURG, Wash. - Central Washington Wildcats Football is back on the road this weekend, this time to the Lone Star state, for their fourth non-conference game of the season. The Wildcats will square off with the West Texas A&M Buffaloes in Canyon, Texas.

GAME INFORMATION
at West Texas A&M Buffaloes
Saturday, Oct. 5
3:00 p.m. PT
Buffalo Stadium
Canyon, Texas

ON THE AIR
• The game will be broadcast on KCWU Radio's 88.1 "The Burg" and 881theburg.com with Jeff MacMillan and Dave Heaverlo calling the action. The pregame tailgate show will get started at 2:30 p.m. PT on the Wildcat Sports Radio Network.
• The game will also be webcast online through West Texas A&M Blue Frame portal at http://www.lonestarconferencenetwork.com/wt/. It is a Pay-Per-View event for both the live stream and On Demand.

KICKOFF
• The Wildcats are on the road this weekend as they head to the Lone Star state of Texas for their fourth non-conference game of the year. They take on the West Texas A&M Buffaloes in Canyon, Texas with kickoff set for 3 p.m. PT
• The Buffs enter the weekend with a 3-1 overall record and are 1-1 in Lone Star Conference play. They are coming off a 45-21 win at home last weekend against the Western New Mexico Mustangs.
• The Wildcats were picked to finish second in the GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll behind Azusa Pacific. They received one first-place vote and tallied eight points in the poll.
• West Texas A&M was picked to finish sixth in the 2019 LSC Preseason Coaches Poll after posting a 6-5 record in 2018 with a 4-4 mark in conference play.
• This weekend's game will be the second one in which CWU has faced an LSC opponent. The team defeated Western New Mexico 36-27 on the road back on Sept. 21.
• Following their fourth non-conference game, the Wildcats will return home to Ellensburg for. GNAC matchup against rival Azusa Pacific for homecoming on Oct. 12.
 
QUOTABLE
Head Coach Chris Fisk
On Facing a Second Lone Star Conference Team: As always, we're just excited to get on the field regardless of who the opponent is. The guys have been coming out, working hard and haven't lost any belief. Again, we're just trying to fix some of the issues we have and work hard to get better.
On the Second Year Match-Up against West Texas A&M: This is a well-coached team and their head coach does a great job. They have good personnel and the look just like the rest of the Lone Star [Conference] teams. They're extremely talented, they do a good job up front on the O-Line and D-Line, they have a great running back and they're efficient. They have a lot of excitement in their program at 3-1 and a new stadium. We're going in on their homecoming so we've got our work cut out for us. The road doesn't get any easier from here but I think our guys are excited for the challenge.
On His Team's Mindset Going into Week 5 at 1-3: I know it's a bit of a broken record, but the same thing as last week, we're just trying to repair ourselves and fix our issues. We feel like last week that if we could've fixed our own issues and played a little better we would've come out with the victory. We have to get ourselves off the field on third down and we have to stop the run. It's not a hard formula and everyone from the coaches, to the players and to the fans see what's going on out there. We all know what we need to fix so it's just a matter of going out and doing it taking the steps we need at practice to repair those issues. Hopefully we'll do that this week.
 
GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
• The Wildcats picked up a GNAC Player of the Week honor for the fourth consecutive week and the second straight on Special Teams.
• Eric Wilkes was named the Special Teams Player of the Week after he totaled 105 return yards in the team's GNAC opening contest against Western Oregon. He accumulated his 105 yards on five returns and his longest of the game went for 25 yards.
 
SERIES HISTORY
• The Wildcats and Buffs will meet for just the fifth time overall on Saturday. The Buffs lead the series 3-1and are winners of the last two meetings.
• CWU host West Texas A&M last year inside Tomlinson Stadium in the first home game since the field renovations. The Buffs escaped with a narrow 28-26 win.
• Prior to 2018, the Wildcats took on the Buffs in the 2008, 2009, and 2011 seasons. The Wildcats lone win came in 2009 by a score of 34-10 at home.
 
LAST MEETING WITH WEST TEXAS A&M
• CWU played its first ever game in the newly renovated Tomlinson Stadium against West Texas A&M on Sept. 29, 2018. The Buffs walked away with a 28-26 win.
• Quarterback Reilly Hennessey threw for 436 yards and three touchdowns in the game to lead the CWU offense.
• Tony Archie pulled in six receptions for 106 yards for the Wildcats and had one touchdown grab.
• Both Donte Hamilton and Uli Ma'ae had 11 tackles, respectively to lead the defense for CWU.
• Max Nauer added eight total tackles in the loss to go along with 3.0 tackles for loss and one sack.
 
ABOUT THE BUFFS
• West Texas A&M boasts a 3-1 overall record heading into week five and is 1-1 in LSC play after defeating Western New Mexico, 45-21, last weekend.
• The Buffs are 2-0 inside the newly constructed Buffalo Stadium following the win against Western New Mexico. Their other home win was in the inaugural opener, a 35-16 win over Azusa Pacific.
• WT has the third highest scoring offense in its conference averaging 29.2 points per game while holding opponents to 29.0 points per game. The scoring defense ranks sixth in the LSC.
• The Buffs look to their ground game when leading the offense as they average 169.3 yards per game, a mark that ranks fourth in the LSC.
• Duke Carter IV is the team's leading rusher on the year with 209 total yards under his belt to go along with three touchdowns.
• Nick Gerber has been the man under center for the Buffs this season. In four start he is 62-109 passing for 696 yards to go along with five touchdowns. He has been picked off just twice this season.
• Gerber has also put in work on the ground having rushed for 55 yards on 15 carries and has scored three touchdowns.
• Jordan Johnson is the team leader in rushing touchdowns with four on the season. He has rushed the ball 20 times for 52 yards this season.
• Two players have double digit receptions for WT in Semaj Mitchell and Chas Sojka. Mitchell leads the way with 13 for 132 yards, whole Sojka has 11 for 11 yards.
• Mitchell has one touchdown catch on the tear, but the team leader is Juwan McCall with two.
• Hayden Dennis is the leading tackler with 47 on the year, a mark that is eight best in Division II. He also leads the team in solo tackles 19 to go along with 4.0 tackles for loss.
• Frank Honang is right behind Dennis in total tackles with 44 this season. He is also second in solo tackles with 18. Honang also has 3.5 tackles for loss and one sack.
• Eric Collins leads the Buffs in sacks with two on the year of combined loss of 12 yards. Five other players are tied for second with one sack, respectively.
• Collins, along with Gerred Johnson, lead the way in tackles for loss with 5.0 each. Johnson's has totaled a loss 22 yards in his tackles to lead the team.
• LaDarian Hudson has the team's lone interception. He has 10 return yards on the one pick.
• Honang has been an issue in the pass game as well breaking up a team-high four passes this season. He has also forced two fumbles to lead the team.
 
LAST TIME OUT
• The Wildcats fell to the Western Oregon Wolves by a final of 36-26 in their GNAC opener last Saturday. The loss moved CWU's record to 1-3 overall and 0-1 in the GNAC.
• Western Oregon (2-2, 2-0 GNAC) secured its first win over Central Washington (1-3, 0-1 GNAC) since 2015 with the help of 499 yards of total offense and 328 total rushing yards. The Wildcats managed just 145 yards on the ground and 340 yards of total offense.
• The Wolves got on the board first when quarterback Ty Currie hit Thomas Wright down the far sideline for a 50-yard touchdown pass to lead 7-0 lead early in the first quarter.
• Early in the second, on a fourth and goal at the four, Currie hit Marquis Sampson in the back of the end zone to cap a 19 play, 99-yard drive that lasted over 10 minutes. The Wolves lead grew to 14-0.
• The Wildcats found the end zone with 5:38 left in the second quarter when Michael Roots punched in a one-yard touchdown run. The PAT was blocked and put the score at 14-6.
• Following a punt by the Wolves, the Wildcats started at their own 26 and went down the field to cut the score one point to thanks to another Roots touchdown. Going into halftime, CWU trailed 14-13.
• The Wildcats grabbed their first lead in the third thanks to Roots scoring from one yard out yet again. The Wildcats grabbed a 20-14 lead with 12:12 left in the third.
• The Wolves countered midway through the third quarter when Currie kept the ball for a seven-yard run into the end zone. His merit put WOU up 21-20 with 8:24 left in the third.
• Roots continued his dominance for the Wildcats as he found the end zone for a fourth time. This run was good for 20 yards and the Wildcats jumped back in front 26-21.
• The Wolves answered early in the fourth to retake the lead. The scored in the first 45 seconds of the fourth converted on a two-point try to retake the lead 29-26.
• The Wolves picked off the Wildcats on the ensuing possession and made it count as they went 65 yards in just five plays to extend their lead to 36-26, a lead they held on to for the win.
• Roots was the driving force of the Wildcats offense as he accounted for all four of the team's touchdowns. All four came from the ground attack as he totaled 99 yards on 19 carries. He also grabbed two receptions for 31 yards.
• Racanelli had 195 yards through the air as he went 14-26 on the night but was picked off twice. Ryan Ramones and JoJo Hillel each grabbed three receptions in the game, while Ramones led the team with 47 receiving yards.
• Defensively, CWU was led by Hamilton Hunt who put up a game-high 18 total tackles to go along with 11 solo tackles to lead all players. Jeremiah Vasquez also had double digit tackles with 10 on the night. Billy Greer had two sacks on the night for a loss of nine yards and forced a fumble.
 
THE WILDCATS IN GNAC PLAY
• CWU is 0-1 to start GNAC play following the loss to Western Oregon
• The Wildcats are 0-1 in GNAC play under Chris Fisk.
• Overall, CWU is now 84-24 all-time in GNAC play since 2001.
 
THE WILDCATS AT HOME
• The Wildcats are 0-2 in 2019 in games played at Tomlinson Stadium.
• The Wildcats are 189-81-5 overall in 61 seasons of playing home games at Tomlinson Stadium. They are 0-2 under Chris Fisk.
• CWU has posted 15 undefeated marks at home in the 61-year history of Tomlinson Stadium since its construction ahead of the 1959 season.
 
THE WILDCATS ON THE ROAD
• Central Washington is 1-1 on the road under Chris Fisk.
• The Wildcats picked up their first road win of the season with 36-27 victory at Western New Mexico.
• The Wildcats have finished each of the last two seasons with five or more wins on the road, including a perfect 6-0 mark in 2017.
 
WHEN LEADING AT THE HALF
• The Wildcats finished 2018 with a record of 7-1 when leading at halftime.
• Central Washington in 1-3 under Chris Fisk when tied or trailing at halftime.
• The Wildcats have not led at halftime any game this season so far.
 
21 AND UP
• CWU is 0-2 under Chris Fisk when scoring 21 or more points and is 1-1 when scoring 30 or more points.
• CWU finished the 2018 campaign with 7-2 mark when scoring at least 21 points in a game.
• When scoring 30 or more points, the Wildcats went 8-1 when scoring at least 30 points last season and were 8-0 when scoring 40 or more points.
 
HIGH POWERED CAT ATTACK
• The Wildcats have scored at least one touchdown in 168 consecutive games to keep a streak of not being shutout intact.
• The scoring streak dates back to week four of the 2004 season.
• In 2019, CWU has rushed for 100-plus yards in all four games.
 
2019 GNAC STAT LEADERS
• CWU still leads the GNAC in total offense. The team averages 426.0 yards per game, which is the 36th highest mark in Division II.
• The Wildcats are second best in scoring offense going into week five. They aver 30.2 points per game.
• CWU's rushing attack is second averaging 170.8 yards per contest. They are also second in passing averaging 255.2 yards per game.
• Michael Roots is still the GNAC leader in rushing yards per game (123.8) and total yards (495).
• Roots' total rushing yards is currently 10th best in Division II, while his average ranks 11th overall.
• Tony Archie is tied for second in receiving touchdowns with two and is third in the GNAC in receiving yards per game (65.0).
• Archie's total receptions (18) and his receptions per game (4.5) are both second best in the conference.
• Canon Racanelli is fourth in total offense averaging 222.2 yards per game, while his average of 198.2 yards passing is ranked fourth.
• Roots is sixth in total offense averaging 123.8 yards per game for CWU.
• Eric Wilkes is the GNAC leader in average kickoff return yards at 23.4. His 12 total returns and 257 total return yards are both second in the GNAC.
• Defensively, the Wildcats have two individuals ranked in the top-five in the GNAC in total tackles. Hamilton Hunt leads the team with 42 and is second in the GNAC
•  Donte Hamilton is fourth in total tackles with 33 on the year in three games played.
• In terms of solo tackles, Hunt is the conference leader with 20. Cody O'Connell is tied for second with 20.
• Billy Greer is the conference leader in sacks with three this season. His 15 sacks yards is ted for second most. He is fifth in tackles for loss with 3.5.
• Tyren Sams and Chaz McKenzie are tied for the GNAC lead in interceptions with two, respectively.
• Sams' 23 yards of return on his two picks is second most in the GNAC. McKenzie is third with 22 return yards.
• Hunt, O'Connell, Carbajal, Greer, and Hamilton are tied for second in forced fumbles with one, while McKenzie is tied for second in fumble recoveries, also with one.
• Patrick Hegarty is third in total punt yards with 746.
• Gavin Todd is tied for the GNAC lead in PAT's attempted, made, and percentage. He is a 13-15 on the year.
• Todd is also the GNAC leader in field goals attempted and made. He is 6-6 on the year and is one of 13 players in Division II with a clean 1.000 field goal percentage.
 
WILDCATS IN THE RECORD BOOKS
• A pair of Wildcats are climbing the top-10 all-time in the CWU record book in Michael Roots and Gavin Todd.
• Roots is currently 10th all-time in total rushing yards with 1,562. He is in a five-way tie for ninth in touchdowns with eight.
• He needs just one more touchdown to take sole possession of ninth and two to tie for seventh. He is 66 yards away from moving up to ninth on the list.
• Todd is eighth all-time in program history in field goals made with 16. He needs two more to move in a tie for sixth.
• He is 10th in CWU history in field goals attempted with 20 and is five away from moving up to ninth all-time.
 
AROUND THE GNAC
• CWU will play in a non-conference bout this week. Azusa Pacific will not compete this weekend. Simon Fraser will take on Western Oregon to continue GNAC play.
• CWU is at West Texas A&M for a 3 p.m. PT showdown, while Western Oregon and Simon Fraser will square off at 1:05 p.m. PT.
 
A WIN OVER WEST TEXAS A&M WOULD...
• Be the second win ever over the Buffs
• Give CWU its second ever win over WT and snap a two-game losing streak to WT.
• Give CWU its second win of the season and second over an LSC opponent.
• Move the Wildcats record to 2-3 overall and 2-1 on the road.
• Give Chris Fisk his first career win over the Buffs.
 
A LOSS TO WEST TEXAS A&M WOULD...
• Be the third straight loss to the Buffs and fourth overall in the series.
• Drop the Wildcats overall record to 1-4 against the Buffs.
• Hand CWU its fourth loss of the season.
• Hand Chris Fisk his first career loss to WT.
• Move the Wildcats record to 1-4 for the season.
 
WILDCATS FOOTBALL HISTORY
• In 104 seasons of CWU Football the Wildcats have compiled a 521-337-24 (.604) record in 882 total games played.
• The Wildcats have won 10 or more games nine times in the history of the program and have posted 11 seasons of eight or more wins.
• Since joining the NCAA in 2001, CWU is 139-65 (.681) all time in 204 games played.
• CWU won a school-record 12 games in 2009 and made it to the Quarterfinals of the NCAA-II Playoffs.
• CWU has won or shared a combined 16 conference titles in school history with the last coming in 2018.
• The Wildcats have qualified for NCAA-II Playoffs five times in their history since joining the NCAA in 2001, the last coming in 2017.
• As members of the NAIA the Wildcats made the NAIA Playoffs nine times and compiled an overall record of 10-8-1. They won a share of the NAIA National Championship in 1995 and made the semifinal round four times.
 
FISK AT THE HELM
• Central Washington Head Coach Chris Fisk is 1-3 all-time in his young career of leading the Wildcats.
• His first career win as the Wildcats head coach came on Sept. 21, 2019 in a 36-27 road win at Western New Mexico.
• Prior to becoming the CWU Head Coach, Fisk was the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach for CWU from 2016-18.
• In his second year as the offensive coordinator in 2017, Fisk helped guide the Wildcats offense that was one of the most-prolific in Division II as they made the NCAA-II Playoffs for the fifth time in school history.
• As the offensive coordinator, Fisk had the Wildcats offense rank in the top-five in Division II in total offense and scoring each of the last three seasons.
 
WILDCATS IN THE PROS
• There are five former Wildcats currently playing in the Canadian Football League (CFL) in Bo Banner (DE), Adam Bighill (LB), Kevin Haynes (LB), Bryson Kelly (DL), and Mike Reily (QB).
• Three former CWU football players have been selected in the National Football League (NFL) Draft. Byron Johnson was drafted in 1966 by the Dallas Cowboys, David Knapman was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals, and Eric Boles was drafted by the New York Jets in 1992.
• Quarterback Jon Kitna played in the NFL for 16 seasons from 1997-2013 for four teams in the Seattle Seahawks, Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions, and the Dallas Cowboys.
• Kitna finished his professional career with 169 touchdown passes and 29,745 passing yards in 141 games played. He is currently the quarterbacks coach for the Dallas Cowboys.
 
UP NEXT
• CWU will host rival Azusa Pacific in its first home game in the month of October. It will also be the Wildcats Homecoming game against the Cougars. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. PT inside Tomlinson Stadium.