ELLENSBURG, Wash. - Central Washington Wildcats Football is set for its 2019 home opener this Saturday inside Tomlinson Stadium. The Wildcats face a tough opponent in the No. 2-ranked and 2018 National Runner-Up team in the Ferris State Bulldogs.

GAME INFORMATION
vs. No. 2 Ferris State
Saturday, Sept. 14
4:05 p.m.
Tomlinson Stadium
Ellensburg, Wash.

ON THE AIR
• The game will be broadcast on ESPN3, the ESPN App, and will be available to watch online at http://lives.watch/FSUCWU as part of the 2019 NCAA Division II Football Showcase.
• The game will also be broadcast on KCWU Radio's 88.1 "The Burg" and 881theburg.com with Jeff MacMillan and Dave Heaverlo calling the action and Soma Lambert on the sidelines. The pregame tailgate show will get started at 3:35 p.m. PT on the Wildcat Sports Radio Network.

KICKOFF
• The Wildcats are home for the first time in 2019 this Saturday, Sept. 14 when they play host to the 2018 National Runner-Up in the Ferris State Bulldogs.
• In the 2019 season opener, the Wildcats nearly upset Division I-FCS opponent Idaho on the road. CWU battled all four quarters but ultimately fell 41-31 inside the Kibbie Dome.
• Central Washington is coming off an 8-3 campaign from a season ago that saw the team win a share of the GNAC regular season title after finishing 7-1 in conference play.
• Ferris State comes into the weekend with a 1-0 record following a 24-23 win at home last weekend against University of Findlay.
• The Bulldogs are currently ranked No. 2 in both the AFCA and D2Football.com Week One Top-25 poll. They finished 2018 15-1 overall and ranked No. 2.
• 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.
• The Wildcats were 3-2 in designated home games in 2018 and when playing inside Tomlinson Stadium the squad went 2-2.
 
QUOTABLE
Head Coach Chris Fisk
On Nearly Upsetting Idaho: Regardless of upset or no upset you just move on and learn what you need to learn from that game. You just have to look at it and fix those issues that caused you not to win that game. There are no moral victories in near upsets, you either win or lose the game and that's the beauty of sports in general. We just have to correct the mistakes we made against Idaho, which was a game we could have won.
 
On Playing at Home for the First Time this Season & Having ESPN Broadcast the Game: With our stadium improvements here [at CWU] we have a whole new home atmosphere and it's a good thing to be a part of. The vibe is our team is excited to play in front of the home crowd. We're expecting a good crowd for this game and adding ESPN's broadcast to this makes it that much more special. It should make for a memorable home opener.
 
On Coaching His First Career Game at Home: My expectation for this game is just getting the opportunity to correct and fix the things we need to fix in order to get a win. I really try not to worry about where we are playing whether it's at Moscow, Idaho or Ellensburg, Washington, I just want to make sure my staff and I are running the same game plan so that we can be good coaches. We can't control a lot in terms of who shows up to games, how many people show up, what the band plays, and all that. We just try to go out and coach to the best of our abilities.
 
On the Match-Up Against Ferris State: This is as talented as a team that we have seen ever come into Tomlinson Stadium. It's as good as a Division II program we've ever played against and it's a benchmark game for our program to find out where we're at and how far off that mark we are. I think Ferris State is a team that is going to big things again this year. The fact we get to play against the best quarterback in the country and the best defense in the country is great. They have a lot of bests on their side of the ball so our guys are determined and excited for the opportunity to see where we stack up.
 
WILDCATS ON THE NATIONAL STAGE
• Central Washington's game being broadcast on ESPN3 will mark the fifth time the Wildcats will play on national television.
• It is the third straight year Central Washington football has also played on ESPN and the first at home since 2017.
• The Wildcats played a game on ESPN in 2018 at Azusa Pacific, winning 45-31.
• In the 2017 season, CWU hosted Azusa Pacific for its ESPN game and walked away with a 34-23 win.
• In 2011, the Wildcats game at Humboldt State was aired on the CBS Sports Network. CWU fell in a nail biter, 38-36.
• The first aired game on national television for CWU was in 2009. The Wildcats defeated No. 2 Minnesota Duluth 13-10 on the road in a game that aired on the CBS Sports Network.
 
WILDCATS IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
• The Wildcats remain outside the top-25 rankings in both the AFCA and D2.Football.com polls.
• In the AFCA Week One Rankings, CWU remains in the receiving votes category.
 
GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
• The Wildcats got the 2019 campaign started earning two of the three GNAC Football Player of the Week awards.
• Tony Archie was named the Offensive Player of the Week after totaling two touchdowns and 185 yards of total offense in the Idaho game. Archie was 1-1 passing for a 39-yard touchdown and pulled in eight receptions for 146 yards to go along with a pair of touchdown grabs to lead all players for the game.
• Donte Hamilton was named the Defensive Player of the Week after totaling 17 tackles in the game at Idaho. He led all players in total tackles and had seven of them come on a solo effort. Hamilton also added 2.5 tackles for loss for 16 yards, which included a sack for a loss of eight yards.
 
SERIES HISTORY
• The Wildcats and Bulldogs will square off for the first time ever on the gridiron this Saturday.
• The game against Ferris State will also be the first home game for Chris Fisk as a head coach.
 
LAST MEETING WITH FERRIS STATE
• The Wildcats and Bulldogs have never met on the gridiron.
 
ABOUT THE BULLDOGS
• Ferris State enters week two of the 2019 season with a 1-0 overall record following a 24-23 win at home against the Findlay Oilers last weekend.
• The Bulldogs bring back 18 total starters from the 2018 National Runner-Up squad, including Harlon Hill Trophy Winner Quarterback Jayru Campbell.
• Campbell was named the 2018 Harlon Hill Trophy winner, which is given to the best collegiate football player in all of Division II, after leading the nation multiple categories at quarterback.
• Campbell did not play in the Bulldogs 2019 season opener and is currently listed as the third-string quarterback in the depth chart.
• Travis Russell got the start in the season opener for Ferris State at quarterback and finished the game with 228 yards passing to go along with one touchdown on 15-24 passing.
• Russell is also the current leader for the Bulldogs in rushing yards with 61 on 11 carries. He also has one touchdown on the year through the ground game.
• Marvin Campbell is the second leading rusher through one game with 51 yards on 15 rush attempts.
• Campbell is also the team leader for Ferris State in number of receptions with four. Three players are tied for second with three grabs in Sy Barnett, Jevon Shaw, and Xavier Wade.
• Barnett leads the way in receiving yards with 87 and also has one touchdown early on in the season.
• On the defense, Sam Heyboer has the most tackles through one game played with 10. Of his 10 tackles, three have come on a solo charge. He also has one tackle for loss
• Omari McCauley and Austin Simpson are tied for second in total tackles with eight, respectively.
• John Higgins has one forced fumble for the Bulldogs, while Avonte Bell has a fumble recovery that he took back for 11 yards in game one.
• Three players all have one pass breakup in Delon Stephenson, Alex Thomas, and James Caesar.
• Dion Earls already has 62 return yards on three kick returns from the first game to lead the special teams unit.
• Barnett is the only player with punt attempts early on in 2019 with four attempts. All four have fallen inside the 20 and he averages 47.5 yards per boot.
• Tyler Burch has one field goal make so far this season. He is 1-1 after nailing a 24 yard attempt in the season opener. He is 3-3 in PAT attempts as well.
 
LAST TIME OUT
• The Wildcats were within three points of the Vandals late in the fourth quarter in the 2019 season opener but came up short of an upset bid, falling 41-31 inside the Kibbie Dome.
• Redshirt freshman Canon Racanelli stepped onto the field in the Wildcats first drive of 2019. He along with a number of fresh faces on the CWU offense gave Idaho (1-1) a run for its money. Partnered with an experienced defense, the Wildcats made plays on both sides of the ball.
• The Vandals got on the board first with a field goal midway through the opening quarter. A 20-yard field goal with 8:21 left in the first gave the home team a 3-0 lead.
•  Idaho extended its lead to two scores early in the second quarter. With 13:07 on the clock, running back Aundre Carter scampered in for a two-yard touchdown run to make it a 10-0 game.
•  CWU answered at the 10:09 mark thanks to a trick play that fooled nearly everyone in the Kibbie Dome. Racanelli handed the ball off to JoJo Hillel on a wraparound handoff to the right and he looked down field for an open Tony Archie who pulled the catch down for a 60 yard touchdown.
• On the ensuing kickoff, Cody O'Conell forced the ball loose and Chaz McKenzie recovered it at the Idaho 26. Three plays later, Racanelli found Archie in the left corner of the end zone for a touchdown and the Wildcats led 14-10.
• Two possessions later, Tyren Sams pulled down an interception at the Idaho 33 yard line, but CWU only managed to add a field goal as Gavin Todd nailed a chip shot from 36 yards out to extend the lead to 17-10.
• On the ensuing drive, Idaho drove 70 yards and ate up four minutes of clock time before a 19 yard touchdown pass tied the game at 17-all before halftime.
•  The Vandals forced a quick three-and-out to get back on offense to open the second half. Their opening drive produced a touchdown and help them retake the lead, 24-17.
• Racanelli and the Wildcats answered going 75 yards in eight plays to tie the game yet again. A 12-yard pass to Samuel Sanchez down the middle of the field closed out the drive and tied the game at 24.
• Idaho did not retake the lead until the final minute of the third. A 15 yard pass with :59 on the clock put the Vandals in front 31-24 going into the fourth quarter.
• After forcing a three-and-out, the Vandals tacked on a field goal early in the fourth from 28 yards out to push their lead to 34-24.
• Hillel and Archie once again connected for a touchdown pass with 7:13 to play in the fourth, but this time Archie threw a touchdown to Hillel. The trick play kept CWU in the game, trailing 34-31.
• On the next drive, Idaho ran in a 27 yard touchdown with just over 1:30 on the clock on a third and five play to seal the game at 41-31.
• Racanelli finished the game 13-31 passing with 146 yards and a pair of touchdown passes. Both Archie and Hillel also had a touchdown pass as well.
• Michael Roots led the ground game with 22 carries for 112 yards. Archie pulled in eight catches for a game-high 146 yards to lead the all players. Overall, the Wildcats finished with 359 yards of total offense.
• Defensively, CWU had a pair of players finish with double figure tackles. Hamilton had a game-high 17 with seven being unassisted. O'Connell was three back in the total with 14 and had a game-high 10 solo tackles.
• Hamilton, Max Randle, and Sams each had a sack, while Sams also had one interception.
 
THE WILDCATS IN GNAC PLAY
• The Wildcats finished 7-1 in conference play in 2018 and won a share of the GNAC title for the second consecutive season.
• After the conclusion of the 2018 season, CWU is now 84-23 all-time in GNAC play.
 
THE WILDCATS AT HOME
• The Wildcats finished 2018 3-2 in designated home games. Inside Tomlinson Stadium, the team was 2-2 last season.
• The Wildcats are 189-79-5 overall entering their 61st seasons of playing home games at Tomlinson Stadium.
• CWU has posted 15 undefeated marks at home in the 60-year history of Tomlinson Stadium since its construction ahead of the 1959 season.
 
THE WILDCATS ON THE ROAD
• Central Washington finished the 2018 season with a 5-1 mark on the road and are 0-1 under Chris Fisk.
• The Wildcats opened the 2019 season with 41-31 loss at Division I-FCS Idaho.
• 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 against their opponents. The only loss came at the hands of Azusa Pacific in the season finale.
• Central Washington in 0-1 under Chris Fisk when tied or trailing at halftime.
• The Wildcats finished 0-2 during the 2018 season in games when they were tied or trailed at halftime.
 
21 AND UP
• 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 was 8-0 when scoring 40 or more points.
• CWU is 0-1 under Chris Fisk when scoring 30 or more points.
 
HIGH POWERED CAT ATTACK
• The Wildcats have scored at least one touchdown in 165 consecutive games to keep a streak of not being shutout intact.
• The streak dates back to week four of the 2004 season.
 
2019 GNAC STAT LEADERS
• Early on, CWU already sits up pretty high in multiple categories in the GNAC stats rankings.
• The Wildcats lead the way in scoring with an average of 31.0 points per game. They rank second in points allowed per game at 41.0.
• CWU's rushing attack currently ranks second with an average of 114.0 yards per game, while the passing game is second averaging 245.0 yards per game.
• Michael Roots is currently the conference leader in rushing yards per game (113.0) and total yards (113).
• Tony Archie leads the GNAC in receptions with eight and his 146 receiving yards are also tops in the conference. He is also the leader in touchdown receptions with two.
• Canon Racanelli is third in total offense averaging 147.0 yards per game, while his average of 146.0 yards passing is ranked fourth.
• Defensively, the Wildcats own the top four individual spots in the GNAC in total tackles. Donte Hamilton is the leader with 17, while O'Connell is second with 14.
• Sitting third in total tackles is Max Randle with 13, while Chaz McKenzie is fourth with 12.
• In terms of solo tackles, O'Connell leads the GNAC with 10, while Randle and McKenzie are tied with nine, respectively.
• Hamilton is tied for first in sacks with four other players in the conference with one. Tyren Sams and Randle both have one sack as well to tie for the lead.
• Sams is also tied for first in the GNAC in interceptions with one and leads the way in interception return yards with two.
• O'Connell is tied for second in forced fumbles with one, while McKenzie is tied for second in fumble recoveries, also with one.
• Patrick Hegarty is second in total punt yards with 285.
• Gavin Todd is the leader for the conference in PAT's attempted, made, and percentage. He is a clean 4-4 on the year.
 
AROUND THE GNAC
• All four GNAC schools will play this Saturday, Sept 14 with two squads making home debuts in CWU and Western Oregon.
• Western Oregon (0-1) will battle another Lone Star Conference school when the team hosts Texas A&M-Commerce in its home opener. Kickoff is set for 1:05 p.m. PT.
• Simon Fraser (0-1) heads to Texas this weekend to take on LSC foe Angelo State. Kickoff will be at 4 p.m. PT.
• Azusa Pacific (0-1) is also on the road for the second straight weekend, this time in Missouri, to take on the Missouri S&T Miners. Kickoff will be at 5 p.m. PT.
 
A WIN OVER FERRIS STATE WOULD...
• Be their first ever against the Bulldogs.
• Be their first home opening win inside Tomlinson Stadium since the 2017 season.
• Be the first career win for Chris Fisk overall and at home as a head coach.
• Bring the Wildcats record back to .500 at 1-1.
• Give CWU its first win of the 2019 season.
 
A LOSS TO FERRIS STATE WOULD...
• Be their first loss to Ferris State in team history.
• Push the Wildcats home loss streak to two.
• Start the year 0-2 for the first time since 2015.
• Be the second consecutive season with a home opening loss inside Tomlinson Stadium.
• Hand Chris Fisk his first career home loss as a head coach.
 
WILDCATS FOOTBALL HISTORY
• In 104 seasons of CWU Football the Wildcats have compiled a 520-335-24 (.605) record in 879 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 138-63 (.687) all time in 201 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 0-1 all-time in his young career of leading the Wildcats.
• 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
• The Wildcats hit the road next weekend as they travel to the Silver City, N.M. for a non-conference bout against the Western New Mexico Mexico Mustangs. Kickoff is at 11 a.m. PT.