ELLENSBURG, Wash. - The wait is finally over. Central Washington Wildcats Football is back and they are kicking off the 2019 season this weekend on the road against an NCAA Division I-FCS opponent.

GAME INFORMATION
at Idaho
Saturday, Sept. 7
6:00 p.m.
Kibbie-ASUI Activity Center - "Kibbie Dome"
Moscow, Idaho

KICKOFF
• The Wildcats are set to kickoff the 2019 season this Saturday as they hit the road to take on a Division I-FCS opponent in the Idaho Vandals.
• 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.
• Idaho comes into the weekend with one game already under its belt. The Vandals opened up the 2019 season on the road at Penn State but fell victim to a 79-7 loss for the season opener.
• The Vandals game against the Wildcats this Saturday will be the home opener. The Vandals are also doing a Military Appreciation Day for the game.
• 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.
• CWU faired pretty well on the road in 2018 going 5-1 in true road games. They team's only road loss came in the season opener at Eastern Washington before they ended the year with five straight road wins.
• The Wildcats were 3-2 in home games in 2018 and when playing inside Tomlinson Stadium the squad went 2-2.
 
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 and Soma Lambert on the sidelines. The pregame tailgate show will get started at 5:30 p.m. PT on the Wildcat Sports Radio Network.
• The game will be webcast online through the Pluto TV webpage at Pluto.tv along with being shown on the Big Sky Conference's video portal page at https://bigskyconf.com/sports/2015/11/19/WatchBigSky.aspx
 
STORY LINES
• The Wildcats and Vandals will meet on the gridiron for the first time ever in both teams' program history.
• The Vandals are coming off a tough 79-7 loss to a top-25 ranked Penn State and will look to get their confidence back in the 2019 home opener.
• Dating back to last season, the Wildcats have won five straight games on the road and will look to keep that mark intact when they travel to Moscow.
• CWU has won or shared a piece of the GNAC title each of the last two seasons and will look to keep that trend going into 2019. CWU has also finished with a .500 record or better in each of the last seven seasons.
 
WILDCATS IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
• The Wildcats start the 2019 season outside the top-25 in both the AFCA and D2Football.com media preseason poll.
• In the AFCA Preseason Poll, CWU found itself in the receiving votes category after winning a share of the GNAC title in 2018.
• The Wildcats were ranked in the AFCA top-25 all of 2018 prior to dropping the season finale against Azusa Pacific. The team finished the season inside the receiving votes category and are once again back in that spot to start 2019.
 
THE 2019 WILDCATS
• The Wildcats will have a combination of familiar faces and newcomers on the 2019 squad along with a new head coach in Chris Fisk.
• Fisk is not new to CWU, having been with the team as the offensive coordinator since 2016. He replaces Ian Shoemaker who moved up to the Division I ranks to be the offensive coordinator at Eastern Washington.
• Key returners for the Wildcats offense include 2018 GNAC Newcomer of the Year Michael Roots. He was the team's leading rusher with 1,067 yards to go along with 11 touchdowns last year.
• Also back on offense are a pair offensive linemen in senior Nicholas Streubel and junior Will Ortner. Both have been key staples in the CWU offense and will look to continue being key roles in 2019.
• On the defensive side, CWU brings back a handful of players from 2018 and have a full year of knowledge of the scheme that defensive coordinator Ivan Cordova works with.
• Starters back on defense include three First Team All-GNAC selection in linebackers Donte Hamilton and Tevin Gray, along with defensive back Tyren Sams.
• The Wildcat defense has multiple players on this year's squad who have played quality reps and will look to become a tougher presence in 2019.
• Entering the 2019 season the Wildcats are picked to finish second in the GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll after winning a share of the GNAC crown last year.
 
SERIES HISTORY
• The Wildcats and Vandals will square off for the first time ever on the gridiron this Saturday.
• The game at Idaho will also be the first ever for Chris Fisk as a head coach. It will also be the second straight season CWU has opened up against a Big Sky opponent.
 
LAST MEETING WITH IDAHO
• The Wildcats and Vandals have never met on the gridiron.
 
ABOUT THE VANDALS
• Idaho is 0-1 to start the 2019 season after falling 79-7 last weekend on the road at No. 15/14 Penn State.
 • The Vandals feature a crop of young players on this year's squad with 21 players making their debut in an Idaho uniform last weekend. They do still have experience with 18 returners from 2018, including eight starters on the offense.
• Head Coach Bobby Petrino is in seventh season of leading Idaho and holds a career record 23-49 following the loss at Penn State.
• Leading the way for the Idaho offense are a pair of wide receivers in Jeff Cotton and Cutrell Haywood. The Vandals also bring back four starting offensive linemen from 2018 that will look to help lead the team.
• With just one game under their belt, the Vandals still have some question marks on offense. Two quarterbacks played last weekend in Mason Petrino and Colton Richardson. Petrino finished 11-of-17 with 91 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Richardson was just 5-of-9 passing.
• Cotton led the receiving core with six catches against the Nittany Lions and totaled 83 yards for the contest. Behind him were Haywood and Nick Romano with three catches, respectively. Romano picked 28 yards receiving, while Haywood had seven.
• Aundre Carter lead the ground game for the Vandals with 14 carries for a total of 32 yards. Kiahn Martinez rushed the ball three times but totaled just 16 yards on the ground.
• A trio of players managed to pick up six or more tackles in last weekend's game for Idaho. Tre Walker led the charge with eight total tackles, with five coming on a solo effort. He also had two tackles for loss.
• Sully Shannon and Christian Nash each put six tackles against Penn State and are currently tied for second in total tackles. Shannon was assisted on four of his six tackles, while Nash split with three solo and assisted, respectively.
• Robert Miller and Charles Akanno are both tied for fourth in total tackles with five apiece. Both are tied for first in solo tackles with Walker. Akanno also has two tackles for loss and has a forced fumble.
 
LAST TIME OUT
• The Wildcats put up 30-plus points for the sixth game in a row but it was not enough as they ultimately fell 42-35 in the season finale at home against Azusa Pacific. The loss gave the Wildcats a share of the GNAC title but ultimately kept them from making the NCAA Playoffs.
• Central Washington was in front or only tied with Azusa Pacific for much of the game and had an answer nearly every time the Cougars got within striking distance until the very end.
• After a scoreless first quarter, Riley Hennessey threw a pair of touchdown passes in the first five minutes of the second quarter to give the Wildcats a 14-0 lead.
• Hennessey found Jordan Tufaga on the first touchdown pass from 25 yards out to make it a 7-0 game. The CWU defense then forced a quick three-and-out series from APU. The offense wasted little time as Hennessey hit Ryan Ramones on a 78-yard pass that gave CWU a commanding 14-0 edge. APU responded late in the first half with a touchdown run that cut the score to 14-7 going into halftime.
• Cedric Cooper made it a 21-7 lead for CWU to start the third quarter with a rushing touchdown early in the second half. APU responded on the next drive with a 56-yard touchdown pass to stay within seven, 21-14.
• A late drive in the third quarter from APU cut the game's score to 21-20. A failed PAT attempt kept CWU in front by one going into the fourth. Cooper answered for the Wildcats with his second rushing touchdown of the game to start the fourth to make it a 28-20 lead for CWU.
• APU tied the game midway through the fourth with its third passing touchdown of the game. The Cougars converted the a 2-point attempt to make it 28-all.
• Cooper was once again the go to option for the Wildcats as he scored his third rushing touchdown of the afternoon to give the Wildcats one last lead at 35-28. The CWU offense stalled after that and never scored again as APU put up two more touchdowns to win the game 42-35.
• Hennessey finished 15-of-27 with 315 passing yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed with 63 yards in the game. Cooper led the ground game with 121 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries.
• Three Wildcats finished with 10-plus tackles in the game led by Cody O'Connell with 13. He also had the most solo tackles with eight. Donte Hamilton and Billy Greer each posted 10 tackles in the game to help lead the defense.
 
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. They currently are winners of their last five road games dating back to last season.
• 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. 
• 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, CWU was 8-1 when scoring at least 30 points last season and was 8-0 when scoring 40 or more points.
 
HIGH POWERED CAT ATTACK
• The Wildcats finished last season averaging 47.7 points per game and 540.9 yards of total offense. Both marks were No. 2 in all of Division II in 2018.
• Central Washington also had the sixth-highest ranked rushing offense in Division II last year averaging 272.6 yards per game.
• The Wildcats have scored at least one touchdown in the last 164 consecutive games to keep a streak of not being shutout intact.
• The streak dates back to week four of the 2004 season.
 
2018 GNAC AND NCAA STAT LEADERS
• Central Washington boasted one of the prolific offenses in Division II during the 2018 season. The team's 540.9 yards per game of total offense was second best in Division II last season.
• The Wildcats had no problem putting points on the board as well averaging 47.7 points per game. Their average was also ranked No. 2 in Division II in 2018.
• A big help in the Wildcats high powered attack was the ground game. They were sixth in the nation for Division II in yards per game averaging 272.6.
• The Wildcats also had one of the best third down conversion percentages on offense. They were fourth in Division II converting 50% of the third down situations they were in.
• Inside the red zone, CWU was also a force to be reckoned with which helped their offense rank so high. They had an 89.2% success rate of scoring a touchdown in 2018 making it hard for teams to keep them off the board.
• The Wildcats also had a potent defense when it came to stopping teams on fourth down. They were No. 4 in Division II last year in fourth down conversion percentage defense at 17.4%.
• Running back Michael Roots was a big help in the CWU rushing attack in 2018 as he rushed for 1,067 yards. His total was ranked 26th in Division II.
• One weapon the Wildcats will need to replace is quarterback Reilly Hennessey who was ranked 15th in Division II in total offense averaging 289.3 total yards per game.
• Both Roots and Hennessey's numbers, along with what the Wildcats averaged as a team were all top marks in the GNAC in 2018.
 
AROUND THE GNAC
• Western Oregon is the first GNAC team that will kickoff the 2019 season for the GNAC. The Wolves play at Angelo State Thursday, Sept. 5 to start the year.
• Simon Fraser will square off against a Division I opponent just like CWU this weekend. The Clan is at Portland State Saturday, Sept. 7 to open the 2019 campaign.
• Azusa Pacific, like Western Oregon, takes on a Division II opponent from the Lone Star Conference this weekend on road. They square off against West Texas A&M this Saturday, Sept. 7.
 
A WIN OVER IDAHO WOULD...
• Be their first ever against the Vandals.
• Be their first season opening win since 2017.
• Be the first career win for Chris Fisk as a head coach.
• Start the year 1-0 on the road and push the Wildcats road win streak to six straight.
• Give CWU its first win over an NCAA Division I-FCS opponent.
 
A LOSS TO IDAHO WOULD...
• Be their first loss to Idaho in team history
• Snap the Wildcats current road win streak of five.
• Start the year 0-1 for the second consecutive season.
• Hand Chris Fisk his first career loss as a head coach.
 
WILDCATS FOOTBALL HISTORY
• In 104 seasons of CWU Football the Wildcats have compiled a 520-334-24 (.606) record in 878 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 138-62 (.690) all time in 200 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 will make his debut in 2019 as a first-year head coach.
• 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 will return home next weekend for the 2019 home opener. They play host to 2018 National Runner-Up Ferris State. Kickoff is set for 4:05 p.m. PT inside Tomlinson Stadium
• CWU's home game against Ferris State has been selected for the NCAA Division II Football Showcase. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3.