ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Central Washington University Football Team heads back on the road for another major conference test, this time heading to Odessa, Texas and the historic Ratliff Stadium to clash with the sixth-ranked UT Permian Basin Falcons (5-0, 3-0 LSC).
GAME INFORMATION:
Saturday, October 11
#13 Central Washington at #6 UTPB
4:00 p.m.
Ratliff Stadium
Odessa, Texas
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QUOTING CWU HEAD FOOTBALL COACH CHRIS FISK:
"This is a really really good football team. I think that the biggest thing that always jumps off the screen when you play these guys the amount of talent they've acquired through the transfer portal, and also not just the transfer portal but the guys that they've recruited since they've been there. I think they're a well-coached team, I think Coach McCullough does a great job getting his teams ready to play, they play with a lot of passion and energy. Their schemes are sound, they're really really good at special teams. You can tell that it's a program that takes all three phases very seriously. They're very very good up front at the line of scrimmage, they always have an outstanding defensive line, and even with losing a couple of players from a year ago they've been able to replace those guys with very good personnel. Everything for them offensively drives through their quarterback who transferred in from West Texas A&M, who was in a backup role last year and fought his way into the starting role and has never looked back. He can run the ball, he can throw the ball, he can kind of do it all. He really reminds me of their quarterback from two years ago that was super dynamic. That allows them to be a four down offense pretty much all over the field and we'll have to play really really well to be in this football game."
LAST GAME:
The Wildcat defense opened strong with a quick three-and-out, and on CWU's first offensive play,
Kennedy McGill hit
Jalen Grable for a 55-yard touchdown.
David Weber's PAT made it 7–0 CWU with 13:18 left in the first.
Another defensive stop led to a five-yard rushing TD by McGill, and Weber's kick pushed it to 14–0 with 5:33 remaining. After a fourth-down stop,
Beau Phillips punched in a one-yard score, and another Weber PAT made it 21–0 with 39 seconds left in the first.
Early in the second, McGill broke free for a 50-yard rushing TD, extending the lead to 28–0. Following another stop,
Ryder Bumgarner scored from three yards out, and CWU led 35–0 with 10:58 left. After a penalty on ENMU, Weber drilled a 46-yard field goal to make it 38–0.
With 1:43 left before halftime,
Jalen Webber intercepted a pass and returned it 21 yards for a pick-six, putting CWU ahead 45–0. Moments later, after a fumble recovery, McGill found
Mason Juergens for a 25-yard touchdown, and Weber's PAT made it 52–0 at halftime.
In the third quarter, Weber hit a 49-yard field goal to stretch the lead to 55–0. CWU later added a 23-yard Weber field goal in the fourth for 58–0.
ENMU broke through late as Jarius Stewart scored a rushing TD, and Clayton Vincent's PAT made it 58–7 with 31 seconds left. CWU took a knee to seal the 58–7 victory.
McGill led the offense with 132 passing yards and two touchdowns on 6-of-13 completions, adding 67 rushing yards and two more scores. Phillips contributed 52 rushing yards and a touchdown, while Bumgarner added 30 yards and another score. Through the air, Grable caught one pass for 55 yards and a touchdown, and Juergens added three catches for 36 yards and a score.
Defensively,
Ethan Pletcher,
Brett McCalla, and
Timothy Timoteo each tallied nine tackles. McCalla added 0.5 TFL and a QB hurry, while Timoteo posted two TFLs (including a 22-yard sack) and a forced fumble. Lisherness and Eddleman recorded eight tackles apiece. Coalson and Tua each added six tackles, with Coalson recovering a fumble and Tua recording 0.5 TFL. King added four tackles with a sack, Dodson logged an interception, and De'Asis chipped in 0.5 TFL. Scanlan added two tackles and 0.5 TFL, Goff had one tackle and a pass breakup, and Webber grabbed an interception.
On special teams, Redding punted twice for 97 yards, pinning both inside the ENMU 20, and added 11 kickoffs for 648 yards. Weber was perfect on the night, going 7-for-7 on PATs and 3-for-3 on field goals, with a long of 49 yards. Phillips returned a punt for 13 yards, and Gionet had a 30-yard kickoff return.
As a whole, the 'Cats totaled 371 yards compared to the Greyhounds 198. The Wildcats earned 227 yards on the ground while only giving up 189 yards to ENMU on the ground. The 'Cats outgained ENMU in the air with 144 yards compared to the 'Hounds 9 passing yards.
Eastern New Mexico held onto the ball for 34 minutes compared to the 26 minutes the 'Cats held onto it. The Greyhounds converted on 6/17 third down attempts and was 0/1 on fourth down attempts while the 'Cats successfully converted on 5/11 third down attempts and did not attempt a fourth down.
ABOUT THE #6 FALCONS
UTPB is currently 5-0 on the season and 3-0 in LSC play. The Falcons opened their season with a huge 34-14 statement victory over then fifth-ranked Central Oklahoma. They then added on a 41-7 road victory at Adams State to conclude nonconference action. UTPB then defeated Texas A&M-Kingsville on the road in their LSC opener by a 43-30 score before defeating Midwestern State 37-15 at home. Last week they took down the then fifth-ranked, LSC-leading Angelo State Rams by a 28-14 score on the road.
The Falcons are currently averaging 36.6 points per game and are only allowing 16 points per game to their opponents. UT Permian Basin is currently being out rushed by their opponents 142.8 rushing yards per game to the Falcons 111.2. However, UTPB makes up for it in the air, averaging 313.2 passing yards per game compared to the 167.4 passing yards their opponents are averaging. In total the Falcons are outgaining their opponents 424.4 yards per game to the 310.2 yards they're giving up.
UT Permian Basin is a disciplined team accruing 24 penalties on the year for 224 yards for an average of 44.8 penalty yards per game. They also like to hold onto the ball, averaging 33:32 minutes per game with the ball. They've been efficient on third down opportunities, converting on 41.89 percent and have been extremely difficult to stop on fourth down, converting 12 of 14 attempts this season.
Kanon Gibson has been the focal point of the Falcons offense, passing for 1,137 yards and nine touchdowns this year for an average of 227.4 passing yards per game. He's passed for a completion percentage of 65.35 percent and has only thrown two interceptions out of 127 attempts. Gibson also leads the UTPB rushing room, earning 232 yards on the ground and has added five touchdowns as well. Kory Harris and Camden Tyler are the only other over 100-yard rushers on the team with Harris accumulating 184 yards and four touchdowns while Tyler has added 110 yards and two touchdowns, respectfully. TJ McKenzie and Jaylon Tillman have led the receiving corps for the Falcons with McKenzie racking up 244 yards and three touchdowns on 14 catches while Tillman has brought in 214 yards to pair with three touchdowns of his own on 10 catches. Traylen Suel and Jace Wyatt lead the team in total catches with each making 16 grabs with Suel adding 191 yards and two touchdowns and Wyatt having 116 yards and one touchdown.
Preseason LSC Defensive Player of the Year Tristan Exline lead the defense with 36 total tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss that include three sacks, and two quarterback hurries while adding one interception. Jamarion Ravenell and Jayden Palter lead the Falcons with two interceptions each while Kendrick Jones and Caimon Mathis have three pass breakups to their names to lead UTPB. McKyle So'oto and Elijah Gerrard have each forced a fumble while So'oto has the only fumble recovery for the Falcons on the season.
Jolon Cabello has 18 punts on the season for a total of 751 yards and an average of 41.72 yards per punt with five landing in the opponents 20-yard line. Angel Diaz has been the main kicker for UTPB having 35 kickoffs for 1,938 yards for an average of 55.4 yards per kick and has converted 6/9 field goals on the year with his longest coming in at 44 yards. Heston Kelly has seven punt returns for 73 yards on the year while Suel has been the primary kickoff returner, returning five kicks for 85 yards total.
UP NEXT:
The Wildcats will head back home for Homecoming festivities next week. The 'Cats will welcome the Texas A&M-Kingsville Javelinas (2-3, 1-2 LSC) for a Homecoming matchup on Saturday, October 18 at 6:00 p.m. from Steve Hertling Field at Tomlinson Stadium.
