Wolves continue prep for Dixie Rotary Bowl

11/21/2007 2:30 PM - article care of Russ Blunck - Western Oregon University

November 21, 2007

Next Game— Saturday (Dec. 1) vs. Colorado School of Mines at the Dixie Rotary Bowl, St. George, Utah, Hansen Stadium, 11 a.m. Pacific time
Last Games— WOU defeated Humboldt State (64-0), Mines defeated Western St. (21-7)
Season Records: Western Oregon 8-2, Colorado Mines 7-4
Stats: http://www.wouwolves.com/fb/stats/2007-08/teamstat.htm
http://www.athletics.mines.edu/Sports/Football/2007%20Season/07stats/TEAMSTAT.HTM
updated 2-deep attached

Healing and tuning: Coach Arne Ferguson’s Western Oregon football squad continued preparation this week for the 22nd annual Dixie Rotary Bowl, set for Dec. 1 at Hansen Stadium in St. George, Utah. The Wolves wrapped up three days of practice this week with a morning workout today (Wednesday). They will take the Thanksgiving weekend off, and then hit the field for workouts Monday-Wednesday (3 pm) before flying to Las Vegas on Wednesday night.

Arne’s assessment: “Having the extra time to heal up and get practice time for all of our players has really been beneficial. We are very excited to represent Western Oregon, the state of Oregon and the Great Northwest Athletic Conference at the Dixie Rotary Bowl. Our staff, players and fans are really thrilled to be a part of this.”

Tickets, please: Tickets for the game and the Thursday night banquet are on sale through the WOU Athletic Office. Banquet tickets are $25 each, while reserved game tickets are $15, general admission is $7. Call 503-838-8252 for more information.

More than a game: Ferguson and staff will pack a lot into the bowl experience. Here is a look at their tentative schedule.
• Wednesday: Practice in Monmouth, then fly to Las Vegas. Stay at the Excalibur Hotel.
• Thursday: A.M. trip to the Hoover Dam. Travel to St. George. Practice at Dixie High School (3:30 pm). Rotary Bowl Banquet (7 pm). Meetings. Lights out.
• Friday: A.M. trip to Zion National Park. Practice at Hansen Stadium (5 pm). Meetings. Lights out.
• Saturday: Meetings. Game. 5th Quarter with fans at Hansen Stadium. Leave for Las Vegas and flight home.

Fan fun: WOU fans have options in addition to the game as well.
• Thursday banquet: contact WOU Athletic Department for tickets.
• Friday: Golf Classic at Sunbrook Golf Course (10 am). Call 435-634-5866 for entry information, or click on the Dixie Rotary Bowl link at www.wouwolves.com. Army Band Concert (7 pm), free. Team Rally at Abby Inn (9 pm), $5.
• Saturday: Rotary Bowl parade (10 am). Official Tailgate party (11 am). Game (noon). WOU 5th quarter (plaza area of stadium) 4-6:30 (catered).

News and notes: Western Oregon will wear their road white uniforms with red trim, Colorado School of Mines will wear their home blue uniforms with silver trim….The Mines marching band will be in attendance…WOU’s cheerleaders will make the trip…Offensive and Defensive MVP’s of the game will be selected from both schools.

Coast vs. Mountains: The Dixie Rotary Bowl, played at Dixie State’s Hansen Stadium, matches the top NCAA Division II independent team from the west and the top Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference squad not playing in the NCAA playoffs.

History: This will be the first-ever match-up between the Wolves and Orediggers.

Watch and listen: If you can’t make it to Hansen Stadium, you have listening and viewing options. All Western Oregon football games are broadcast live on KPJC 1220-AM in Salem, and are available on the internet at www.wouwolves.com. If you want to listen to the game on your cell phone, click on the Teamline link on wouwolves.com. Live Stats are expected to be available on game day, look for the link on www.wouwolves.com. WOU television replays of the game will run beginning on the following Tuesday and through the week on both Comcast and WIMPEG cable in the Monmouth-Independence area. Video streaming may also be an option on game day, that announcement will be made soon. And finally, if you just want to know the score and a few details, call the Wolves Sports Scoreboard at 503-838-8020 for the latest on everything in WOU athletics.

Purchase the memories: A DVD will be made of the game and all of the festivities surrounding the week. The cost is $25. For purchasing information, go to the Dixie Rotary Bowl link at www.wouwolves.com.

Very little bowling: It has been awhile since the Wolves have played in a bowl game. In its’ football history, Western Oregon has made NAIA national playoff appearances in 1975, 1978, 1985 and 1997. They also twice played in the Oregon Bowl in 1976 and 1979.

Mines mentions: Colorado School of Mines won six of its final seven games of the season to finish 7-4 overall and 6-2 in the RMAC. After a 1-3 start, their only blip was an 18-0 loss to playoff bound Mesa State on Nov. 3. The Orediggers averaged 248 yards of passing per game, riding the arm of sophomore quarterback David Pesek. The 6-3, 185-pounder has connected on 63 percent of his passes (248-396) for 2,699 yards and 15 TD’s. A pair of 6-3 receivers are Pesek’s favorite targets in Adam Saur and Derek Dykstra. Saur has 44 catches for 653 yards and four scores while Dykstra has hauled in 43 grabs for 715 yards six touchdowns. The Oredigger defense and special teams are aggressive. The defense has 89 tackles for loss and 55 quarterback sacks on the season, tops in the nation, led by Marc Schiechl’s 16.5 and 13 respectively. Mines special teams have blocked 11 kicks on the year. Under head coach Bob Stitt, the Orediggers have posted winning seasons in six of the last seven campaigns, including the 2004 squad that finished 12-1 falling only to Pittsburg State in the second round of the NCAA playoffs. That CSM team featured Harlon Hill Trophy winner Chad Friehauf, who threw for a Division II single-season record 4,646 yards.

National notice: Western Oregon is ranked 25th this week in Don Hansen’s National Football Gazette Division II poll.

Indy honors: Western Oregon placed eight players on the d2football.com All-Independent team and Arne Ferguson was named the Coach of the Year, announced this week. The names were picked from the 13 NCAA Division II independent teams from across the nation. The Wolves were also picked as the top independent team in the country by d2football.com (see below). Here’s the WOU award winners.
• First team: Paul Wright (OL), Matt Cox (DL)
• Second team: Mark Thorson (QB), Ben Kuenzi (RB), Allan Mikolas (OL), JT Gilmore (LB).
• Third team: Casey O’Donnell (DE), Zach Christopherson (DB)
• Coach of the Year: Arne Ferguson, Western Oregon

Final D2football.com Independent ranking: (1) Western Oregon 8-2, (2) Tiffin OH 9-2, (3) North Greenville SC 5-6, (4) Central State OK 5-6, (5) St. Joseph’s NY 4-7, (6) Missouri-Rolla 4-7, (7) UNC Pembroke 4-7, (8) Dixie State UT 3-8, (9) Kentucky Wesleyan 3-8, (10) Humboldt State CA 2-8, (11) Chowan NC 2-9, (12) Lincoln MO 2-8, (13) Oklahoma Panhandle State 0-10.

Grand send-off: Western Oregon finished the 2007 regular season on a four-game win streak and with a 64-0 win over Humboldt State. The 64 points and the margin of victory was the most for a Wolves team since a 1934 101-0 win over Saint Martin’s. 18 seniors played their final game at McArthur Field and were honored with their families before the game.

Eight-plus?: The Wolves capped the scheduled season with an 8-2 record, the best slate for the program since Duke Iverson’s 1985 team had the same record. Bill McArthur’s 1979 team finished 8-1-1. There have been three nine-win teams in WOU school history, the last one a McArthur club in 1976 (9-1). McArthur’s 1975 squad also went 9-1, and his 1949 team holds WOU’s top all-time mark at 9-0.

Back-to-back: The Wolves have back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 1987. The Wolves have had 50 winnings seasons and only 28 losing campaigns in its football history, but hadn’t had two years above .500 in consecutive years since current head coach Arne Ferguson was a player in the mid 1980’s. The Wolves finished 6-4 in 2006, with all four losses coming by a touchdown or less.

Headlines from HSU game: Western Oregon rang up a season-high 508 yards of total offense in the 64-0 win over Humboldt State. The total was split almost perfectly even with 258 on the ground and 256 through the air…The Wolves scored more points than any Western team had in 72 years despite turning the ball over five times in the contest—including twice on fumbles at the HSU one and five yard lines. The Wolves also missed two field goal attempts…WOU was 10 of 15 in third down conversions…Back-up running back Steven Vedder (Eugene/Willamette HS) saw his first extended action of the year and rushed for 99 yards on eight carries. That included a 74-yard break for a TD, WOU’s longest run from scrimmage this season…12 different receivers caught passes…WOU’s stingy defense pitched its first shutout of the season, allowing only two yards of total offense…They drove the Lumberjack running game backwards for -55 yards in losses…Nobody had more than six tackles for WOU, with 16 different players recording tackles for losses.

Thorson continues re-write of record book: Senior Mark Thorson has moved into the top spot in four different career categories at WOU. He has now thrown more touchdown passes, completed more throws, thrown more passes and is responsible for more touchdowns than any other quarterback in Western Oregon history. With one final game left, he has a shot to break his own school record for single-season completions and the school mark for touchdown passes on a year. Here is a look at the career numbers that the 6-6 Sandy High School alum has posted through the end of the regular season.
Career Top 10-Thorson
• Passing attempts: 960 (1st) Old Record: 895, Denny Bies (2001-04)
• Passes completed: 553 (1st) Old Record: 496, Brian Traeger (1993-96)
• Passing yardage: 6,492 (2nd) Record: 6,778, Brian Traeger (1993-96)
• Touchdown passes: 59 (1st) Old Record: 47, Tony Burris (1985-86)
• Completion percentage: .558 (2nd) Record: .593, Brian Traeger (1993-96)
• Total offense: 6,354 (2nd) Record: 7,097, Brian Traeger (1993-96)
• TD’s responsible for: 62 (1st) Record: 56, Brian Traeger (1993-96)
Single Season Top 10-Thorson 2007
• Passing attempts: 300 (7th) Record: 365, Adam Bledsoe (2000)
• Passes completed: 180 (5th) Record: 186, Mark Thorson (2005)
• Passing yardage: 2,136 (6th) Record: 2,628, Erik Davis (1999)
• Touchdown passes: 23 (3rd) Record: 25, Tony Burris (1985)
• Completion percentage: .600 (2nd) Record: .628, Brian Traeger (1994)

Packing: The Wolves finished the road portion of their 2007 schedule with a 4-1 record away from home. Western traveled this year to Kingsville, Texas (22-14 win over Texas A&M-Kingsville), to San Luis Obispo, Calif. (24-17 loss to Cal Poly) to Arcata, Calif. (27-3 win over Humboldt State), to Bellingham (35-7 win over Western Washington) and to St. George, Utah (31-7 win over Dixie State). All of WOU’s 2007 roadies were out of state—two to California, one to Texas, one to Utah and one to Washington.

GNAC preview: Beginning in 2008, the Great Northwest Athletic Conference will offer football again, and WOU will play twice a year against each squad with league title hopes on the line. Western Washington, Central Washington and Humboldt State return to the conference and newcomer Dixie State will also join the fray. CWU and WWU currently play in the North Central Conference, which will disband next season, while HSU and Dixie, like WOU, are playing as NCAA Division II independents.

National notes: Western Oregon has top 10 status in a number of team categories in the NCAA Division II national statistics.
• Rushing Defense: 7th (73 yards a game)
• Defensive Sacks: 7th (3.4 a game)
• Scoring Defense: 8th (14.6 points a game)
• Total Defense: 8th (260. 4 yards a game)
• Kick-off Return Defense: 7th (15.31 per return)
• Punt Return Defense: 7th (3.67 per return)

Defensive dots: The Wolves have forced 27 fumbles, recovering 15…JT Gilmore’s 18 tackles against Texas A&M-Kingsville was the most by a WOU player since Dave Morrill had 21 against Carson-Newman in 2000. Gilmore leads the team with 109 tackles on the year and ranks 16th in NCAA stats…23 different WOU players have tackles for losses, led Matt Cox’s 17.5-81 and Casey O’Donnell’s 12.0-62. Cox ranks 12th in the country and 13th respectively in those two categories. He has also forced two fumbles, recovered two fumbles and blocked two kicks…Nine different Wolves have 15 interceptions, led by Zach Christopherson’s three…Senior linebacker Matt Buche is second on the squad with 59 tackles, despite missing his first game at Dixie State. He had started in every game other since his freshman year…Defensive tackle Anthony Marin is a two-time qualifier for the NCAA Division II national championships in the hammer…Defensive end Victor Felipe was listed as a starting defensive end for the University of Oregon on their spring depth chart…WOU’s secondary has 34 pass break-ups by 15 different players, led by Nick Smith’s seven.

Ode to the offense: Sophomore running back Ben Kuenzi was on pace to top the 1,000 yard rushing mark until he missed the last three games with an injury. He has 710 rushing yards total, averaging 101.4 yards per game….Senior quarterback Mark Thorson has thrown for 2,136 yards in nine games, connecting on 60 percent of his passes (see all of Thorson’s career numbers above). He has thrown just one interception in his last 126 passing attempts. He missed the Humboldt State game (Oct. 6) with a shoulder injury…Junior Isaiah Smith leads the balanced receiving crew with 35 catches for 521 yards and six scores. Shaun Kauleinamoku is next on WOU’s deep catch list with 33 grabs for 434 yards and five TD’s, with Brad Ching (33-377) and Sean Fullerton (29-342) right behind them…Tight end Cory Dickson had four touchdown catches.

Specialists: Senior Bruce Voges has six field goals on the season and has 27 in his career. He is also averaging 56.6 yards per kick-off…Sophomores Juan Rodriguez and Cory Dickson have shared the punting duties this year, with Dickson now back at No. 1. Rodriguez, also the back-up kicker, averages 35.6 yards per punt, while Dickson, also the Wolves starting tight end, checks in at 35.1 per boot.

Kickin’ it: Senior kicker Bruce Voges is chasing some career records this year, after also listing his name last year on some single season lists.
Career Top 10
• Field goals: 27 (3rd) Record: 49, John Freeman (1997-00)
• Extra points: 106 (T-3rd) Record: 114, John Freeman (1997-00)
Single Season Top 10-Voges 2006
• Field goals: 12 (3rd) Record: 16, John Freeman (1997)
• Extra points: 32 (7th) Record: 41, Tim Rouhier (1977)

Buy local: The Wolves have 17 Salem-area athletes on their roster, including ten listed on the first or second team depth chart. All but three of WOU’s starters on offense or defense are from the state of Oregon.

Crowded houses: WOU’s first two road ventures this year were played in front of the second and third largest crowds to ever watch the Wolves play. At Texas A&M-Kingsville, the announced attendance of 7,500 ranks third all-time, while the 8,837 fans at Alex Spanos Stadium at Cal Poly is the second largest. The 3,800 estimate at Sept. 8’s home game versus Linfield is the second largest crowd ever at McArthur Field.

Know more: Check out the bios of Western Oregon players at www.wouwolves.com. Click on http://www.wouwolves.com/fb/roster.php, and then click on your favorite player to learn more.

Ferguson factor: Head coach Arne Ferguson is in his third season at WOU—as the head coach. He has spent nearly a lifetime at the school as a player, assistant coach, and now leader of the program. The Vale, Oregon native was a three-time All-CFA defensive back for the Wolves from 1986-88, and began his coaching career at Western in 1989. He has been WOU’s defensive coordinator since 1997. In Ferguson’s first season at the helm in 2005, the Wolves went 5-6 and finished the season on a three-game win streak. Last year, they were 6-4, with all four losses coming by a total of 21 points. His career head coaching mark is now 19-12.