ARCATA —  Humboldt State's search for  success faces a formidable obstacle this week when league-leading Central Washington visits town Saturday. The Wildcats (6-1, 5-0 GNAC) kickoff against the Lumberjacks (2-5, 0-4) at 6 p.m. in Redwood Bowl.

Media: All Humboldt State football games are broadcast live  on KATA, 1340 AM radio, the North Coast's ESPN affiliate. J.B. Mathers calls the action, and is joined by HSU Hall-of-Famer Burt Nordstrom, who adds commentary. The audio will also be streamed live on the hsujacks.com web site. …Another feature allowing fans to track the game's progress is the LiveStats component of hsujacks.com. This week's live stats can be found at http://www.sidearmstats.com/humboldt/football/.

Coaches Show: For insight on the Jacks' football program and information on all of Humboldt State's athletics activities, catch "Humboldt State Tonight" on Fox Channel 2 local cable television at 6 p.m. Wednesdays. J.B. Mathers hosts the show, which features interviews with Coach Rob Smith, student-athletes, and other HSU Athletics staff members.

Head-to-Head: In a series that has been one-sided throughout its history, the Jacks possess a 5-13-1 record against the Wildcats. Central Washington has won the past 13 meetings, including a 48-10 victory at home on Sept. 20. HSU's last win was a 40-30 decision at Ellensburg, Wash., to conclude the 1997 season, its fifth in a row over the Wildcats at that time. The series started with a 27-27 tie in 1958.

Coaches: In his first season directing the Lumberjacks, Coach Rob Smith stands at 2-5 overall and 0-4 in conference games. As head coach at Western Washington for 17 seasons, Smith's programs achieved a 109-62-1 record. …Also in his first season as head coach of Central Washington is Blaine Bennett, whose previous experience includes serving as head coach at Western Oregon University from 1995-2000. Bennett is off to a 6-1 start with his new program.

Injury Report: Defensive back Justin Price suffered a possible concussion during the Dixie State game, and was to be evaluated further early in the week. His status for the weekend will be determined on a day-to-day basis.

Lumberjack Notes: Offensive production, or lack thereof, continues to plague the Jacks as they head into the eighth game of the season. While posting a win and a loss in their last two games, they've scored only six points over the last six quarters on the field. For the season, they've been outscored, 214-110, and opponents have a 114-45 advantage in the second half. "If you can't put points on the board, you can't expect to win," HSU head coach Rob Smith said. "We've been able to put together drives, but can't seem to finish them. We continue to make mistakes at the most critical times." …  A positive trend that Jacks hope to continue is in the turnover department. Humboldt State has handed the ball over to its opponents only 10 times this year, four via fumbles and six through intercepted passes. Conversely, the Jacks' defense has taken the ball away 18 times, eight times on fumbles and 10 on interceptions. HSU has not committed a turnover in its past two games. …Heading into the second half of Great Northwest Athletic Conference action means the Jacks will see familiar faces on the other side of the ball. Seeing a team for the second time doesn't call for a significantly altered game plan, however, according to Smith. "Any changes we make at this point will be subtle. Any adjustments we make will be about us, not our opponent." …One major adjustment the Lumberjacks hope to address is in pass protection. HSU quarterbacks have been sacked 28 times this season for a total loss of 186 yards. "Our offensive line has responsibility, but they aren't the only ones," Smith said. "The running backs, our wide receivers and our quarterbacks all share in that responsibility. It's something that has to improve across the board."

Opponent Notes: In fashioning another stellar season, the Central Washington Wildcats have suffered only one minor blip along the way. Their lone loss was a 38-35 decision to NCAA Division I Montana on Sept. 27. …CWU is coming off its best point-production of the year in claiming a 50-28 win over Western Washington. The Wildcats are averaging 43.6 points per game. …Quarterback Mike Reilly, considered a top candidate for next spring's NFL draft, had a career-best 429 yards of total offense and set a school record for career touchdown passes in last week's win.  Reilly, who also set an all-time NCAA record for most consecutive games with a touchdown pass (41), completed 36 of 47 passes for 371 yards and four touchdowns and added another 58 yards on the ground.  He also broke the GNAC record and extended his own school record for most consecutive passes without an interception to 184 before a fourth-quarter pass tipped off the hands of a receiver and was grabbed by the Vikings' C.J. Green.

Smith Says: "Central Washington is certainly the best team in the conference, and one of the top teams not only in Division II, but also in the next level of NCAA football (Championships subdivision). They're a very talented offensive team that will put points on the board and move the football. That talent is led by two of the best players in Division II, Mike Reilly and (wide receiver) Johnny Spevak." … "Our job as coaches is to prepare our team to face this week's great challenge. Our players will have their character tested, and that's something that needs to happen. We'll see how they respond."

Jacks' Roster: Online roster and downloadable version in MS Word available at http://hsujacks.com/roster.aspx?path=football&

Depth Chart: Current two-deeps for HSU and opponent are available for download at  http://hsujacks.com/documents/2008/9/8/HSUtwodeep.pdf

Statistics: Following Saturday's game and throughout the season, current HSU statistics can be viewed online at http://www.hsujacks.com/custompages/football/2008/teamstat.htm.