ARCATA — Their second roadtrip in two weeks awaits the Lumberjacks, who travel to face Southern Oregon at 6 p.m. Saturday in Ashland. Coming off a 45-13 loss in the season-opener at DIAA Sacramento State, the Jacks will seek better results against the NAIA affiliated Raiders, who opened their season with a 32-30 win over Montana Tech last week.

Media: Jacks' supporters unable to make the trip this week can listen to the action on KATA, 1340 AM radio, the North Coast's ESPN affiliate. J.B. Mathers calls the action live from Ashland, Ore., and will again be joined by HSU Hall-of-Famer Burt Norstrom, 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 will be made available through the Southern Oregon web site at http://souraiders.com/sports/2008/7/14/livestats.aspx?tab=livestats.

Head-to-Head: Humboldt State holds a 21-19  advantage in the long-standing series against Southern Oregon, but the Raiders claimed a 31-16 victory last year in Redwood Bowl. The most recent Lumberjack victory was a 35-17 win during the 2006 season.

Coaches: Rob Smith is in his first year directing the HSU program. As head coach at Western Washington for 17 seasons, Smith's programs achieved a 109-62-1 record. …Steve Helminiak is in his third season coaching the Raiders, achieving a 7-11 record in his first two seasons. Last year the squad made marked improvements, finishing with a 5-4 mark.

Injury Report: Despite a few scares, the Jacks emerged from the Sacramento State game relatively unscathed. Linebacker Allen Brunner, who went down in the fourth quarter, is suffering a slight sprain, and offensive lineman Lorenzo Arenas is expected to be at 100 percent after recovering from an ankle injury.

Lumberjack Notes: After reviewing the Jacks' performance in the opener, the coaching staff found much to be encouraged by, well beyond the final score. A rugged start that left the Jacks trailing 28-0 belied the overall effort. Indicative is that only five penalties were called on HSU, all in the opening quarter. Both turnovers were also committed during the game's first 15 minutes. "There were a lot of nervous players out there at the start of the game," Smith said. "But from the second quarter on, we played a good game against a good opponent. The kids didn't give up, and battled the entire game. I think we'll see (HSU's players) settle in now." … Another positive for HSU was special teams play, which included the placekicking of Enrique Leyva. The junior transfer connected on both of his field goal attempts and only PAT try. Also, solid kick coverage by the Jacks and adequate punting into a strong wind were good signs. "(Special teams) is always a concern when you start the season, but I thought they did a good job," Smith said. …Brian Hildebrand was pressed into action early in the game after a rocky performance by starting quarterback Garrett Hubrich. HIldebrand's efforts – 11-20 passing for 102 yards and one interception – have earned him the start in this week's game.

Opponent Notes: Southern Oregon came back from a 12-0 deficit to defeat the NAIA's 21-ranked team, Montana Tech, 30-25 on the road. Quarterback Bryan Lee-Lauduski was 29-41 passing for 240 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Danny Patenaude was the top receiver with nine catches, and Brandon Stout caught two touchdown passes. …Last year Lee-Lauduski, a 2008 Preseason All-Independant Team selection, threw for 2,083 yards and 17 touchdowns. …A familar face on the other side of the field will be Defensive Coordinator John Ely, who served as defensive coordinator for the final five years of Rob Smith's tenure as head coach at Western Washington.

Smith Says: "(Southern Oregon) has good size up front, and their senior quarterback is an impressive player. They feel good about their program's potential for success this year and I would second that. We need to get ready to play a good opponeont on their home field." … "We've had a chance now to evaluate our players' performance during a game, which certainly helps. We can make better decisions as a staff based on that, and better prepare them. Now's the time for us to get into a routine."

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

Depth Chart: Current two-deeps for HSU and opponent are available for download at http://hsujacks.com/documents/2008/8/25/HSU2deep.pdf

Statistics: Following Saturday's game and throughout the season, current HSU statistics can be viewed online at http://www.hsujacks.com/documents/2008/8/31/teamstat.htm?path=football.