ARCATA — It's been nine years since Humboldt State last left the country to find football competition, but the welcome addition of Simon Fraser to the Great Northwest Athletic Conference this season will make it a more regular occurrence.

Burnaby, B.C., in the great country of Canada, is the Jacks' destination for this week's game against the Simon Fraser Clan. Kickoff at Terry Fox Field is scheduled for 3 p.m.

The game is HSU's final road contest of the regular season, with the last two games scheduled at home. The finale on Nov. 13 is against the same Simon Fraser team.

On-the-Air
Every Lumberjack football game is broadcast live over the local airways on KATA, 1340 AM, beginning with the pregame show 20 minutes prior to game time.  Bicoastal Media Sports Director J.B. Mathers describes the action and HSU Hall of Fame inductee Burt Nordstrom adds commentary. …Home games' audio and video are also streamed live over the Internet through the hsujacks.com web site. The UStream format allows an interactive chat between listeners during the webcast.  The specific URL for access is located at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/humboldt-state-athletics.

Live Stats
All Lumberjack football home games can be tracked online by using the Live Stats feature on hsujacks.com. Real time statistics, drive progress and other information are featured on the game viewer. The feature can be found at http://www.sidearmstats.com/humboldt/football/.

Coach Rob Smith
Eight weeks into his third year as the Lumberjacks' head coach, Rob Smith's Lumberjacks have posted a 13-16record through the program's transition.  Before coming to HSU, Smith guided the very successful Western Washington University football program for 17 years. During his career as the Vikings' head coach,  Smith's teams posted a cumulative record of 109-62-1 for a .640 winning percentage. His wins total and winning percentage will remain the best in school history for the now defunct WWU football program.

Head-to-Head
In five previous meetings, the Lumberjacks have won only twice, including the most recent game. That contest was a slugfest that ended 37-34 in favor of HSU during the 2001 season.

Injury Report
Humboldt State's run of good fortune in the injury department generally continues, with several key players nursing minor issues. …Linebacker Jonathan Faraimo, held out last week while healing an ankle injury, is expected to return this week. …Linebacker Chris Peterson is doubtful for Saturday after sustaining a chest-area injury against Central Washington.

Lumberjack Notes
Heading into the final three games of the season, the Jacks top the GNAC statistical rankings in both scoring offense and scoring defense. Offensively, they average a league-best 29.0 points per game while holding opponents to 17.8 points per contest. …Despite HSU's ranking at the top of the offensive scoring category, the Jacks have taken a down-turn while possessing the ball in their past two contests. They managed only two touchdowns by the offense in each of the two games. “For two weeks we haven't played up to the level offensively that we need to be at,” HSU head coach Rob Smith said. “To be effective, we need to run the football better. That's where it all starts with our offense.” …Despite missing last week's game, Faraimo continues to top the Lumberjacks in tackles with 56. The junior transfer also has 4.5 tackles for a loss, a blocked kick and fumble recovery. …Earning the coaches' awards this week were Chris Bolt, on offense, Chris Peterson, on defense, Tim McMullen, special teams, Tommy Darcey, offensive scout, and Kelly Mitchell, defensive scout. …Individually, the Lumberjacks have GNAC statistical leaders in Sergio Allen, Lyndon Rowells, Matt Bruder, Elzie Gatson and Justin Hornsby. Allen tops the league with a kickoff return average of 23.2 yards, while Rowells leads in all-purpose yards, averaging 131.9 per game. Bruder is best with 27 of 27 PAT kicks, Gatson averages 1.12 passes defended per game, and Hornsby ranks first in fumbles forced at .38 per game.

Clan Notes
Having been granted NCAA probationary status, Simon Fraser has returned to playing the schools it faced in the 1990s and early 2000s as a member of the Columbia Football Association. …Simon Fraser used to play its games at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby's Central Park, but now competes at its own on-campus facility, Terry Fox Field. …The Clan have been competitive, but have struggled to break through, posting a 1-6 overall record and 0-5 league mark to date. …Simon Fraser's offense has put up impressive numbers, including a season-best 504 total yards accumulated in last week's 18-15 loss to Dixie State. Freshman quarterback Greg Bowcutt completed 16 of 36 passes for 233 yards in his collegiate debut. The performance earned Bowcutt GNAC Offensive Player of the Week honors …Simon Fraser has run the ball successfully all season, with a pair of big-play threats. Last week, it was running back Bo Palmer, who rushed for 194 yards on 20 carries, including an 80-yard touchdown run.

Smith's Assessment
“Our goals haven't changed. The series between us and Central Washington came down to a home field split, and we still have the chance to tie for a championship in the very least. We control our own destiny.” … “This week represents another very long trip against a vastly improved Simon Fraser team. They have the best rushing offense in the conference, and they've been able to run on everybody. I'm sure they're very hungry for a conference win.” … “We have to find ways to deal with the travel. That's what championship teams do. As coaches, we'll look at providing some recovery this week, perhaps we'll look at contact or length of practice. But we still need to get in a good week of practice to prepare for our opponent.”