ARCATA — Another highly-regarded opponent is up next for the Lumberjacks, who take their 4-1 record on the road to face Azusa Pacific, also 4-1, on Saturday. For added motivation, the game is the Cougars' homecoming affair, and will be played at Citrus College's stadium  next door in Glendora. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.

1st Half

2nd Half

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
Five weeks into his third year as the Lumberjacks' head coach, Rob Smith's Lumberjacks have posted a 11-15 record 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
Humboldt State holds a 15-7 advantage over Azusa Pacific, having won the past two games. Last year the Jacks earned a 31-10 victory at Azusa. The Cougars' most recent win over HSU was a 27-17 decision achieved in 2007.

Lumberjack Notes
On the verge of breaking through, Humboldt State was listed among “others receiving votes” in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Top 25 announced Monday. Last week's opponent, Central Washington, dropped out of the rankings after being listed No. 21 prior to losing to HSU. …Humboldt State swept the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Player of the Week awards, with quarterback Mike Proulx, linebacker Jonathan Faraimo and kicker Brian Blumberg earning the honors. All three played critical roles in the Lumberjacks' 25-24 win over Central Washington that snapped the Wildcats' streak of 28 consecutive conference victories. …Proulx, a junior from Castro Valley, shared his award with Dixie State running back Jesse Ence. Proulx had 250 yards in total offense, completing 20 of 34 passes for 197 yards, including a 32-yard toss to Patrick Gondkoff on a critical fourth-and-five play from CWU's 42 to set up a game-winning 18-yard field by Blumberg.  Proulx, who had one touchdown pass, also rushed for 53 yards on eight carries.  He set up a four-yard touchdown run by Lyndon Rowells late in the second period with a 35-yard run to give Humboldt a 13-10 lead at the break. …Faraimo, a junior transfer from the University of Idaho, had nine tackles, including 1 ½ for losses of three yards.  Faraimo's biggest tackle came on a third-and-one play from CWU's 45 on which he stopped running back Bryson Kelly for a two-yard loss giving the Jacks an opportunity to win the game with a field goal.   …Blumberg, a junior transfer, kicked two crucial field goals.  He first made a 30-yarder with 52 seconds left in the third quarter to pull HSU to within one-point at 17-16.  He then made an 18-yarder with 1:12 remaining in the fourth quarter to finish off an eight-play, 60-yard drive.  Those were his first two attempts of the season. …Blumberg was injured during preseason camp, and therefore was unable to compete for the primary kicking duties. The coaching staff made the decision last week to use Blumberg on field goals and kickoffs and stick with freshman Matt Bruder on extra points. …The Jacks' offensive line is getting it done, and their efforts show up in the national statistics rankings. The group has allowed an average of only 1 sack per game, rating 10th nationally.

Injury Report
Both Mike Streck and Edwin Henry are expected back this week after sitting out again vs. Central Washington. Henry actually served as holder on special teams in that game, but wasn't utilized in his customary wideout or return specialist roles.

Cougars Notes
Azusa Pacific ranked No. 14 nationally in last week's NAIA poll before dropping a 13-10 decision to Webber International in Florida. The game was decided on a 54-yard field goal with 15 seconds remaining. …In their first four games of the season – all victories – the Cougars averaged 45.5 points per contest.  …Azusa features a running game that has averaged 270.2 yards per game, led by quarterback John van den Raadt's 122 yards per game. Also posting more than a century per contest is Johnell Murphy, who averages 100.2 yards rushing. …van den Raadt has also completed 67 of 112 passes for 869 yards and seven touchdowns, with four interceptions. …The Cougar defense has applied persistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks, accumulating 14 sacks. Leading the way is Jake Jones with 5.5 sacks and seven total tackles for a loss. …APU has recovered seven fumbles and picked off six passes. …The Cougars are playing all of their home games at Citrus College's new facility this year after playing half their games there last season. The field has a synthetic surface.

Smith's Assessment
“We're facing another football program that is having a very good season. They'll come into this the same as us, and they have the motivation of playing their homecoming game. We'll have to prepare like we do for any opponent.” … “We're getting production on both sides of the ball. Our front four is getting a solid push on defense, and we're making key plays when we need to. That's how you win close games.” … “All of the goals we've set are still in place. Our top goal each week is to be 1-0 for the week. If we achieve that goal, all of the others fall into place.”