Box Score ARCATA — For one half of Saturday's football game, Humboldt State displayed its passing prowess. For the other half, the Jacks showed how to get it done on the ground. The end result was a 56-27 thumping of Dixie State in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference football game played in front of 6,652 fans.

Boxscore

Humboldt State improved to 4-0 for the first time since 1969, when the Jacks' opened the regular season with six consecutive victories after falling to an alumni squad in their unofficial first game. HSU also maintained its position at the top of the GNAC at 3-0 in league, while Dixie State fell to 1-4 overall and 1-2 in conference.

HSU consistently doubled up the Red Storm, scoring 14 points in each quarter while Dixie State put up seven, save for a blocked extra-point kick that held it to six points in the third quarter. The Lumberjacks rolled up 591 yards of total offense to DSU's 370.

"We were able to win comfortably and get a lot of players in the game," HSU head coach Rob Smith said. "For many, this was the first time they've been in a collegiate football game. (Senior) Alex Hiebert scored the first touchdown of his career. I'm happy for him and everyone else who got on the field tonight."

The first half belonged to Jacks' senior quarterback Mike Proulx, who was on a school record-setting pace after completing 20 passes in 26 attempts for 315 yards by the break. Four of his aerials were caught in the endzone, the first a 2-yard reception by tight end Alex Hiebert, the next a 13-yard hookup with Chris Bolt and the third a 12-yard connection, again to Bolt, and the final a 11-yard pass to Kevin Miles.

Dixie State adjusted at halftime, faring better against the Jacks' passing attack, but Lyndon Rowells, Mike Campana and Ricky Sims got the job done on the ground. The trio accumulated 134 yards of the team's 215 total in an effort to mercifully wind down the clock.

Rowells surpassed the 100-yard barrier for the third time this season, carrying the ball 25 times for 102 net yards. All three of his touchdown runs – a 9-yarder, a 16-yarder and a 5-yard scamper – came in the second half. Each one also saw the senior skate into the endzone untouched by the Dixie defense.

Campana, a junior transfer, also contributed points for the first time as a Lumberjack when he finished off the HSU scoring with a 14-yard run early in the fourth quarter.

Proulx finished the game 24-of-35, throwing for 361 yards and four touchdowns. He again survived four quarters without being sacked, keeping the Jacks perfect on the season with no sacks allowed.

Again, Proulx diversified the attack, hooking up with eight different receivers. Miles topped the group with seven catches for 76 yards, Bolt had four catches for 97 yards and Victor Spencer grabbed four passes for 75 yards.

Defensively, linebacker Brian Sampson had 10 tackles, including one of the eight sacks the Jacks recorded against three different Dixie State quarterbacks. Safety Guy Ricciardulli had eight tackles, as did cornerback Jeremiah Maluia.

Backup Stefan Cantwell put up the best statistics among the Dixie State quarterback trio, completing 10 of 14 passes for 180 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Jesse Ence carried the ball 11 times for 30 yards of the 53 net achieved by the Red Storm.

Humboldt State steps up in competition on Saturday, traveling to play Division I FCS program UC Davis in a non-conference contest.