ARCATA — Another week, another Great Northwest Athletic Conference honor for Humboldt State quarterback Mike Proulx, who was named GNAC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in the Jacks' 56-27 win over Dixie State.

The senior from Castro Valley threw for 315 yards and four touchdowns in the first half alone, finishing the contest completing 24 of 35 passes for 361 yards.  He also rushed for 51 yards on five carries to end the game with a GNAC season-best 412 yards in total offense, an average of 10.3 yards for each of the 40 plays he participated in.

Proulx and his teammates will be severely tested this week when they step up in competition to take on the NCAA Division I FCS UC Davis in Aggie Stadium. Kickoff in Davis is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Tickets
Tickets for Saturday's game at UC Davis can be purchased through the Aggies' web site at http://purchase.tickets.com/buy/TicketPurchase?agency=TDC&pid=7014076.

Head-to-Head
HSU has only matched up with one other school more often than it has played UC Davis. The Jacks faced Chico State 62 times before the Wildcats' football program was eliminated in 1996. Former conference rivals HSU and UCD have gone to battle 59 times in a series that began in 1935. The Aggies, who competed as an NCAA Division II program along with the Jacks in the Northern California Athletic Conference and Far West Conference, have won 41 games against the Jacks, losing 15 and tying in three. The Aggies and Jacks played three times following the demise of the NCAC in 1996, most recently in 2002. UC Davis moved to NCAA Division I FCS status in 2007.

On-the-Air
Humboldt State football can be heard over the airwaves on KATA, 1340 AM, the North Coast's ESPN radio affiliate. Former Lumberjack player and BiCoastal Media Sports Director J.B. Mathers describes the action and HSU Hall-of-Famer Burt Nordstrom adds commentary. Saturday's broadcast begins at 5:45 p.m. …All broadcasts are also streamed live through the hsujacks.com web site. …HSU also offers live video streaming of games in Redwood Bowl.  Access of the live stream can be found at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/humboldt-state-athletics.

LiveStats
This week's game at Davis can also be found online at http://www.ucdavisaggies.com/gametracker/launch/gt_mfootbl.html?event=981053&school=ucda&sport=mfootbl&camefrom=&startschool=&. …All Humboldt State football home games feature LiveStats through the link http://www.sidearmstats.com/humboldt/football.

Injury Report
Three Jacks who've battled injuries recently are expected to be back in action this week. Starting left offensive tackle Brandon Hribar returns after sitting out last week's game, as do starting linebacker Casey Sarvinski and backup free safety Connor Waggoner.

Lumberjack Notes (4-0, 3-0)
Monday's release of the NCAA Division II American Football Coaches Association poll listed the Lumberjacks at No. 24, marking the first time they've cracked the Top 25 this fall. Last week Humboldt State was "among others receiving votes." The recognition marks the first time the Jacks' program has ranked nationally since the AFCA poll began in 2001. …Saturday's one-sided win over Dixie State provided an extra jolt to the Jacks' already strong team unity. The large lead allowed the HSU coaching staff to substitute freely in the second half as several players made their first appearance in a collegiate football game. "Nearly everyone who was eligible got to play," HSU head coach Rob Smith said, singling out three offensive linemen in particular. "Jonathan West made his first start and Derrick Austin played a substantial amount of time. We finally had a chance to get Max Little some valuable experience. The starters were very happy for them because they appreciate the effort these players give in practice every week."  …Nine times the Lumberjacks penetrated into the Dixie State redzone Saturday, and on eight of those occasions the Lumberjacks scored a touchdown. Humboldt State's only drive that didn't end in a score was the final of the game, which ended when the Jacks ran out the clock with a quarterback kneel at the Dixie State 16-yard line. …Five weeks into the 2011 season, Humboldt State stands alone among NCAA Division I BCS, Division I FCS, and Division II programs as the only team to not have allowed a quarterback sack. Proulx has not been sacked in five consecutive games, throwing 194 consecutive passes since last being sacked in the first quarter of HSU's Nov. 6, 2010 game against Western Oregon. … On the other side of the ball, the Jacks' defense tops the GNAC and is ranked No. 15 nationally in sacks with an average of 3.25 per game. …Other categories in which Humboldt State stands prominently on the national level in five other teams categories, ranking seventh in passing offense (330 yards per game), fifth in total offense (502.25 yards per game), 14th in scoring offense (39.5 points per game),16th in kickoff returns (25.94 yards per return), and 17th in passing efficiency. …Individually, Proulx is among national statistics leaders in two categories as his outstanding senior season continues. He ranks fifth in the nation in total offense with 342.25 yards per game, and is listed 18th in passing efficiency with a 153.30 rating. …Senior running back Lyndon Rowells is 17th nationally amongst Division II players with 110.25 yards rushing per game. He's tied for fifth in scoring, averaging 12 points per game. …Nose tackle Andrew Iupati led a defensive line that harassed three Dixie quarterbacks all night on Saturday. HSU's defensive line recorded eight sacks total, including one by Iupati for an eight-yard loss. "Iupati played his best game of the season," Smith said. …The Lumberjacks begin their six-hour bus ride Friday morning, making this trip one of the easiest by Humboldt standards. Following the UCD game on the schedule are two more roadtrips on the next two weekends, both long and grueling. "I don't recall ever making three consecutive road trips in my (21) years of coaching," Smith said. "All of the games are against top quality opponents. We'll find out who we are in these next three weeks."

Coaches Choices
Earning recognition from the HSU coaching staff for their efforts last week were Mike Proulx, Chris Bolt and Kevin Miles on offense, Brendan Faubion and Andrew Iupati on defense, and the entire kickoff coverage unit on special teams. The kickoff squad has limited opponents to a mere 13.5 yards per return this season. Also honored for their scout team efforts were Ryan Cardin (offense), Kenny Head (defense) and Lauren Gandy (special teams).

Aggie Notes (1-3)
UC Davis has had moderate success since moving into the NCAA Division I FCS ranks, but the Aggies have struggled against esteemed competition this fall. They've dropped a 48-14 decision to FBS top 25 ranked Arizona State, fallen to No. 3 ranked FCS Montana State, and most recently lost to Hawaii, 56-14 on Oahu. The Aggies' lone victory was a 31-3 beating of non-scholarship University of San Diego in their only previous home game. "You can't read into those scores or look at the wins and losses," Smith said. "We'll have to be at our best to be able to compete." …Sophomore Randy Wright has been the Aggies' primary quarterback, completing 65 of 122 passes for 734 yards, six touchdowns and only one interception. …Defensively, UCD linebacker Jordan Glass has been a consistent force, totaling 21 tackles, recovering a fumble and making one interception.

Smith Says
“We're going to focus on preparing for the caliber of athletes UC Davis has. I expect to play against a very fundamentally sound team with excellent speed." …"UC Davis is traditionally one of the best programs on the West Coast. This is a team that will be looking to get back on track on its home field." …"We'll have a lot of support down there. So many of our players are from that area or the Bay Area, so their friends and families will be coming out to see them play. They'll witness our team taking on a great challenge."
 
Game Conditions
Saturday's weather forecast for Davis calls for clear skies and a high temperature of 76 degrees before cooling slightly at game time.