ARCATA — One game remains, and like the 2011 season, the Great Northwest Athletic Conference championship is still undecided. Also like last year, HSU will face Western Oregon with the title on the line.

Unlike 2011, Humboldt State took a more circuitous route to the championship game in 2012, stumbling along the way, including Saturday's 41-37 loss to Simon Fraser. The Lumberjacks held a 6-1 league mark entering the final weekend a year ago, but are tied at the top with Central Washington at 6-3 this season.

If the Lumberjacks defeat Western Oregon in Saturday's game at Monmouth, they'll earn at least a share of the title pending the outcome of the Central Washington-Dixie State game in Ellensburg, Wash. If both CWU and HSU win, they'll finish 2012 tied for first place in the GNAC. If one wins and the other loses, there will be a single champion. If both teams lose, Western Oregon will join those teams as tri-champions.

Kickoff in Western Oregon's McArthur Field is scheduled for 1 p.m.

Head-to-Head
Humboldt State has won 18 meetings compared to 16 victories for Western Oregon in the teams' all-time series. This year, Western Oregon soundly defeated the Lumberjacks, 42-14, on Oct. 6 in Redwood Bowl.

On-the-Air
Humboldt State football can be once again 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. Airtime is 5:45 p.m. The broadcast will also be streamed live at http://socialstreamingplayer.crystalmedianetworks.com/radio/kataam.

Streaming VIdeo
This week's game at Monmouth, Ore. can be viewed in real time at http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/gnac.portal#http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/gnac.portal#

LiveStats
Live statistics for Saturday's game between the Jacks and Western Oregon Wolves can be accessed at http://athletics.wou.edu/live/xlive.htm

Injury Report
Linebacker Colton Russi injured an ankle in Saturday's game against Simon Fraser, and his status will be unknown until at least mid-week. …Punter Chris Campbell, out the past two games with concussion symptoms, returns to the field Saturday.

GNAC Standings 11/5/12
School                   GNAC        Overall

Humboldt State	6-3	7-3
Central Washington	6-3	6-4
Western Oregon	5-4	5-5
Simon Fraser	4-5	5-5
Dixie State	3-6	3-7
Azusa Pacific	3-6	3-7

Lumberjack Notes
Forgetting the past and focusing on the future is the approach Humboldt State's football players and coach staff will follow this week in preparation for Saturday's game against Western Oregon. "If you were asked before the season if you'd want to be playing for a championship now, you'd be glad to say, 'you bet,'" Humboldt State head coach Rob Smith said. "If we win, we can do no worse than tie for the title." …Junior running back Nick Ricciardulli has set a new HSU single-season rushing record of 1,431 yards....or maybe not. Ricciardulli was credited with 110 yards rushing against Simon Fraser, but the dense fog limited statisticians' view of the field. Chances are Ricciardulli actually piled up more yards, but his total as of today still stands as a record, surpassing the 1,417 that Lyndon Rowells achieved in 2011. …As a team, the Jacks are threatening to break into the top five rushing teams in Humboldt history. Their combined total of 2,005 yards is 39 short of the fifth-best mark of the 2,044 achieved by the 1980 team. The HSU team rushing record of 2,954 yards was set in 1968 by the Camelia Bowl winners. …One telling statistic illustrated the primary reason for Saturday's loss. Humboldt State fumbled the ball seven times, turning it over to the Clan on five of those occasions. For the year, the Jacks are plus .40 per game in the turnover margin category, but in their three losses combined the number drops to minus 1.7. In wins, HSU holds a plus 1.28 advantage. "We have to take care of the football, no matter what the conditions are like," Smith said. …Western Oregon's grass field could be a factor in the game. Five home games since the season opener can take a toll on a grass field, especially for a November game in the Pacific Northwest.

Opponent Notes
Western Oregon has dropped two straight games since losing quarterback Cody VonAppen, who passed proficiently and ran rampant in the Wolves' win over HSU in their previous meeting. VonAppen directed the offense, mixing timely passing with 90 yards rushing in WOU's convincing victory. VonAppen is not listed in the Western Oregon's depth chart for this week's game. …The win was particularly notable because it marked only the second time in three years that HSU has lost a game in Redwood Bowl. The Wolves were also responsible for the other Jacks' loss, a 26-24 decision in 2010. …A 19-3 loss to Azusa Pacific two weeks ago ended WOU's modest win streak at five straight. Last Saturday,  Western Oregon trailed Central Washington, 21-0 before rallying to take a fourth-quarter lead. Central Washington responded with a late touchdown to defeat the Wolves, 36-32.

Smith Says
"We're a very young team, and sometimes that shows. Coming into the season, half of our players had never traveled to play a game." …"We have enough talent to compete with anybody, but if we don't play our best there's a good chance we're going to get beat. When we're at our best, we're as good or better than any team in the GNAC." …"(Western Oregon) kicked our tail last time we met. Our players take that personal. They have a second chance, and I expect their motivation to be at its highest."