ARCATA — Prior to the 2011 season, the Humboldt State football team adopted "The Time is Now" as its theme. True to that slogan, the Lumberjacks earned the Great Northwest Athletic Conference championship.

Two years later the same theme is pertinent, but with a much different connotation. Four games into the 2013 campaign, the Jacks stand at 0-4 overall and 0-3 in the GNAC following a disheartening 42-28 loss to Dixie State on Saturday.

"We need to turn (the season) around right now," HSU head coach Rob Smith said. "We're searching for answers, and while we haven't found them, we still believe those answers are out there."

Humboldt State's next chance to solve the riddle comes Saturday when the Lumberjacks host Central Washington (2-2, 2-1) in a GNAC contest. Kickoff in Redwood Bowl is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Lumberjacks Online

Head-to-Head
With a 14-10 victory in Arcata last season, the Lumberjacks gained ground in the all-time series, but still trail the Wildcats,  19-8 …Central Washington earned a 31-3 decision over HSU earlier in 2012 on the Wildcats' home field in Ellensburg, Wash. …In 1958 the very first game between the programs ended in a 27-27 tie.

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 Lumberjack action can be viewed live online on the Lumberjacks' Stretch Internet channel in real time at http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/humboldt.portal#. Live Stats will also be available alongside the video segment.

Injury Report
Another series of injuries decimated the Jacks' troops heading into last week's game, forcing the coaching staff to delve even deeper into the depth chart. Hit particularly hard was the offensive line, where starters Dillon Reagan, Lucas Govan and Jonathan Bajet joined Jonathon Rowe on the inactive list. Reagan, Govan and Bajet are expected to play this weekend. …Running back Nick Ricciardulli further aggravated the knee injury he suffered in the season-opener, forcing the senior to miss Saturday's game. His status for the rest of the season is uncertain. …Strong safety Gianni Olivas will be evaluated with another MRI this week, but is unlikely to return to active status. Linebacker Julius Evans is also unavailable. …Another casualty is defensive back Matt Kaufman, who sustained a foot injury Saturday that may have ended his season. …Running back Daniel Wyatt, also out since the Sept. 7 opener, has resumed practicing and may be ready to play by Saturday.

GNAC Glance
Saturday's Games: Western Oregon 30, Simon Fraser 9; Dixie State 49, Humboldt State 24; Central Washington 7, Azusa Pacific 3.

This Week: Azusa Pacific at Western Oregon, 1 p.m.; Simon Fraser at Dixie State, 6 p.m.; Central Washington at Humboldt State, 6 p.m.

Polls: AFCA (Sept. 23) – 39. Simon Fraser. D2Football.Com (Sept. 17) – No GNAC team is ranked.

Lumberjack Notes
Names continue to shuffle up and down and in and out on the Lumberjacks' depth chart, most of the changes precipitated by injuries. Other adjustments have been made in an attempt to assemble an effective combination of players. Notable this week is the move of cornerback Kevin Cooper to strong safety. …One major change – Jamarie Sanders' transfer from defensive back to running back – provided Humboldt State with a pleasant offensive boost last week. The junior from Savannah, Ga., carried the ball 23 times for 149 yards gained, his longest romp 51 yards. "I'm very pleased with Jamarie," Smith said. "He ran hard and gained confidence as the game went on." …Another bright spot Saturday was the continued success of the Jacks' kicking game. Junior placekicker Matt Bruder converted a 46-yarder in his only field goal attempt, and Chris Campbell averaged 51.5 yards per punt. …Characteristic of the entire season thus far was HSU's defense Saturday, a unit that can appear dominant at times, but then surrender a long gainer in a critical situation. In four games, the Jacks have allowed opponents 31 plays that have gone for 20 or more yards. Many of those have come on third or fourth downs, leading to opponents' third down  conversion rate of 44 percent, and fourth down success rate of 56 percent. …Humboldt State's seven fumble recoveries ranks first in the GNAC and sixth among NCAA Division II schools. HSU also leads its league in fewest penalties per game with a 6.5 average, a mark that sits 50th in the nation. The Jacks also top the GNAC in average yards per kickoff return (20.52) and net punt average (35.22). Individually, Campbell averages a conference-best 39.0 yards per punt, and Bruder is first in field goals per game at 1.3.

Opponent Notes
Central Washington squeezed out a 7-3 win over Azusa Pacific on the road last week, leaving the Wildcats in a four-way tie for first place in the GNAC at 2-1. … Running back Jordan Todd and kick returner Isaiah Davis were selected for Great Northwest Athletic Conference/Red Lion Hotels players of the week honors for the week of Sept. 23-29. Todd rushed for a GNAC-season high 189 yards and set up the game's only touchdown with a 53-yard run.  Davis had 100 return yards, netting 66 on four punt returns and 34 on two kickoff returns,  to earn Special Teams Player of the Week recognition. …The Wildcats have scored a league-low 55 points, four less than the Lumberjacks. However, CWU has held opponents to a conference-best average of  13.0 points allowed per game while HSU's defense has allowed an average of 40.3.

Smith Says
"We're not playing as a team. Each phase has to help the others out. Our offense has to put our defense in better situations, and our defense has to provide better opportunities." … "We still have players trying to do too much. They have to realize that sometimes punting is okay instead of pressing the issue and turning the ball over. Our objective should be to play a sound, solid football game."