MONMOUTH, Ore. – The Humboldt State football team came up short 33-31 in Saturday's rematch against Great Northwest Athletic Conference rival Western Oregon at McArthur Field.
 
The Lumberjacks (7-2, 3-2 GNAC) extended their road losing streak to the Wolves (5-5, 2-3 GNAC) to four games with the loss.
 
"It was a hard fought game on both ends and obviously we are disappointed with the outcome," said Head Coach Rob Smith. "This is a rivalry. When you play GNAC teams twice they come back highly motivated. You have to expect games like this. This game was not settled until it was all zeros on the clock."
 
HSU's defense flattened Western Oregon's senior quarterback Ryan Bergman in the first meeting, but the Issaquah, Wash., native rebounded in the rematch. Bergman threw three touchdowns and passed for over 300 yards in the win.
 
Western Oregon scored the game's first points as Michael Kluge scooped up an HSU fumble and rumbled for a seven-yard touchdown return.
 
A Chase Krivashei touchdown reception midway through the second quarter put the Jacks on top 7-6 with 5:45 left in the half. Krivashei finished the game with a team-high 13 receptions for 106 yards and a touchdown.
 
Bergman led the Wolves' quick-strike offense back onto the field and he fired a 22-yard touchdown pass to Daniel Thomas to give the Red and Black a 13-7 lead at the break.
 
Penalties haunted both teams in the opening half and both teams struggled to keep their composure in the heated grudge match. A pair of Western Oregon players, receiver Kamakana Apelu and defensive back Roger Garrett, were ejected in the first half due to unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. HSU was flagged six times in the first 30 minutes of action and finished the game with 143 total penalty yards.
 
The Jacks opened the second half with a 34-yard Matt Bruder field goal that trimmed the Wolves' lead to three, 13-10.
 
Western Oregon extended its lead 6:44 later as Bergman completed a 72-yard bomb to senior receiver Tyrell Williams. Williams led all Wolves' receivers with 94 yards on four receptions.
 
Trailing by 16, 26-10, with 3:29 left in the third quarter, the situation looked grim for the Lumberjacks, but quarterback Robert Webber was ready to answer. Webber connected on two long passes; a 39-yard strike to Cass White and a 19-yard touchdown to Jamarie Sanders to steal back the game's momentum for the Green and Gold.
 
Four drives into the fourth quarter, the Jacks found the end zone again. Webber guided the Jacks 49 yards down the field, but it was senior running back Nick Ricciardulli that got the pivotal final yard. Ricciardulli's touchdown run pulled HSU within two points, 26-24, and it seemed like a rally was underway after 14-straight unanswered Green and Gold points.
 
Neither team reached the end zone on the following two drives and it was the Wolves' running game that gave them the win. Nathaniel Penaranda, who carried the ball only five times in the game, broke a 41-yard touchdown run that made the score 33-24 Western Oregon with under three minutes left.
 
Webber threaded the needle to connect with Kelechi Nwadibia for what proved to be the game's final score, a 39-yard touchdown caught just inches beyond the pylon. HSU missed the onside kick following the touchdown and Western Oregon ran out the clock to secure the victory.
 
Ricciardulli compiled 80 rushing yards on 22 carries in the loss. The Jacks finished with 25 net rushing yards as Webber was sacked five times for -53 yards.


Despite the pressure, Webber completed 29-of-42 passes for a season-high 371 yards and three touchdowns. The Corona, Calif., native was unafraid as Western Oregon pass rushers bore down on him throughout the game and was hit several times after the play.
 
Webber's top targets were Krivashei (106 yards) and White (108 yards), both of whom finished with over 100 receiving yards in the game, a first for the Lumberjacks in 2014.
 
Senior defensive linemen Silas Sarvinski and Alex Markarian finished with a combined 3.5 sacks against Western Oregon. Defensive back Jeremiah Maluia picked off Bergman for the game's only interception and broke up a pass. Taylor Mitchell led the Jacks with seven tackles (four solo).
 
HSU returns home to celebrate Senior Day and its regular season finale on Saturday, Nov. 15. Kickoff scheduled for 1 p.m. PT.
 
"Next Saturday will be the last chance we get to play together (this season)," said Smith. "We will regroup from this disappointment and get ready to end this thing in a positive way. For 20 seniors this will be their last football game. We want to send our seniors out in a very deserving manner and we will work hard to do just that."