MONMOUTH, Ore. – Humboldt State football held off a fourth-quarter rally by Western Oregon and captured a 42-37 victory at McArthur Field Saturday afternoon.
 
The Lumberjacks improved to 4-4 overall and 2-4 against Great Northwest Athletic Conference opponents. The win was HSU's first conference victory since defeating Simon Fraser on Sept. 17.
 
Western Oregon struck first in the nationally-televised showdown. Quarterback Phillip Fenumiai tossed a 68-yard touchdown pass to Paul Revis midway through the first quarter, but the Wolves failed to convert the two-point opportunity.
 
Trailing 6-0 at the start of the second quarter, the Green and Gold leaned on quarterback Robert Webber. HSU put together a nine-play, 80-yard drive to start the quarter, which was highlighted by a 44-yard pass from Webber to Sage Burmeister. A Dillen Littles touchdown reception from 11 yards out capped the touchdown drive and gave HSU a 7-6 lead.
 
A 27-yard field goal from Wolves kicker Jacob Bannister was the difference as the Jacks trailed 9-7 at the half.
 
Whatever adjustments the HSU coaching staff made at intermission paid immediate dividends, as the Jacks scored three touchdowns in the first 4:50 of the second half. Webber hit Gardner with a 43-yard touchdown strike to begin the scoring effort, followed by a touchdown pass to John Todd less than two minutes later. Gardner rumbled into the end zone from three yards out to give HSU a 28-9 lead with 10:10 left in the quarter.
 
Fenumiai flashed his dual-threat ability throughout the game, and he was the Wolves leading rusher with 145 yards on 17 carries. He scored his only rushing touchdown of the game at the 6:08 mark in the third quarter. Fenumiai broke a 73-yard touchdown run to keep Western Oregon in the ball game.
 
HSU tacked on two more touchdowns before the conclusion of the third quarter. Marjani Ellison caught a 28-yard touchdown pass from Webber, and Gardner scored his 14^th rushing touchdown of the season.
 
Leading 42-16 heading into the fourth quarter, the Green and Gold seemed to have the game in hand, but the Wolves were not ready to surrender. Western Oregon scored 21 unanswered points, but was unable to overcome HSU's 26-point advantage.
 
The key to HSU's success Saturday was its ability to convert red-zone opportunities into points. The Jacks scored on 4-of-5 trips inside the 20-yard-line and all four scores were touchdowns.
 
For the second time this season, Webber lit up the scoreboard against the Wolves. The junior completed 29-of-41 passes for 357 yards, four touchdowns and an interception. HSU's offensive line kept the signal caller from Corona, Calif., upright after surrendering seven sacks in the previous two games. The Wolves did not record a sack on Saturday.
 
Todd was the Jacks' leading receiver and finished with a career-high 141 yards on a personal-best 12 receptions. Five HSU receivers recorded four or more receptions in the victory.
 
Josh Hinson and Curtis Williams tallied sacks for the Green and Gold defense, and Ryan McKenzie notched his first interception of the season. Sefa Tauanu'u and Darrien Hamberry each had a forced fumble and a tackle for a loss.
 
HSU returns home for a meeting with Simon Fraser on Saturday, Oct. 29. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.