Oct. 6, 2007

Final Stats

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Josh Lider (So., Bellevue/Sammamish) kicked four field goals, including a 35-yard game-winner with 21 seconds left, lifting Western Washington University to an 18-15 victory over St. Cloud State University in a North Central Conference football contest Saturday at Civic Stadium.

Western, which improved to 2-3 overall and 1-3 in the NCC, snapped a three-game losing streak. The Vikings were without leading rusher Craig Garner (So., Tacoma/Lakes), who missed the contest with a bruised knee. SCSU fell to 3-3 overall and 0-3 in the NCC with its third consecutive loss.

Lider's winning kick was set up after safety Zach Schrader (R-Fr., Issaquah/Skyline) recovered a fumble with 2:33 left, giving Western the ball at the SCSU 48. On third-and-2, quarterback Adam Perry (Jr., Longivew/R.A. Long) scrambled for a 17-yard gain to the 23, leading to Lider's kick four plays later.

The Huskies did have a last chance to score after a short kickoff went out-of-bounds, giving them the ball at the 50. Quarterback Jon Quesnel completed one pass for 12 yards, then after an incompletion, Quesnel hit Fred Williams over the middle. Williams got inside the 25, but Western linebacker Shane Simmons (Sr., Kent/Kentlake) popped the ball loose and cornerback Anthony Zachary (Fr., Spokane/Ferris) recovered to preserve the Viking triumph.

SCSU running back Michael Graham rushed for 172 yards and a touchdown on 30 carries. Graham entered the game having just seven rushing attempts for 17 yards on the season.

SCSU, which hadn't scored in its last nine quarters of action, scored on its first two possessions. On their opening drive, the Huskies marched 67 yards in eight plays, capped by a 9-yard touchdown pass from Quesnel to Cody Rysewyk. Graham had four rushes for 45 yards in the drive, including a 26-yard run on the opening play.

The Huskies scored again on their next series, taking 7:28 off the clock in a 17-play, 85-yard drive. Graham's 3-yard touchdown run gave SCSU a 13-0 lead in the final minute of the first quarter.

Western reached the scoreboard midway through the second quarter with an 85-yard drive of its own that lasted eight plays. Perry hit tight end Logan Cullen (Sr., Anacortes) for a 7-yard touchdown, but the extra-point kick was blocked, and SCSU's Phillip Hedlof returned the ball to the other end zone for a defensive 2-point conversion, giving the Huskies a 15-6 lead.

The Vikings narrowed the margin to 15-12 on Lider field goals of 47 and 34 yards just before and just after halftime, then tied the game on Lider's 20-yard three-pointer with 8:02 left in the game.

SCSU had a 307-295 edge in total offense, but committed four turnovers, three in the fourth quarter. Simmons, who leads the NCC in tackles, had a game-high 14 stops, and Schrader, seeing his first significant action after returning from a broken arm, had five tackles, an interception, a pass broken up and a fumble recovery.

Perry completed 17-of-27 passes for 224 yards with one touchdown. Rick Copsey (So., Camas) had five catches for 93 yards, and running back Tyler Roberts (So., Friday Harbor), filling in for Garner, rushed for 87 yards on 23 carries.

The contest was the Hall of Fame game for Western, with career rushing leader Jon Brunaugh, longtime assistant coach Terry Todd and winningest head coach in school history Rob Smith all being inducted.

Western travels to No.22-ranked South Dakota on Sat., Oct. 13 (2 p.m. CT).

SCORING SUMMARY
St. Cloud State     13    2    0    0  ---  15
Western Washington   0    9    3    6  ---  18

SCSU - Rysewyk 9 pass from Quesnel (kick failed)
SCSU - Graham 3 run (Cristan kick)
WWU - Cullen 7 pass from Perry (kick blocked)
SCSU - Hedlof PAT return of blocked kick
WWU - FG Lider 47
WWU - FG Lider 34
WWU - FG Lider 20
WWU - FG Lider 35
Attendance: 2240