Well, Humboldt State got beat, plain and simple. The good thing is the fact that the Lumberjacks still have a handful of games left. The bad thing of course is the idea that their playoff hopes took a huge hit over the weekend.

The 15th-ranked Lumberjacks took one on the chin from the 18th-ranked Midwestern State Mustangs when MSU held HSU scoreless in the second half in the 35-10 decision in Wichita Falls, Texas. The positives? Ja'Quan Gardner rumbled 186 yards, but found the end zone just once (he came into the game averaging three touchdowns per contest). Humboldt committed just one turnover - a Robert Webber interception - but held the Mustang offense scoreless on those miscues.

The bad things? Webber and the receiving corps had a pedestrian-like 205 yards of passing offense, when you consider no touchdown passes. Webber shared the ball well - nine guys caught passes and five of them had at least three receptions - but there were no big plays which resulted in touchdowns. Defensively, Humboldt saw what life is like outside of the GNAC as the conference's best defensive team was busted for 528 total yards, including 236 on the ground.

It's back to the drawing board for Humboldt State as the 5-1 Lumberjacks travel north to Central Washington, which fell on the road to Western Oregon last weekend.

The WOU Wolves have now won three in a row (including a win over then-sixth ranked North Alabama) and are 4-3 on the year after a 31-25 victory over nemesis CWU. A few things that stood out: One, WOU hasn't been known for it's rushing offense, but put up 213 and two scores against the CWU defense, while holding CWU to 68 yards and no scores via the ground game. Secondly, CWU picked off WOU's Phillip Fenumiai three times and scored all three times (two touchdowns, one field goal) off those turnovers...but still didn't win the game. Thirdly, WOU's Andy Avgi caught two touchdown passes of 22 and 17 yards. The guy is fun to watch on the hardwood and what a treat to see him on the gridiron. He had his way many times on the court last year (probably will this year as well) and he took advantage of a couple of opportunities last weekend. Being 6-foot-6 and 270 pounds does that for a guy.

For WOU, the Wolves improve to 2-1 on the season in GNAC play, while CWU falls to 3-4 overall and 1-2 in conference play with a determined Humboldt State coming into town this week. The season isn't over yet for CWU, but it's yet another middle-of-the-road year for a team hit by season-ending injuries, some discipline issues and a starting quarterback who quit midway through the season.

Isn't it amazing how Azusa Pacific's Kurt Scoby is averaging 120 yards per game on the ground with nearly two scores per game and he's not getting the attention he deserves? Fellow Californian Gardner at HSU and now-graduated Terrell Watson seem to cast a shadow on a guy who is a dominant force for the Cougars. Scoby picked up 146 yards and four touchdowns in the 61-14 rout of Dixie State. The Cougars held the Red Storm to 275 yards of total offense and were up 28-0 before DSU scored late in the first half.

Speaking of little to no offense, South Dakota Mines couldn't put much on the board against Simon Fraser, scoring just 19 points. However, Simon Fraser was even worse, never getting to pay dirt at all as the Hardrockers bested the Clan 19-0 in Rapid City.

SD Mines put up plenty of yards - a combined 476 - but ran into a few roadblocks brought by SFU or created by themselves as the Hardrockers lost two fumbles on receptions. Yes, twice SD Mines completed a pass only to have it knocked away on the tackle. The second fumbled came at the SFU 1 yard line.

Humboldt's trip to Ellensburg, Wash., is the biggest game of the week in the GNAC. HSU has always had difficulty against CWU in Ellensburg, but with the fact that a Humboldt win will keep hopes alive of a slim playoff possibility, the Lumberjacks should be focused. CWU yields 203 yards on the ground. Humboldt averages 285 yards of offense on the ground. For those fans hoping to fit the game into a busy Saturday schedule, have no fear, it looks like the clock will run all day long as Humboldt might be best suited to keep the running game going with those odds.