'Cats grind out home victory

If there is such a thing as an ugly win, the Weber State University Football Team got it on Saturday. WSU scratched out a 17-10 victory over the University of Northern Colorado, after failing to score often when in NCU territory. "We're usually not even like that offensive-wise," said WSU receiver Bryant Eteuati. "Our offense was 97 percent going into the red zone going into the game. That killed us a lot. We're good at moving the ball down the field. Today we just took a step back in that area." On a beautifully sunny day, in front of 7,320 fans, the Wildcats started their first drive gaining 57 yards in seven plays, but were forced to punt after quarterback Cameron Higgins failed to connect with Eteuati on third down. Mike Snoy then punted a meager nine yards to NCU running back D.C. Wilson. The WSU defensive line then shut down Northern Colorado who gained only 18 yards in their first drive. After the Bears' punt, which pinned the Wildcats on their own six-yard line, WSU running back Trevyn Smith led the team with three long runs, aiding the 'Cats' 93-yard drive that ended abruptly after Higgins fumbled on the one-yard line while trying to dive in for a touchdown, his first of three lost fumbles throughout the game. As the second quarter began, both teams were still scoreless. After a 71-yard drive, Higgins connected with receiver Tim Toone for an 18-yard touchdown. Kicker Jon Williams' kick was good, putting WSU up 7-0. After the touchdown, the Wildcat defense forced a punt. The remainder of the second quarter was tough for WSU, watching the offense lose a fumble and turn the ball over on downs, before finally tacking on a 40-yard field goal by Williams as time expired in the half. As the second half began, the Bears took the ball down the field, capping it off with a 38-yard field goal by NCU kicker Michael York. After a couple quick punts by both teams, the Wildcats put together a long drive of their own that resulted in a 27-yard touchdown pass from Higgins to tight end Cody Nakamura, putting WSU up 17-3. Going into the fourth quarter, WSU started on the Northern Colorado 44-yard line that was hindered by a penalty which caused a loss of 10 yards, forcing the Wildcats to punt. The 'Cats' defense was on top of the Bears when they took the ball over, resulting in a loss of a yard, and a forced punt. Once the ball was back in Wildcat possession, a promising 48-yard drive with great plays by full back Marcus Mailei and Smith, ended in a third Higgins fumble on the Northern Colorado 10-yard line. "The defense played amazing, but we killed ourselves as far as turnovers," Smith said. "That's on us, we shot ourselves in the foot, and we should have played better today." After the fumble riled up the Bears, they didn't capitalize on the opportunity, and gave the Wildcats the ball back after only gaining five yards. Backup quarterback Brendon Doyle came into the game for one play and took a direct snap, rushing 14 yards. WSU got into the red zone, but yet again the result was a turnover, this time a Higgins interception snagged by NCU cornerback Myles Hayes. The Bears then attempted a late comeback by scoring a touchdown with about two and a half minutes left on the clock that brought them within a touchdown of WSU. They were ultimately stopped by the Wildcats, with the final score of 17-10. "We did things that were uncharacteristic of us on the offensive side of the ball," said head coach Ron McBride. "That last turnover was huge." WSU outgained NCU 571 yards to 142 yards, and had 28 first downs compared to NCU's 10. Higgins finished with a season-high 413 yards passing, two touchdowns and one interception. Smith had a stellar game with 209 total yards, but failed to grab a touchdown. Smith said that his team would have done better if they stayed balanced. "It's not about me, It's not about Cam(Higgins)," he said. "It's about being a balanced team. If we would have stuck to the game plan and executed like we were supposed to, we would have done a lot better today." Saturday's win made WSU history, with the 'Cats being undefeated for their four games in the Big Sky Conference. Only twice in 46-year history of the Big Sky Conference has WSU managed to win their first four games in conference play, in 1987 and 1991. With all the talk of WSU being one of the best in the conference, McBride said he doesn't even think about the playoffs yet, and is focusing on each individual game. "I don't go there," he said. "I think the players' minds sometimes go there, because everyone is telling them how good they are. They forget the importance of possession of the football, and all those little things you need to do to be successful." The Wildcats will travel next week to take on Northern Arizona University. WSU is tied with NAU for first place in the Big Sky Conference, both 4-0 in the conference so far.