ARCATA, Calif. – With rain coming down and 1,257 miles from home, Western State Colorado University was unable to come away with a win over Humboldt State University. The Mountaineers fell to the Lumberjacks, 28-14, Saturday night.
 
Western (6-4, 6-3 RMAC) eliminated a 14 point first half deficit and tied the game, 14-14, with 3:12 left in the third quarter after an eight yard pass from Brett Arrivey to Kyle Adkins.
 
Adkins caught two touchdown passes on Saturday to move into fourth place all-time in career touchdown receptions at Western with 18.
 
Just 2:09 after the Mountaineer score, HSU (6-4, 3-4 GNAC) would regain the lead for good with a 41-yard run by Ja'Quan Gardner.
 
Gardner led the game in rushing with an HSU record 313 yards. It was the first time since 2011 Western has allowed a player to run for more than 200 yards.
 
HSU scored the first points of the game with a one-yard run by Gardner at the 6:54 mark of the first quarter. The Lumberjacks would strike again at the 7:44 mark of the second quarter to take a 14-0 lead into the break.
 
The Lumberjack defense was able to keep the Mountaineers off the scoreboard for the first 30 minutes of play. It was the first time this season Western was scoreless heading into halftime.
 
The Mountaineers got the comeback started with their first possession of the second half. Western went 61 yards on five plays for the score, a 27-yard touchdown pass from Arrivey to Adkins.
 
HSU would score the final points of the game at the 7:05 mark of the fourth quarter on a 6-yard run. It was the first fourth quarter points surrendered by the Mountaineer defense in the last three games.
 
Arrivey threw for 195 yards and two scores on Saturday. Receiver Adkins accounted for 89 of those yards, catching both touchdown passes.
 
Anthony Apodaca also recorded four catches for 53 yards, with a long catch of 19 yards.
 
Western linebacker Carter Wasser led all players with 13 tackles, and leads the team with 85 tackles this season.
 
Vince Grasso was Western's leading rusher with 38 yards. The Mountaineers' leading rusher, Austin Ekeler, was forced out of the game after the first quarter and did not return.
 
The Mountaineers will face South Dakota School of Mines in Rapid City, S.D. next Saturday at 1 p.m. for the 2016 season finale.