The Weber State University football team knows very well what Homecoming Week means for the Wildcats.
This week of tradition offers an opportunity for WSU students, faculty, staff, fans and supporters to show their purple pride and plunge into a time of enthusiasm for being a part of WSU and the community around it.
The activities and traditions include the lighting of the flaming ‘W’, the Wildcat Pep Rally, a service project with the Community Involvement Center, the homecoming dance and, of course, the WSU homecoming football game.
The Wildcats will cap off the week of activity with their fourth football game of the season as they face the Eastern Washington University Eagles. The game will also mark the beginning of Big Sky Conference play for WSU.
In recent years, the Wildcats have found a streak of success when it comes to the homecoming game.
During the 2008-09 football season, WSU had a big win over Dixie State College to end Homecoming Week. The Wildcats won the game with a score of 44-7. Former Wildcat quarterback Cameron Higgins threw for a career-high five touchdowns during the game and went 18-23 in passing completions/attempts with 333 passing yards. WSU running back Trevyn Smith ran for 116 yards and two touchdowns during the game.
For the homecoming game during the 2009-10 season, the Wildcats posted another high-scoring victory when they faced Sacramento State University and came out with a 49-10 win. Former Wildcat receiver and current NFL free agent Tim Toone had a big game catching three touchdown passes and running a 95-yard punt return up the sideline for a touchdown. Toone also set a WSU record, becoming the first receiver in school history to gain more than 3,000 career receiving yards. Quarterback Cameron Higgins also went 23-30 in completions/attempts, throwing for 290 yards and five touchdowns.
In 2010-11, WSU fought a hard defensive test against the University of California, Davis for homecoming. The battle was close throughout the game, and with a score of 13-9 in the fourth quarter and time getting short, Higgins threw a 60-yard touchdown pass to receiver Joe Collins to close the game off for WSU.
Last season, the Wildcats put up another display of high scoring against Idaho State University for the homecoming game. WSU won the game with a score of 39-12 in front of more than 11,000 spectators, the highest attendance for a WSU football game in the last six years. Current Wildcat quarterback Mike Hoke had four touchdown passes for the day, including an 83-yard touchdown pass to current wide receiver Sheldon Kehano. Kehano had 157 receiving yards on the day and caught two touchdowns. Trevor Pletcher, a current team captain, finished with four sacks, five tackles and a blocked punt.
The WSU football team is looking to win its fifth-straight homecoming game on Saturday against EWU. The game, marking the end of Homecoming Week, will begin at 6 p.m. in Stewart Stadium.
