Tuesday, September 29, 2015

A trio of high-output offensive performances will set up some exciting matchups in the first full weekend of the GNAC season.

South Dakota Mines will open their final season of GNAC play at home against Humboldt State in a matchup of the league’s top two offenses by the numbers. The Hardrockers have scored 49 or more points in each of their three wins and finished with 482 yards of total offense in the 51-10 win last week over Lyon College.

The Hardrockers enter the week leading the GNAC in total offense (482.6 yards per game) and rushing offense (246.8 yards per game) and second in both scoring offense (39 points per game) and passing offense (239.5 yards per game).

Humboldt State comes in rested after a bye last week. The Lumberjacks have dispatched their last two opponents, Azusa Pacific and Dixie State, by an average of 40 points per game. They enter Saturday’s game leading Division II with an average of 52.3 points per game and lead the GNAC in scoring defense, allowing 22.7 points per game.

Despite not playing, Humboldt State moved up one position in both the AFCA Division II Coaches Poll and the D2Football.com.
Azusa Pacific is just out of the AFCA top-25 after their 34-5 GNAC win over Dixie State. The Cougars put up 457 yards of total offense, led by the 157 yards of GNAC Offensive Player of the Week Kurt Scoby. Azusa Pacific enters the week second in the league in scoring defense, allowing 25.2 points per game.

The Cougars will host Central Washington, who put up 452 yards and scored 35 first half points in a 40-7 non-conference rout of Simon Fraser. The Wildcats enter the week as the one of the top defensive teams in the GNAC, leading the league in passing defense (137.2 yards allowed per game), total defense (323 yards allowed per game) and pass efficiency defense (95.1).

Western Oregon will return to GNAC play at Dixie State on Friday. The Wolves are coming off a 31-0 loss at Division I-FCS Portland State on Saturday.

THIS WEEK'S GNAC FOOTBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
OFFENSE
Kurt Scoby, Azusa Pacific
RB • 5-8 • 190 • Freshman • Duarte, Calif.

Scoby led Azusa Pacific to a 34-5 GNAC road victory at Dixie State. He rushed 18 times for 157 yards and two touchdowns, which included a 49-yard scoring run early in the fourth quarter. Scoby enters the week ranked second in the GNAC in rushing with 114.2 yards per game.  Also Nominated: DeJon Coleman (Dixie State), Christian Gasca (Central Washington), Anthony Wright (South Dakota Mines).

DEFENSE
Justin Herdman, Simon Fraser
LB • 6-1 • 233 • Junior • Winnipeg, Man.

Herdman led the Simon Fraser defense with 13 tackles, four tackles for loss (for 28 yards), 1.5 sacks (for 12 yards), a forced fumble and an interception. He combined with his brother, Jordan, for 28 of the Clan’s 67 tackles. Justin Herdman is ranked second in the GNAC in tackles and leads the league in tackles for loss. Also Nominated: Donovan Williams (Dixie State).

SPECIAL TEAMS
Robbie Gerarden, South Dakota Mines
K • 5-10 • 168 • Freshman • Black Diamond, Wash.

Gerarden went 6 for 6 in point-after attempts and also kicked a 22-yard field goal in the third quarter in South Dakota Mines’ 51-10 victory over Lyon.

LAST WEEK'S GAMES
AT CENTRAL WASHINGTON 40, SIMON FRASER 7
ELLENSBURG, Wash. - Central Washington scored early and often against Simon Fraser, taking the Battle for the Border with a 40-7 rout of the Clan at Nicholson Stadium. The Wildcats opened scoring when Jake Nelson found Christian Gasca with an 80-yard touchdown pass with 7:05 left in the first quarter. Jordan Todd made it a 21-0 game before the first had ended with scoring runs of one yard and 32 yards. In the second quarter, quarterback Justin Lane found Jesse Zalk for a 50-yard touchdown reception and then found Kyle Self for a 15-yard scoring reception to send CWU into halftime with a 35-0 lead. The Wildcats closed their scoring with a 32-yard field goal by Sean McDonald and a safety. Simon Fraser’s only score came with 13:12 remaining when Tyler Nickel found Earl Anderson for a 55-yard touchdown reception. The Wildcats held the Clan to just 111 yards of total offense while racking up 452 yards of their own, including 347 passing yards. Lane completed 11 of 17 passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns to lead Central Washington. Gasca caught three passes for 123 yards and a touchdown while Zalk caught five passes for 122 yards and a touchdown. Simon Fraser’s Kyle Stanford completed 10 of 20 passes for 51 yards. Anderson caught four passes for 78 yards and a touchdown. Simon Fraser’s Jordan Herdman & Justin Herdman led the game defensively with 15 tackles and 13 tackles, respectively. Justin Herdman also had four tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble and an interception.

AT PORTLAND STATE 31, WESTERN OREGON 0
PORTLAND, Ore. - The near upset that Western Oregon put together last year wouldn’t be repeated as Portland State’s vaunted defense held the Wolves in a 31-0 loss at Providence Park. The Wolves put together 224 yards of total offense, but the Vikings forced 12 punts and picked off WOU quarterbacks three times. Western Oregon held their own early, with the No. 17 (Division I-FCS) Vikings not scoring until Alex Kuresa scored on a two-yard run with 9:51 left in the first half. Josh Kraght broke off a 25-yard touchdown run on Portland State’s next drive before Jonathan Gonzales connected on a 24-yard field goal for a 17-0 lead at halftime. Nate Tago added a one-yard scoring run with 3:44 left in the third quarter and Steven Long closed scoring with a 22-yard touchdown run with 5:57 to go. Western Oregon quarterback Trey Shimabukuro completed 18 of 35 passes for 182 yards with two interceptions. Maurice McSwain caught two passes for 52 yards and Daniel Thomas caught four balls for 44 yards. Kuresa completed 8 of 18 for Portland State, finishing with 127 yards. Nate Tago led six Vikings’ players with double-digit rushing with 69 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries.

AT SOUTH DAKOTA MINES 51, LYON COLLEGE 10
RAPID CITY, S.D. - South Dakota Mines scored the first 48 points of the game against Lyon, closing out a season-opening string of four non-conference games with a 51-10 victory at O’Harra Stadium. Trent McKinney opened scoring with a four-yard scoring run on the Hardrockers’ first drive and Will Zolan made it 14-0 with his 18-yard punt return for the score. Less than a minute later, McKinney found Elijah Balavitch for the short four-yard scoring pass. Zach Huber made it a 27-0 lead with 4:01 left in the first quarter when he caught a 39-yard scoring pass from McKinney. The Hardrockers made it a 41-0 lead with rushing touchdowns on their first two possessions of the second quarter by Anthony Wright. South Dakota Mines added a one-yard touchdown run by Devin Nixon late in the second quarter and a Robbie Gerarden 22-yard field goal in the third quarter. McKinney complete two of four passes for 43 yards and two touchdowns for South Dakota Mines while Jake Sullivan completed 8 of 8 for 87 yards. Wright carried 10 times for 114 yards and two touchdowns while Nixon carried 12 times for 104 yards and a touchdown. Nick Hinkley led Lyon offensively with 103 yards and a touchdown on five catches. South Dakota Mines outgained Lyon in total offense 482 to 306. Witerson Brutus led the Hardrockers defensively with 11 tackles.

AZUSA PACIFIC 34, AT DIXIE STATE 5
ST. GEORGE, Utah - Azusa Pacific hit its offensive stride in its GNAC season opener, piling up 457 yards of total offense in a 34-5 win over Dixie State at Hanson Stadium. The Cougars opened scoring with 9:32 left in the second quarter when Chad Jeffries found Tarik Myles for a 25-yard touchdown pass. The two hooked up again for a 17-yard scoring strike with 2:56 left, allowing the Cougars a 14-0 halftime lead. Running back Kurt Scoby scored on APU’s first possesion of the second half, rushing 15 yards for the touchdown before Dixie State got on the board with a 22-yard Alex Giordani field goal with 2:36 left in the third quarter. Azusa Pacific scored two more rushing touchdowns, with Scoby scampering in from 49 yards out with 12:54 left in the fourth quarter and Andrew Eiffers breaking off a 70-yard scoring run with 1:24 remaining. The Cougars rushed for 355 yards, led by 157 yards by Scoby on 18 carries. Jeffries completed 8 of 19 for 102 yards and two touchdowns. The APU defense limited the Red Storm to 236 yards of total offense, 216 of those on the ground. DeJon Coleman rushed 13 times for 101 yards while Orlando Wallace carried 13 times for 54 yards. Jonathan Thropay led the APU defense with eight tackles while Mykal Walker had seven tackles, a sack and an interception. Colton Olson had 12 tackles for Dixie State.

AROUND THE GNAC
AZUSA PACIFIC
• Azusa Pacific opened its GNAC season by getting their offense back on track, finishing with 457 yards of total offense in a 34-5 road win at Dixie State.

• The Cougars picked up 355 yards rushing, the team’s best rushing performance of the season, with three of their five touchdowns coming on the ground.

• Running back Kurt Scoby was named GNAC Offensive Player of the Week after leading the Cougars with 157 yards rushing on 18 carries with two touchdowns. It was his second 150-plus-yard rushing performance of the season. Scoby enters the week ranked second in the GNAC and 28th in Division II with an average of 114.2 rushing yards per game. Scoby is also tied for 28th in Division II with five rushing touchdowns and 23rd with 457 rushing yards.

• Quarterback Chad Jeffries finished with 173 yards of total offense. He completed 8 of 19 passes for 102 yards and two touchdowns and also rushed for 71 yards on 13 carries. Jeffries enters the week ranked second in the GNAC with an average of 233.8 passing yards per game.

• Defensive back Jonathan Thropay led the Azusa Pacific defense with eight tackles (5 solo). The junior enters the week tied for ninth in the GNAC with teammate Errik Manning at 6.2 tackles per game. Linebacker Mykal Walker added seven tackles, a sack and an interception.

• Defensive end Jason Schwartz forced his second fumble of the season early in the third quarter against Dixie State. Schwartz leads the GNAC in the category and is seventh in Division II with 0.5 forced fumbles per game.

• As a team, Azusa Pacific is second in the GNAC in pass efficiency (136.4), scoring defense (25.2 points allowed per game), pass defense (154.8 yards allowed per game), pass efficiency defense (144.0) and kickoff returns (22.5 yards per return). The Cougars are also third in scoring offense with 29.5 points per game.

• In the NCAA Division II statistics, APU is tied for first in blocked kicks allowed and fumbles lost (0), tied for 19th in blocked kicks (1), 23rd in kickoff return defense (16.12 yards allowed per return), 24th in passing yards allowed (154.8 per game) and 29th in first downs (94).

• Azusa Pacific is close to sneaking back into the AFCA Division II Coaches Poll. The Cougars are No. 3 among teams receiving votes this week with 26 points.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• The Wildcats closed out their non-conference schedule solid, scoring 35 of their points in the first half to win the Battle for the Border, 40-7, over Simon Fraser.

• Central Washington scored it’s first three touchdowns in a span of just 51 seconds of possession (four plays). The scoring flurry is one of the best in Division II history. The Wildcats hold the Division II record for most points scored in a brief period of time (28 points in 1:19), which they did against Western Oregon on Oct. 22, 2005.

• Wide receiver Christian Gasca opened the scoring flurry with his 80-yard touchdown reception with 7:05 left in the first quarter. Running back Jordan Todd had the other two scores with a one-yard scoring run at the 2:18 mark and a 32-yard run with 38 seconds left in the stanza.

• Wide receivers Jesse Zalk and Kyle Self had touchdown receptions in the second quarter of 50 yards and 15 yards, respectively, off of the arm of quarterback Justin Lane.

• Zalk enters the week leading the GNAC and is ranked 21st in Division II with an average of 13.6 yards per punt return. He is also second in the GNAC with his average of 21.9 yards per kick return and fifth in receiving at 59 yards per game. Zalk is second in Division II with 459 combined kick return yards.

• Kicker Sean McDonald is third in the GNAC in kick scoring at 20 points. He has made 14 of 14 point-after opportunities and is 2 for 4 in field goal opportunities.

• Defensive lineman James Fakkema enters the week tied fourth in the GNAC with 0.75 sacks per game and 1.25 tackles for loss per game. Mitch Haldane leads the CWU defense with 23 tackles.

• As a team, Central Washington leads the GNAC and is 24th in Division II with an average of 24.2 yards per kickoff return. The Wildcats are also second in the GNAC and 16th in Division II with an average of 12.1 yards per punt return.

• Defensively, Central Washington leads the GNAC and is 15th in Division II in passing yards allowed at 137.2 per game. The Wildcats also lead the GNAC in total defense, allowing 323 yards per game, and pass efficiency defense at 95.1.

DIXIE STATE
• Dixie State struggled offensively in the start to it’s final GNAC season, managing just 236 yards of total offense in a 34-5 loss to defending champion Azusa Pacific.

• Almost all of the Red Storm’s offense came in their 216 rushing yards. Running back DeJon Coleman had another standout performance, carrying 13 times for 101 yards (average of 7.8 per yards per carry). Orlando Wallace finished with 54 yards on 13 carries while Blake Barney had 44 yards on 12 carries.

• Defensive back Colton Olson led Dixie State defensively with a Red Storm season high 12 tackles. He enters the week ranked third in the GNAC with 8.8 tackles per game.

• DeJon Coleman enters the week ranked third in the GNAC and 14th in Division II with 177.8 all-purpose yards per game. Coleman is fourth in the GNAC with an average 81.8 rushing yards per game and is 15th in Division II with 7.11 yards per carry.

• Quarterback Blake Barney enters the week ranked fifth in the GNAC in rushing, averaging 75 yards per game. A rushing heavy team, Barney has only passed 50 times in four games.

• As a team, Dixie State is second in the GNAC and 26th in Division II in rushing, averaging 231 yards per game. The Red Storm also rank fifth in Division II in fumbles lost (1), 20th in time of possession (32:54 per game) and 22nd in red zone defense (.619).

• After hosting Western Oregon this Saturday, the Red Storm will play their next three games on the road, which will include an Oct. 17 non-conference rematch with Azusa Pacific in Los Angeles.

• This is Dixie State’s final season as a GNAC football member. The Red Storm will move to the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) for the 2016 season.

HUMBOLDT STATE
• Humboldt State enjoyed a bye week after starting the season with a 3-0 record, which included a 29-20 season-opening GNAC victory over Western Oregon on Sept. 5.

• Despite the week off, the Lumberjacks climbed one spot in both the AFCA and D2Football.com polls. Humboldt State is now No. 16 in the AFCA poll and No. 20 in the D2Football.com poll.

• Ja’Quan Gardner continues to be one of the most dynamic running backs in Division II football. The sophomore leads the GNAC and is second in Division II with his average of 177 rushing yards per game. He also leads the GNAC and is 11th in Division II with an average of 186.3 all-purpose yards per game. Additionally, Gardner is fourth in Division II in scoring (14 points per game), ninth in total rushing yards (537),12th in rushing touchdowns (7) and 23rd in rushing yards per carry (6.71)

• Quarterback Robert Webber continues to lead Division II and is fourth in all divisions with a pass efficiency rating of 213.1. The sophomore enters the week ranked third in the GNAC in total offense with 207 yards per game and is fourth in the GNAC with 205.3 passing yards per game. In the Division II stats, Webber is fifth in yards per pass attempt (10.25), sixth in completion percentage (.689), 20th in passing touchdowns (10), 18th in points responsible for per game (20) and 23rd in passing yards per completion (14.88).

• As a team, Humboldt State leads Division II in scoring with 52.3 points per game. The Lumberjacks have scored over 60 points in each of their last two games. They also lead Division II in pass efficiency (228.7).

• In the GNAC stats, Humboldt State is first in turnover margin (1.33), scoring defense (22.7 points allowed per game) and rushing defense (8.27 yards allowed per game) and is second in total offense (466 yards per game).

• Among other NCAA statistical categories, Humboldt State is third in Division II in completion percentage (.698), ninth in passing yards per completion (16.50), 10th in fourth down conversion percentage (.750), 17th in first downs defense (54) and rushing defense (87 yards allowed per game), 19th in third down conversion percentage (.486) and 24th in blocked kicks (2) and tackles for loss (8.3).

• After playing two of their first three games at home, Humboldt State will play five of their final seven games on the road.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser found themselves stunned by Central Washington’s first quarter scoring flurry Saturday as the Wildcats scored three touchdowns in 51 seconds of possession time to claim the Battle for the Border, 40-7.

• The Simon Fraser offense was stymied, picking up just 111 yards of total offense, including 108 passing yards. The Clan’s only touchdown came in the fourth quarter on a 55-yard touchdown pass from backup quarterback Tyler Nickel to Earl Anderson. Anderson was the Clan’s leading receiver with 78 yards on four catches.

• Junior linebacker Justin Herdman was named the GNAC Defensive Player of the Week after a standout performance against the Wildcats. Herdman finished with 13 tackles, four tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble and in interception. He and brother Jordan Herdman combined for 28 of the Clan’s 67 tackles in the game.

• The Herdman tandem is the top defensive duo in the GNAC. Jordan enters the week ranked first in the GNAC and 15th in Division II with an average of 12 tackles per game. Justin is second in the GNAC in the category, averaging 9.7 tackles per game. Justin leads the GNAC and is eighth in Division II with 2.33 tackles for loss per game. Jordan enters the week ranked third in Division II with 7.3 solo tackles per game and Justin is seventh with seven per game.

• As a team, Simon Fraser is second in the GNAC in rushing defense, allowing 116.4 yards per game. In the Division II statistics, the Clan is third in team tackles for loss (10.3 per game), fifth in fumbles lost (1), eighth in red zone defense (.556), 18th in first downs defense (55), 24th in blocked kicks (2) and 26th in fourth down conversion defense (.050).

• Like Humboldt State, Simon Fraser will play just four games at home in 2015, but will play three of their final six games at Swangard Stadium after playing two of three September games on the road.

SOUTH DAKOTA MINES
• South Dakota Mines opens GNAC play on a three-game win streak. The Hardrockers scored 45 or more points for the third consecutive game, scoring the first 41 points of the game en route to a 51-10 victory over NAIA Lyon College.

• The Hardrockers finished with 482 yards of total offense, with 352 of those on the ground. They converted on 5 of 6 opportunities in the red zone and did not punt in the contest.

• Running back Anthony Wright led the offense with 114 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries, averaging 11.4 yards per rush. Devin Nixon had his second straight 100-plus yard rushing game, carrying 12 times for 104 yards and a touchdown.

• Quarterback Jake Sullivan completed all eight of his passes for 87 yards and rushed six times for 53 yards. He enters the week ranked 21st in Division II with a .652 completion percentage.

• Devin Nixon enters GNAC play third in the GNAC in rushing, averaging 100 yards per game. He is 28th in Division II with his five rushing touchdowns.

• Punter Martin Rodriguez continues to lead the GNAC with an average of 44.8 yards per punt, but has only punted 10 times in four games (he did not punt at all against Lyon).

• Sophomore safety Witerson Brutus led South Dakota Mines defensively with 11 tackles against Lyon. Brutus enters the week ranked seventh in the GNAC with his average of seven tackles per game.

• In the GNAC stats, South Dakota Mines enters conference play leading the league in rushing offense (246.8 yards per game) and total offense (486.2 yards per game) and second in both scoring offense (39 points per game) and passing offense (239.5 yards per game). The Hardrockers also lead the GNAC with 18.2 yards per punt return and with 40.5 yards per punt.

• In the NCAA Division II stats, South Dakota Mines is ninth in net punting (40.55 yards per punt), 10th in first downs (108), 17th in rushing offense (246.8 yards per game), 19th in blocked punts (1), 20th in third down conversion percentage (.485), 24th in blocked kicks (2), scoring offense (39 points per game) and total offense (486.2 yards per game), 26th in passes had intercepted (2) and 28th in third down conversion defense (.300).

• This is South Dakota Mines’ final season in the GNAC. The Hardrockers will join the RMAC for the 2016 season.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon stayed with No. 17 (Division I-FCS) ranked Portland State in Portland on Saturday, but the stingy Vikings’ defense held the Wolves to 224 yards of total offense in a 31-0 shutout.

• The Wolves finished with 197 passing yards, led by 182 yards by quarterback Trey Shimabukuro on 18 of 35 passing. Western Oregon crossed into Portland State territory just four times and never got into the red zone.

• Maurice McSwain was WOU’s top receiver with 52 yards on two catches. Daniel Thomas finished with 44 yards on four catches.

• Defensively, Jonathan Breland led WOU with 12 tackles, including a tackle for loss, 0.5 sacks and a forced fumble. Breland is second for the Wolves with a total of 24 tackles in four games.

• Trey Shimabukuro leads the GNAC with an average of 269 yards per game and is second in the league with 248.8 yards of total offense per game. The senior is 28th in Division II with 1,076 total passing yards.

• Junior defensive back Dominique Harrison enters the week ranked 28th in Division II in kickoff returns with an average of 28 yards on four kick returns.

• While limited in his return opportunities the last two games, Paul Revis enters the week ranked 28th in Division II with 273 combined return yards. Revis is also fourth in the GNAC with 137.5 all-purpose yards, third with 65.5 receiving yards per game and fourth with 18.5 yards per kick return.

• Western Oregon enters the week ranked second in the GNAC in total defense (356 yards allowed per game), pass efficiency defense (112.7) and punting (33.4 yards per punt). In the Division II stats, Western Oregon is ranked 25th in team tackles for loss with 8.3 per game.

• Friday’s GNAC game at Dixie State will close a three-game road trip for Western Oregon. The Wolves will close the season with five of their last six games at home.