Thursday, November 6, 2014

PORTLAND, Ore.  – Azusa Pacific, which has already clinched a tie for its second consecutive Great Northwest Athletic Conference football title, can win the title outright Saturday when it travels to Burnaby to face Simon Fraser (2-7, 2-3).

It's APU’s final conference game of the season as they complete their regular-season next week with a non-conference home game against Menlo.

The Cougars (8-1, 5-0), who are ranked 23rd in this week’s AFCA national poll and sixth in the official NCAA Super Region poll, have won 12 consecutive conference games dating back to a 7-3 loss to Central Washington on Sept. 28, 2013.

The APU/SFU game is one of three conference games on the schedule.  Elsewhere Humboldt State (7-1, 3-1), which is ranked eighth in the regional poll, travels to Monmouth to take on Western Oregon (4-5, 2-2) and Central Washington (5-4, 3-2) visits Dixie State.

South Dakota Mines (2-7) hosts Southwest Baptist in a non-conference game.

From The Record Book

Azusa Pacific running back Terrell Watson set two more all-time GNAC records last week in the Cougars’ 19-18 home win against Western Oregon.

Watson increased his career all-purpose yardage total to 5,008, becoming the first player in GNAC history to reach 5,000 in that category.

He also became the GNAC’s all-time leading scorer by scoring two touchdowns to increase his GNAC total to 342 and break a tie with Garrett Rolsma of Central Washington (2006-09).

Watson was already the career leader in rushing and now has 4,593 yards in three seasons in the GNAC and 5,290 overall.

Simon Fraser’s Earl Anderson set a GNAC career mark for kickoff return yards by returning six for 149 yards in the Clan’s loss to Humboldt State. 

Anderson has 97 career returns for 1,973 yards.  His average (20.3 per return) ranks 27th in GNAC history.

Nationally Speaking

Watson leads all divisions of college football in rushing, averaging 187.4 yards per game.  He also ranks third in NCAA Division II in all-purpose running (203.7) and is fourth in scoring (14.7).

Western Oregon freshman wide receiver Paul Revis ranks fifth in receiving yards (115.2) and sixth in all-purpose yardage (198.2).

Simon Fraser linebacker Jordan Herdman, who set GNAC single-game and single season tackle records in the Clan’s game against Humboldt State, ranks second nationally in tackles averaging 14.3 per contest.

Also ranked in the Top 10 are Mitch Haldane of Central Washington, fourth in fumble recoveries (3); Ryan Bergman of Western Oregon, sixth in passing (340.4); Tovar Sanchez of Central Washington, sixth in tackles for losses (2.2) and eighth in sacks (1.17); and Alex Markarian of Humboldt State, seventh in sacks (1.25).

In team categories, GNAC teams are ranked second in three categories.  Humboldt State is second in sacks (4.38) and fourth down defense (16.7) and South Dakota is second in red zone offense (90.9).

By The Numbers

100 Yard Rushing Games (200): 8 – Terrell Watson, APU (5).  4 - Nick Ricciardulli, HSU.  3 – Ja’Quan Gardner, HSU.  2 – Trent McKinney, SDM (1); Kevin Thompson, SDM; Jordan Todd, CWU; Stephen Spagnuolo, SFU.  1 – Myles Burton, DSU; Nathaniel Penaranda, WOU; Colton Peterson, DSU; Ishmael Stinson, CWU; Cole Tudor, SFU.

300 Yard Passing Performances (400): 5 – Ryan Bergman, WOU (3). 3 - Trent McKinney, SDM (1). 2 - Jake Nelson, CWU; Ben Longshore, DSU (1); Ryan Stanford, SFU.  1 – Hayden Gavett, DSU; Trey Shimabukuro, WOU.

100 Yard Receiving Performances:  6 – Paul Revis, WOU. 5 - Tyrell Williams, WOU.  3 - Marcus Sanchez, SDM.  2 – Lemar Durant, SFU; Daniel Ziegler, SDM; Nate Stephens, DSU; Greg Logan, CWU; Bobby Pospischil, SFU; Kent McKinney, CWU.  1 – Tanner Henry, APU; Kamakana Apelu, WOU; Cass White, HSU; Jesse Zalk, CWU; Justin Buren, SFU; Chase Krivashei, HSU.

Game Recaps For Nov. 1:

Humboldt State 33, Simon Fraser  17 (at Burnaby): Nick Ricciardulli rushed for 129 yards and two touchdowns and Robert Webber completed 16 of 27 passes for 186 yards and two TDs as Humboldt State kept alive its GNAC title hopes with a 16-point road win at Swangard Stadium ... The Lumberjacks built a 19-3 lead early in the third quarter and never let the Clan get closer than nine after halftime ... Chase Krivashei had nine receptions for 111 yards for HSU and Matt Bruder kicked field goals from 30 and 38 yards.  He also booted three extra points increasing his career point total to 235, sixth best in GNAC history ... Stephen Spagnuolo led Simon Fraser with 106 rushing yards on 19 carries – his second century game of the season.  Quarterback Ryan Stanford completed 20 of 42 passes for 229 yards, but was picked off four times, twice by HSU’s Jeremiah Maluia who increased his career total to nine.  Maluia also had a team-best nine tackles to share GNAC Defensive Player of the Week honors with SFU linebacker Jordan Herdman who had a historic game, making 27 tackles, including 19 assists.  That broke two GNAC single-game records and one single-season record (See Player of the Week notes).    Linebacker Mitchell Barnett had nine stops for SFU and defensive end Keenan North had eight including three for losses of 12 yards.

Azusa Pacific 19, Western Oregon 18 (at Glendora): After intentionally taking a safety and then holding Western Oregon on downs, Azusa Pacific needed just two plays to go 88 yards and pull out a dramatic 19-18 victory.  Quarterback Chad Jeffries completed an eight-yard pass to Josiah Thropay to set up a second-and-short.  Running back Terrell Watson then went long racing 80 yards to score the game-winning touchdown with 2:32 left.  Jamie Cacciatore then added the deciding extra point ... APU’s last-minute comeback offset a 403-yard passing performance by Western Oregon quarterback Ryan Bergman who increased his career passing total to 6,221.  Bergman completed 24 of 41 and wasn’t intercepted ... Watson finished with 202 yards, his fifth 200-yard game of the season and the eighth of his career.  APU quarterback Chad Jeffries was efficient completing 18 pf 23 passes for 188 yards and a touchdown.  Blake Robertson had six receptions for 53 yards ... Paul Revis had eight catches for 135 yards for the Wolves, earning his sixth 100-yard game of the season, two shy of the GNAC single-season record.  Tyrell Williams, who has five, caught six for 131 yards. Both had 60-yard plus catches.  Revis scored from 68 yards to pull WOU within two points at 12-10 in the third quarter.  Williams had a 64-yard reception to set up a WOU field goal late in the first half ... Linebacker Steven Fanua led APU in tackles with 10.  Ronald Douglas and C.J. Broussard had seven each.  Defensive end Kraig Akins had 12 for the Wolves, including three for losses of six yards.

South Dakota Mines 41, Dixie State 40 (at St. George):  Marcus Sanchez caught a 25-yard touchdown pass from Trent McKinney with 50 seconds in regulation and South Dakota Mines then got a 25-yard TD to Sanchez from wide receiver Daniel Ziegler on the first play of overtime to beat Dixie State ,,, Dixie , which has lost two overtime games this season, had rallied from a 27-10 halftime deficit scoring 24 consecutive points to go ahead 34-27.  The last 17 points came on TD passes of 48 and 20 yards from Ben Longshore to Conor Sklarsky and on a 25-yard field goal by Alex Giordani with 2:30 remaining ... After the Hardrockers’ overtime six-pointer, Dixie scored on a three-yard run by Myles Burton, but the extra point kick to force a second OT failed ...  Sanchez finished the game with eight catches for 110 yards.  McKinney completed 20 of 37 passes for 254 yards and also rushed for 53.  Mines netted 506 yards, 198 rushing.  Kevin Thompson, who scored three touchdowns on short runs (2, 2 and 4), had 128 yards on 26 carries ... Longshore passed for 427 yards and four touchdowns for the Red Storm completing 34 of 51.  He was not intercepted.  DSU’s Nate Stephens caught 13 passes for 200 yards.  His 13 catches is a GNAC season high and his yardage  matched the GNAC season-high set by Sanchez last week against Azusa Pacific and also equaled the eighth highest total in GNAC history ... Linebacker Jake Hepp led SD Mines defensively with 13 tackles.  He also forced a fumble and had 1 ½ tackles for losses of 10 yards.  Linebacker Trevor Oakley had 14 tackles for the Red Storm.

Central Washington 17, Lincoln 14 (at Ellensburg): After being held without an offensive touchdown for 58 ½ minutes, the Wildcats scored 10 points in the final 89 seconds to beat Lincoln, Mo. before 3,778 fans at Tomlinson Stadium ... CWU’s only first-half score was a 73-yard interception return by Kevin Hayes, CWU’s fourth defensive TD of the season.  That is two off the national lead ... Still the Wildcats led 7-6 until Lincoln got a fourth-quarter TD run and a two-point conversion to go ahead 14-7 with 8:42 remaining ... After an exchange of possessions and a short punt, CWU got the ball back with just 2:58 remaining on Lincoln’s 39-yard line.  A 25-yard pass from QB Jake Nelson to Kyle Self set up CWU at the 15.  A penalty set the ball back to the 19.  Nelson then connected with Jesse Zalk down to the four where the CWU QB ran it in for the tying touchdown on the next play with 1:29 remaining ...  Moments later the Wildcats got a break as Tovar Sanchez forced his second fumble of the game on a sack and Mitch Haldane recovered at Lincoln’s 33.  Nelson then ran 11 yards to the 22 and after a two-yard loss and a CWU time out with one second left, Sean McDonald kicked a game-winning 41-yard field goal ... Jordan Todd accounted for 132 of CWU’s 313 yards in total offense on 24 rushes.  Nelson had 50 yards on 13 totes and 102 yards on 11 completions in 25 attempts ...Isaiah Davis returned five punts for 70 yards ... Haynes led the CWU defense with 11 tackles, in addition to his TD interception,  Sanchez and Bo Banner each had seven tackles.

GNAC Football Players of the Week

Offense – Terrell Watson, Azusa Pacific (RB, 6-2, 240, Sr., Oxnard, CA) rushed for 202 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown with 2:32 left in the fourth quarter as the Cougars pulled out a 19-18 victory over Western Oregon clinching at least a tie for their  second straight GNAC football title. With two regular-season games, remaining Watson already has rushed for 1,687 yards and 22 touchdowns.

Defense – Jordan Herdman, Simon Fraser (LB, 6-2, 231, So., Winnipeg, MB – Sturg) and Jeremiah Maluia, Humboldt State (DB, 5-11, 202, Sr., Compton, CA) ...  Herdman set three GNAC records in Saturday’s 33-17 home loss to Humboldt State.    Herdman had 27 total tackles including 19 assists to set single game records in both categories.  The old records were 25 by Bubba Reynolds of Humboldt State against Dixie State in 2008 and 16 by Jon Apgar of Western Oregon against Puget Sound in 2005 and by Reynolds against DSU.  Herdman also set a GNAC single-season record for tackles, increasing his total to 129 and breaking the record of 128 by Caleb Jessup of Western Washington in 2008 ... Maluia led HSU in the game with nine tackles and also intercepted two passes for 23 yards as the Lumberjacks improved to 7-1 keeping alive their post-season hopes.

Special Teams – Matthew Hackett, Azusa Pacific (DE, 6-2, 240, Jr., Modesto, CA) blocked a 41-yard field goal attempt with 31 seconds left to preserve the Cougars’ 19-18 home win over Western Oregon.