Tuesday, September 12, 2017

WILDCATS, LUMBERJACKS TAKE EARLY CONTROL IN GNAC RACE: A home opener moved due to air quality and a road trip were not enough to keep Central Washington and Humboldt State from making an early stake in the GNAC title chase.

The Wildcats had to move their home opener against Western Oregon from Ellensburg to Bothell, Wash., thanks to smoke pouring into the basin from multiple forest fires. But it was CWU that caught fire on the west side with 421 yards of total offense to beat Western Oregon 30-23.

Humboldt State, meanwhile, went into Citrus Stadium and surprised defending champion Azusa Pacific with a 30-19 win. The Lumberjacks benefitted from 168 rushing yards and three touchdowns from GNAC Offensive Player of the Week Ja’Quan Gardner as the Cougars saw an eight-game home win streak and none-game win streak against GNAC opponents come to a close.

The wins gave the GNAC some prominent positions in the latest American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II Coaches Poll. While Azusa Pacific dropped from No. 8 to No. 22, Central Washington emerged at No. 23 to make its first top-25 appearance since Oct. 25, 2016 (No. 23 in the D2Football.com Poll). Humboldt State is at the front of the list of teams receiving votes with 65 points.

The game of the week will be back in Glendora, Calif., as the two top-25 teams square off at Citrus Stadium. The Wildcats will be looking to for their first win over APU since Sept. 26, 2015 (24-21 at Glendora).

Western Oregon will look for its first win of the season on the road as they play at Western New Mexico. Humboldt State will host Simon Fraser.

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
OFFENSE
Ja’Quan Gardner, Humboldt State
RB • 5-7 • 205 • Senior • Ceres, Calif.

Gardner finished with 200 all-purpose yards to lead Humboldt State in its 30-19 road upset of No. 8 Azusa Pacific on Saturday. He rushed 31 times for 168 yards and three touchdowns, caught two passes for 18 yards and also had one kick return for 14 yards. With the win, the Lumberjacks ended APU’s nine-game GNAC win streak and eight-game home win streak.

Also Nominated: Reilly Hennessey (Central Washington), Justin Buren (Simon Fraser), Paul Revis (Western Oregon).

DEFENSE
Bo Highburger, Western Oregon
LB • 6-1 • 220 • Junior • Veneta, Ore.

Highburger led the Western Oregon defense with 10 tackles and a sack and contributed a 79-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown that sparked a Wolves’ fourth quarter comeback in a 30-23 loss against Central Washington.

SPECIAL TEAMS
Gavin Todd, Central Washington
K • 6-2 • 190 • Junior • Simi Valley, Calif.

Todd went 3 for 3 on field goals, including a long of 31 yards in the first quarter, and also went 3 for 3 on point-after attempts in Central Washington’s 30-23 win over Western Oregon. His two fourth quarter field goals proved critical in building a 30-10 lead for the Wildcats late in the contest.

Also Nominated: Gavin Cobb (Simon Fraser).

AROUND THE GNAC
AZUSA PACIFIC
LAST WEEK: Lost to Humboldt State, 30-19
THIS WEEK: vs. Cent. Washington, Saturday, 6:30 p.m.

• Azusa Pacific saw its eight-game home win streak and nine-game win streak vs. GNAC opponents come to an end on Saturday with a 30-19 loss to Humboldt State that opened the conference season.

• The Cougars were evenly matched in total offense, gaining 405 yards to Humboldt’s 456, but were limited to just 94 rushing yards and went 4 for 10 on third down conversions and 0 for 2 on fourth down.

• With the loss, APU dropped to No. 22 in the latest AFCA Division II Coaches Poll.

• Quarterback Andrew Elffers completed 21 of 35 passes for 311 yards and two touchdowns and also rushed 15 times for 75 yards and a touchdown. The senior currently leads the GNAC and is 30th in Division II in pass efficiency at 157.6.

• Wide receiver Weston Carr caught 13 passes for 190 yards and a touchdown, the best performance by a GNAC receiver so far this season. The sophomore ranks second in the GNAC and 25th in Division II with 172.5 all-purpose yards per game. He also leads the GNAC and is fourth in Division II with 175.5 receiving yards per game.

• Cornerback Kenny Norton led the APU defense with 14 tackles while safety Aaron Berry had 11 tackles. Berry enters the week leading the GNAC with 11 tackles per game while Norton is eighth in Division II with 8.5 solo tackles per game.

• Azusa Pacific enters the week leading the GNAC and is 30th in Division II with a 157.6 pass efficiency rating. The Cougars also lead the GNAC and are fifth in Division II in net punting while also leading the conference in pass defense (154 yards allowed per game) and pass defense efficiency (117.4).

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
LAST WEEK: Won vs. Western Oregon, 30-23 (at Bothell, Wash.)
THIS WEEK: at Azusa Pacific, Saturday, 6:30 p.m.

• Despite having its home opener moved to west of the Cascades due to air quality, Central Washington put together a solid all-around performance to claim a 30-23 win over Western Oregon. The Wildcats outgained the Wolves on total offense 421 to 289 and had possession for an impressive 34 minutes.

• With the win, Central Washington emerged on the AFCA Division II Coaches Poll at No. 23. The Wildcats will face No. 22 Azusa Pacific this weekend.

• Kicker Gavin Todd was named the GNAC Special Teams Player of the Week after he went 3 for 3 on field goal attempts, including a long of 31 yards, and 3 for 3 on point-after attempts. His two fourth quarter field goals proved critical as Western Oregon scored a pair of touchdowns in the final five minutes to make it close late.

• Quarterback Reilly Hennessey had another solid performance, completing 24 of 37 passes for 280 yards and two touchdowns. Since joining the Wildcats from Division I-FCS Eastern Washington, Hennessey is averaging 212 passing yards per game.

• The receiving game was split among seven different players. Justin Peterson led the way, catching three passes for 74 yards and a touchdown. JoJo Hillel caught four passes for 46 yards and a touchdown and Christian Gasca caught four passes for 45 yards.

• Darien Williams led the CWU defense with 10 tackles. Max McIntosh had six solo tackles, with one sack and one tackle for loss, while Tevin Gray had an interception for 44 yards that eventually resulted in a field goal.

• Central Washington leads the GNAC in scoring at 32 points per game. On defense, the Wildcats lead the GNAC and are ranked sixth in Division II in rushing defense with 46.5 yards allowed per game. Central Washington is also fifth in Division II in third down conversion defense (.179), ninth in red zone defense (.400) and 15th in kickoff returns (29.25 yards per return).

HUMBOLDT STATE
LAST WEEK: Won at Azusa Pacific, 30-19
THIS WEEK: vs. Simon Fraser, Saturday, 6:30 p.m.
 
• Humboldt State officially opened the 2017 season by knocking out the defending champs, winning at Azusa Pacific 30-19. The Lumberjacks notched the win thanks to 242 yards of rushing offense and 36 minutes of possession time.

• With the win, the Lumberjacks find themselves knocking on the door of the AFCA Division II Coaches Poll, first among teams receiving votes with 65 points.

• Running back Ja’Quan Gardner was named GNAC Offensive Player of the Week after he finished with 200 all-purpose yards. He carried 31 times for 168 yards and three touchdowns, caught two passes for 18 yards and also had one kick return for 14 yards. The senior leads the GNAC and is 13th in Division II with 200 all-purpose yards per game and is first in the GNAC and sixth in Division II with 168 rushing yards per game.

• Quarterback Robert Webber completed 19 of 26 passes for 216 yards and a touchdown. He spread the passing wealth between eight different receivers. John Todd caught three passes for 58 yards while Chase Krivashei caught five passes for 36 yards and a touchdown. Webber enters the week ranked fifth in Division II with his .731 completion percentage.

• On offense, Humboldt State leads the GNAC and is 19th in Division II in rushing offense with 242 yards per game. The Lumberjacks also lead the GNAC and are 28th in Division II in total offense at 456 yards per game and rank seventh nationally with 36:10 minutes of possession per game.

• After one week of play, Humboldt State is among the least penalized teams in Division II. The Lumberjacks are among the Division II leaders with just four penalties and fifth with 40 penalty yards.

SIMON FRASER
LAST WEEK: Lost to Texas A&M-Kingsville, 35-7
THIS WEEK: at Humboldt State, Saturday, 6 p.m.

• Simon Fraser held Texas A&M-Kingsville close for one quarter, but the Javelinas broke the game open with three second quarter touchdowns as they spoiled the Clan’s opener, 35-7. Simon Fraser managed 299 yards of total offense, but was intercepted three times. Two of those resulted in eventual touchdowns.

• Wide Receiver Justin Buren led Simon Fraser offense with three catches for 114 yards. His day was topped by a 91-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter that accounted for the Clan’s only scoring on the day. Buren enters the week ranked fourth in the GNAC with 85.5 receiving yards per game.

• Quarterback Miles Richardson completed 23 of his 48 passes for 267 yards and a touchdown. He enters the week leading the GNAC and sixth in Division II with 350.5 passing yards per game. He also leads the league and is 12th in Division II with 330.5 yards of total offense per game.

• Defensive lineman Brad Lyons led the SFU defense with eight tackles, seven solo tackles, four tackles for loss for 28 yards and a sack for 13 yards. He enters the week ranked 15th in Division II with 2.5 tackles for loss per game.

• Simon Fraser enters the week leading the GNAC and ranked 10th in Division II in passing offense, averaging 350.5 yards per game. The Clan is third in the league in total offense at 379.5 yards per game.

• The game against Texas A&M-Kingsville marked the first time a Division II non-conference opponent has played in Burnaby since Simon Fraser joined the GNAC in 2010. Simon Fraser will play all five on its home games this season on campus at Terry Fox Field after years of playing games at Swangard Stadium.

WESTERN OREGON
LAST WEEK: Lost at Central Washington, 30-23
THIS WEEK: at Western New Mexico, Saturday, Noon
 
• Western Oregon scored a pair of touchdowns with under five minutes remaining to make a run at Central Washington, but the rally fell short in a 30-23 loss to the Wildcats in Bothell, Wash.

• Linebacker Bo Highburger was named GNAC Defensive Player of the Week after he finished with 10 tackles, including a tackle for loss and a sack. He also returned a fumble 79 yards for a touchdown with 4:57 left that started the Wolves’ late rally.

• Nick Duckworth handled all of the quarterback duties for WOU last week, completing 26 of 44 passes for 284 yards and two touchdowns. He enters the week ranked second in the GNAC and 21st in Division II in passing with 286 yards per game.

• Wide receiver Paul Revis finished with 163 all-purpose yards, which included 12 catches for 114 yards and two kick returns for 50 yards. He enters the week second in the GNAC and 20th in Division II with 125.5 receiving yards per game. He also leads Division II with 12.5 receptions per game.

• Kicker Adrian Saldana enters the week tied for first in the GNAC and ranked 11th in Division II with 1.50 field goals per game. He went 1 for 2 on field goal attempts against CWU, connecting on a 33-yarder as time expired in the first quarter, and 2 for 2 on point-after attempts.

• Western Oregon enters the week second in the GNAC and 27th in Division II in passing offense, averaging 293 yards per game. The Wolves are also 27th in Division II in punt return defense (2.00 per return) and 30th in turnovers lost (2).