Tuesday, October 18, 2016

The eyes of Division II will be on Monmouth, Ore., this Saturday as Humboldt State and Western Oregon will be featured as the Division II Game of the Week.

The game, which will be aired nationally by the American Sports Network, features a pair of team that fought until the end of the 2015 season for the GNAC championship and a potential spot in the NCAA Division II playoffs.

As they enter the week, though, the Lumberjacks and Wolves are fighting for .500. Racked by injuries, Humboldt State has lost its last two games and enters the game at 3-4. Western Oregon is also 3-4 after taking a 35-0 loss at home last week to Central Washington.
Humboldt State may hold an advantage, though, purely based on home and away records. The Lumberjacks are 3-1 in road games while Western Oregon is 1-2 on its home field.

The home team split the two GNAC games last week. Western Oregon was limited to 107 yards of total offense by Central Washington. The Wildcats, meanwhile, used a mix of solid defense and high-powered passing offense (278 yards) to improve to 5-2 on the season and 4-1 in conference play.

The game yielded two GNAC Players of the Week for Central Washington. Tovar Sanchez shared Defensive Player of the Week honors after his three sacks allowed the senior to set a CWU career record. Punter Jonathan Kuhn was named Special Teams Player of the Week after he punted four times for 36.8 yards per punt, two of which landed inside the 20-yard line.

Azusa Pacific reamined undefeated in conference play with its 45-13 win over Humboldt State. Andrew Elffers was named Offensive Player of the Week after he completed 18 of 25 passes for 298 yards to lead a Cougar’s performance of 553 yards of total offense. Aaron Berry shared Defensive Player of the Week honors with nine tackles and a 62-yard fumble return for a touchdown.

The Cougars will play its final GNAC road game of the season on Saturday, traveling to Simon Fraser. The Clan had a bye last week and is looking to put an end to an 0-6 start.

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
OFFENSE
Andrew Elffers, Azusa Pacific
QB • 6-3• 220 • Junior • Arcadia, Calif.

Elffers finished with 353 yards of total offense to lead the Cougars in a 45-13 win over Humboldt State. Elffers completed 18 of 25 passes for 303 yards and a touchdown and rushed six times for 50 yards and a touchdown, which came on an 18-yard run in the fourth quarter. He led an Azusa Pacific team which finished with 559 yards of total offense.

Also Nominated: Justin Lane (Central Washington).

DEFENSE
Aaron Berry, Azusa Pacific
LB • 6-2 • 205 • Sophomore • Parris, Calif.

Berry finished with nine tackles and keyed the APU defense in a 45-13 win over Humboldt State. Berry also had a half-sack and returned a first quarter fumble 62 yards for a touchdown.

Tovar Sanchez, Central Washington
DL • 6-3 • 248 • Senior • Seattle, Wash.

Sanchez finished with four tackles, but also had three sacks and three tackles for loss for a total of 31 yards. He led a CWU defense that allowed Western Oregon just 107 yards of total offense in a 35-0 shutout of the Wolves. In the process, Sanchez became CWU’s all-time sacks leader.

Also Nominated: Bo Highburger (Western Oregon).

SPECIAL TEAMS
Jonathan Kuhn, Central Washington
P • 5-11 • 230 • Junior • Mercer Island, Wash.

Kuhn had four punts for Central Washington for 147 yards, averaging 36.8 yards per punt. Two of his punt landed inside the 20-yard line, including one that pinned Western Oregon at its own 2-yard line.

Also Nominated: Jamie Cacciatore (Azusa Pacific).

LAST WEEK'S GAMES
CENTRAL WASHINGTON 35, AT WESTERN OREGON 0
MONMOUTH, Ore. - Central Washington limited Western Oregon to 107 yards of total offense Saturday at the Wildcats cruised to a 35-0 shutout of the Wolves at McArthur Field. Western Oregon went 2 of 17 on third-down conversions, 0 for 4 on fourth down conversions and went 0 for 2 in the red zone. Central Washington, meanwhile, finished with 353 yards of total offense, paced by 279 yards of passing from quarterback Justin Lane. He opened scoring when he connected with Kyle Self on a 17-yard touchdown pass midway through the first quarter and made it 14-0 when he found Christian Gasca on a 35-yard scoring strike with 1:56 lft in the first. JoJo Hillel made it a 21-0 Wildcats’ lead with 7:31 left in the first half when he connected with Brian O’Donnell for a nine-yard touchdown pass. Scoring went quiet until the fourth quarter when Christian Cummings scored on a three-yard run with 8:56 to go and Tyren Sams added a punctuation mark when he returned an interception 98 yards for a touchdown with 3:17 left. Justin Peterson led all CWU receivers with 74 yards, all on one catch, while Jordan Tafuga rushed seven times for 31 yards. Western Oregon quarterback Phillip Fenumiai completed 9 of 27 passes for 71 yards. Paul Revis caught four passes for 59 yards and Torreahno Sweet carried 15 times for 39 yards. Kevin Haynes led the CWU defense with 13 tackles, including 1.5 sacks and four tackles for loss. Bo Highburger led Western Oregon with 11 tackles, two for loss.

AT AZUSA PACIFIC 45, HUMBOLDT STATE 13
GLENDORA, Calif. - Quarterback Andrew Elffers’ 348 yards of total offense led Azusa Pacific to a 45-13 over Humboldt State at Citrus Stadium. Elffers completed 18 of 25 passes for 298 yards and a touchdown and also rushed six times for 50 yards and a score as the Cougars finished with 553 yards of total offense. After the two teams traded touchdowns to open the game, Aaron Berry put the Cougars ahead for good with a 62-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown. Jamie Cacciatore added a 25-yard field goal in the second quarter and Kurt Scoby’s seven-yard touchdown reception from Elffers gave APU a 24-6 halftime lead. Azusa Pacific added three second half touchdowns with Aaron Baltazar breaking off a 40-yard scoring run in the third and Elffers running and passing for two fourth quarter scores. Richard Doctor accounted for Humboldt State’s first quarter score, catching a 50-yard touchdown pass from Robert Webber, and Isaiah Hall scored in the fourth on a two-yard run. Receiver Ethan Zeidler caught seven passes for 124 yards to for Azusa Pacific while Solomon carried six times for 68 yards. Webber completed 21 of 41 passes for 245 yards and a touchdown to lead Humboldt State. Doctor caught seven passes for 100 yards while Ja’Quan Gardner carried 26 times for 103 yards. Berry and Mykal Walker each had nine tackles to lead Azusa Pacific while Julian Owens had 11 tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery for Humboldt State.

AROUND THE GNAC
AZUSA PACIFIC
• Azusa Pacific opened the second half of its GNAC schedule with a 45-13 win at home over Humboldt State. The Cougars finished with an impressive 553 yards of total offense.

• The win allowed the Cougars to climb two spots to No. 17 in the AFCA Division II Coaches Poll and one spot to No. 19 in the D2Football.com Poll.

• Quarterback Andrew Elffers was named GNAC Offensive Player of the Week after he finished with 348 yards of total offense. He completed 18 of 25 passes for 298 yards and a touchdown and rushed six times for 50 yards and a touchdown. Elffers enters the week leading the GNAC and fourth in Division II with a pass efficiency rating of 177.6. Elffers is third in GNAC in passing yardage, averaging 180.1 yards per game.

• Linebacker Aaron Berry shared GNAC Defensive Player of the Week honors after finishing with nine tackles and returning a fumble 62 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter. Berry enters the week fifth in the GNAC with 8.6 tackles per game.

• Wide receiver Ethan Zeidler finished with 124 receiving yards on seven catches to lead the Cougars. The performance alowed Zeidler to move up to fifth in the GNAC in receiving yards, averaging 59.1 yards per game.

• As a team, Azusa Pacific enters the week tied for first in the GNAC and ranked 10th in Division II with 36.6 points per game. The Cougars also lead the GNAC with 15.7 points allowed per game, pass defense efficiency (111.7), kickoff returns (29.7 yards per return) and field goals (8/11, .727 percentage). The Cougars lead Division II in kickoff returns and second in team sacks (4.29 per game) and red zone defense (.500).

• Azusa Pacific plays its last GNAC road game of the season on Saturday, going north of the border to face Simon Fraser.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington limited Western Oregon to 107 yards of total offense on Saturday to pick up a 35-0 shutout of the Wolves in Monmouth.

• For the first time this season, Central Washington was among those receiving votes in the AFCA Division II Coaches Poll, receiving four points.

• Defensive lineman Tovar Sanchez shared GNAC Defensive Player of the Week after he finished with four tackles, including three for loss for 31 yards and three sacks. In the process, he became CWU’s all-time leader with 26 sacks. The senior leads the GNAC and is 12th in Division II with an average of 1.07 sacks per game. He also leads the GNAC and is fifth in Division II with 2.29 tackles for loss per game.

• Punter Jonathan Kuhn was named GNAC Special Teams Player of the Week after he punted four times against Western Oregon, averaging 36.8 yards per punt. Two of his punts landed inside the 20-yard line, including one that pinnted the Wolves on the two-yard line. Kuhn enters the week ranked third in the GNAC with an average of 36.8 yards per punt.

• Quarterback Justin Lane paced Central Washington offensively, completing 14 of 24 passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns. Lane enters the week second in the GNAC with 256.9 yards of total offense per game and is second in the GNAC and 29th in Division II with 250.9 passing yards per game.

• As a team, Central Washington is tied for first in the GNAC in scoring (36.6 points per game) and leads the league in rushing defense (93.0 yards allowed per game), pass defense (218 yards allowed per game), total defense (311 yards allowed per game) and opponent first downs (114). The Wildcats are second in the GNAC in rushing offense (144.3 yards per game), pass offense (278 yards per game), total offense (422.3 yards per game), pass efficiency (160.0), first downs (145) and scoring defense (18.7 points allowed per game). In the NCAA Division II stats, the Wildcats are seven in fourth down conversion defense (.200) and 12th in tunrovers lost (7).

• Central Washington set a GNAC single game record by forcing Simon Fraser to punt 13 times on Oct. 1. That beat the previous record 12 set on five occasions, most recently by Western Oregon at Portland State on Sept. 26, 2015.

• Central Washington enjoys a bye this week. They return to the field on Sat., Oct. 29, playing at Azusa Pacific.

HUMBOLDT STATE
• Humboldt State had difficulty finding the end zone against Azusa Pacific on Saturday, getting into the red zone just once in a 45-13 loss to Azusa Pacific in Glendora, Calif.

• The Lumberjacks finished with 352 yards of total offense, but went just 3 of 17 on third down conversions. Humboldt State punted eight times and turned the ball over twice on downs.

• Quarterback Robert Webber completed 21 of 41 passes for 245 yards and a touchdown to lead HSU offensively. Richard Doctor was his top target, catching seven passes for 100 yards and a first quarter touchdown. Webber continues to lead the GNAC and rank 26th in Division II in total offense with 291.1 yards per game. Webber also leads the GNAC and is 16th in Division II in passing with 290 yards per game.

• Running back Ja’Quan Gardner carried the ball 26 times for 103 yards. The junior enters the week leading the GNAC and 21st in Division II with 110.3 rushing yards per game. Gardner is also seventh in Division II with his 12 rushing touchdowns.

• Defensive back Julian Owens led the HSU defense with 11 tackles, a forced fumble and fumble recovery. Jeff Shott added 10 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss for 13 yards and a sack.

• Humboldt State leads the GNAC in rushing offense (154.4 yards per game), pass offense (291.3 yards per game), total offense (445.7 yards per game), first downs, punting (37.1 yards per punt) and time of possession (31:37 per game). In the Division II stats, Humboldt State is fourth in blocked punts (3).

• On Sept. 24, Humboldt State set GNAC single game records with 44 pass completions and 24 first downs passing. In the same game, Robert Webber set GNAC single game records with 502 passing yards and 44 pass completions and tied a GNAC record with 64 pass attempts.

• Humboldt State travels to Western Oregon on Saturday for a game that will be televised by the American Sports Network as the Division II Game of the Week.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser had a bye last week. The Clan returns to the field on Saturday, hosting Azusa Pacific.

• Simon Fraser, which was held to 171 yards of total offense and negative eight yards rushing in a 33-7 loss at Western Oregon on Oct. 8. The highlights of the game for the Clan again came on defense. Linebacker Gabe Lopes accounted for the only SFU score of the game, returning a third quarter interception 51 yards for a touchdown.

• Linebckaer Jordan Herdman became the GNAC’s all-time tackles leader with 10 in the game. He now has 393 for his career, surpassing the previous record of 385 set by Buddy Wood of Central Washington from 2005 to 2008. Herdman had five assisted tackles to add to his career record in the category, which is now at 305. Herdman leads the GNAC and is fourth in Division II with 13.0 taackles per game and is 14th in Division II with 6.5 solo tackles per game.

• Simon Fraser enters the week leading the GNAC and ranked fourth in Division II with 22.7 yards per punt return. The Clan is also 11th in Division II with 9.3 tackles for loss per game and 30th with three sacks per game.

• Simon Fraser set a GNAC record with 13 punts against Central Washington on Oct. 1, surpassing the mark of 12 set by five different teams, most recently Western Oregon vs. Portland State on Sept. 26, 2015. Punter Colin Cossette kicked the ball away all 13 games to surpass the individual single game record of 12 set three times, most recently Western Oregon’s Alexander Bradt against Western Oregon in 2015. Cossette averaged 30.8 yards per punt in the game.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon was stunted on the offensive end of the field by Central Washington, limited to 107 yards of total offense in a 35-0 loss to the Wildcats in Monmouth.

• Wide receiver Paul Revis provided the majority of Western Oregon’s offense, catching four passes for 59 yards. He finished with 142 all-purpose yards, including 42 yards on two kick returns and 41 yards on two punt returns. Revis enters the week leading the GNAC and is sixth in Division II with 182.9 all-purpose yards per game. He leads the league in both receiving (100.4 yards per game) and punt returns (23.2 yards per return).

• Quarterback Phillip Fenumiai completed just 9 of 27 passes for 71 yards in the loss to Central Washington. Fenumiai enters the week fifth in the GNAC in passing, averaging 155.3 yards per game.

• Linebacker Bo Highburger led the Western Oregon defense with 11 tackles, including two tackes for loss. Defensive lineman Jeremy Moore added six tackles, including three tackles for loss and two sacks. Highburger enters the week ranked second in the GNAC with 9.7 tackles per game while Moore is second in the league with 1.00 sacks per game.

• As a team, Western Oregon is averaging 335.7 yards of total offense per game. The Wolves are fifth in Division II in punt returns (22.27 yards per return) and 19th in rushing defense (95.3 yards allowed per game) and 24th in tackles for loss (8.4 per game).

• Western Oregon will host Humobldt State on Saturday in a contest that will be aired nationally by the American Sports Network.