Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Azusa Pacific has had its share of opportunities to show off its program in front of a national audience. Now the Cougars will share that stage with the GNAC’s hottest program.

Central Washington will host Azusa Pacific on Saturday in a contest that will air on WatchESPN as part of the NCAA Division II Football Showcase. And the national audience will likely be treated to a high-scoring, exciting football game.

Both teams rank among the top-30 in Division II in offense. Azusa Pacific enters the week 21st in Division II with 486.5 yards of total offense per game while Central Washington, ranked No. 8 in the latest AFCA Division II Coaches Poll, is 24th with 459.3 yards of total offense per game.

Central Washington’s offensive strength comes in the ground game. The Wildcats lead the GNAC and are ranked 12th in Division II with 238.4 rushing yards per game. The Cougars, meanwhile, excel in the passing game. They are 26th in Division II with 272.4 passing yards per game.

Both teams have some solid numbers on defense. Central Washington leads the nation with 4.25 team sacks per game, fourth with 10 tackles for loss per game and third in rushing defense, allowing 61.3 yards per game, and third with 15 interceptions.

While CWU is fifth in scoring defense, allowing 13.8 points per game, Azusa Pacific is 30th with 19.6 points allowed per game. The Cougars are second in Division II in net punting, averaging 40.13 yards per punt.

Both teams are coming off of solid wins last weekend. Central Washington used a pair of touchdowns by GNAC Offensive Player of the Week Austin Pernell to beat North Alabama 17-10. The Cougars had their way with Simon Fraser, limiting the Clan to 122 yards of total offense in a 61-0 rout.

Humboldt State, which beat Western Oregon 42-32 last weekend, will travel north to face Simon Fraser. Western Oregon plays the non-conference game of the week, traveling to Tarleton State.

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
OFFENSE
Austin Pernell, Central Washington
RB • 5-9 • Senior • Kent, Wash.

Pernell scored both of Central Washington’s touchdowns, including the game-winning touchdown with 10:42 to go, as the Wildcats scored a 17-10 win over North Alabama. He finished with career-high 189 rushing yards on 35 carries as CWU rushed for a total of 235 yards.

Also Nominated: Weston Carr (Azusa Pacific), Ja’Quan Gardner (Humboldt State).

DEFENSE
Jason Schwartz, Azusa Pacific
DE • 6-4 • Senior • Santa Barbara, Calif.

Schwartz finished with three sacks and three tackles for loss, setting Simon Fraser back 29 yards, in Azusa Pacific’s 61-0 shutout of the Clan on Saturday. The sacks were a career high for Schwartz and he has an APU leading eight sacks on the season. He helped Azusa Pacific limit Simon Fraser to 112 yards of total offense.

Also Nominated: Billy Greer (Central Washington).

SPECIAL TEAMS
Paul Revis, Western Oregon
WR/KR • 5-9 • Senior • Scappoose, Ore.

Revis had a pair of punt returns for 100 yards, including a 90-yard return for a touchdown in the second quarter in the Wolves’ 42-32 loss to Humboldt State. The return was the second longest in both WOU and GNAC history. Revis finished the day with 189 all-purpose yards with 89 receiving yards.

Also Nominated: Jacob Hall (Azusa Pacific), Jonathan Kuhn (Central Washington).

AROUND THE GNAC
AZUSA PACIFIC
LAST WEEK: Oct. 21: Beat Simon Fraser, 61-0
THIS WEEK: Oct. 28: at Central Washington, 1 p.m.

• Azusa Pacific surged for 484 yards of total offense and limited Simon Fraser to 122 yards of total offense, including -54 yards rushing, in a 61-0 shutout of the Clan.

• In their two meetings with Simon Fraser this year, the Cougars have outscored the Clan 144-7. Azusa Pacific scored a GNAC record 83 points against SFU in the teams’ first meeting on Sept. 23.

• Defensive end Jason Schwartz was named the GNAC Defensive Player of the Week after he came up with three sacks and three tackles for loss for 29 yards to help key the APU defense in the victory. The Cougars’ defense finished with 16 tackles for loss for 74 yards and eight sacks for 58 yards. Azusa Pacific enters the week ranked 17th in Division II with 3.13 sacks per game.

• Quarterback Andrew Elffers finished with 339 yards of total offense, completing 15 of 23 passes for 247 yards and four touchdowns and also rushed eight times for 92 yards and another touchdown. Elffers enters the week leading the GNAC and ranked 12th in Division II with 314.6 yards of total offense per game.  He is third in the GNAC with 254.4 passing yards per game.

• Wide receiver Weston Carr caught 10 passes for 178 yards and caught two of Elffers’ touchdowns passes. The sophomore leads the GNAC and is second in Division II with 137.1 receiving yards per game and is fourth in Division II with 10 receiving touchdowns.

• With the win, Azusa Pacific ended back up on the list of teams receiving votes in the AFCA Division II Coaches Poll after a week’s absence. The Cougars received three votes.

• Azusa Pacific is second in the GNAC and 10th in Division II in scoring offense at 41.9 points per game and is second in the GNAC and 21st in total offense with at 466.5 yards per game. The Cougars are second in Division II in net punting, averaging 40.13 yards per punt.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
LAST WEEK: Oct. 21: Beat North Alabama, 17-10
THIS WEEK: Oct. 28: vs. Azusa Pacific, 1 p.m.

• Central Washington used a pair of touchdowns by running back Austin Pernell and a 25-yard field goal by Gavin Todd to earn a hard-fought 17-10 non-conference win over North Alabama.

• Pernell was named GNAC Offensive Player of the Week for his two scores and 189 rushing yards on 35 carries. He scored the winning touchdown with 10:42 to go. It marked the first time that North Alabama had allowed a 100-yard rushing performance. Pernell enters the week ranked third in the GNAC with 67.9 rushing yards per game.

• The defense came up big for the Wildcats, limiting the Lions to 178 yards of total offense. Linebacker Kevin Haynes led the way with nine tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, a half sack and a fumble recovery. Defensive lineman Billy Greer had six tackles, including three tackles for loss and two sacks. In all, the CWU defense had five sacks for 31 yards and 13 tackles for loss for 54 yards.

• Quarterback Reilly Hennessey had a quieter afternoon, completing 12 of 20 for 128 yards and threw a pair of interceptions. He also rushed nine times for 58 yards. Hennessey enters the week third in the GNAC with 263.1 yards of total offense per game and fourth with 209.8 passing yards per game.

• Wide receiver Justin Peterson was Hennessey’s top target, catching three passes for 55 yards. Christian Gasca caught nine passes for 58 yards.

• With the win, Central Washington moved up one spot to No. 8 in the AFCA Division II Coaches Poll and two spots to No. 12 in the D2Football.com poll. The Wildcats are No. 2 in the first NCAA Super Region IV Rankings, which ultimately determine playoff selection.

• Central Washington enters the week leading the GNAC and 12th in Division II in rushing, averaging 238.4 yards per game. The Wildcats are third in the GNAC and 24th in Division II with 459.3 yards of total offense per game. In addition, Central Washington leads Division II with 4.25 sacks per game and is third in rushing defense, allowing 61.3 yards per game.

HUMBOLDT STATE
LAST WEEK: Oct. 21: Beat Western Oregon, 42-32
THIS WEEK: Oct. 28: at Simon Fraser, 1 p.m.
 
• Another big day on the ground by running back Ja’Quan Gardner led Humboldt State to a 42-32 home victory over Western Oregon on Saturday.

• Gardner finished with 219 yards and three touchdowns on 35 carries and also caught two passes for 30 yards. In the process, Gardner broke the GNAC career record with 66 rushing touchdowns, his sixth career record set this season. Gardner leads the GNAC and is third in Division II with 222.6 all-purpose yards per game and also leads the GNAC and is second in Division II with 167.4 rushing yards per game. Additionally, Gardner ranks second in Division II with 15 rushing touchdowns.

• Quarterback Robert Webber completed 15 of 24 passes for 214 yards and three touchdowns and also rushed three times for 15 yards. The senior enters the week leading the GNAC and ranked 16th in Division II with 282 passing yards per game. Webber is second in the league and 23rd in Division II with 283.4 yards of total offense per game and is ninth in Division II with 18 points responsible for per game.

• Linebacker Curtis Williams led the Humboldt State defense with 10 tackles and one tackle for loss.

• Running back Jabar Byrd ran back five kickoff returns for 150 yards, including a long of 37 yards. He also added 30 rushing yards on six carries.

• With the win, Humboldt State moved up three spots to No. 18 in the latest AFCA Division II Coaches Poll and four spots to No. 21 in the D2Football.com Poll. In addition, Humboldt State was No. 5 in the first NCAA Super Region IV rankings, which ultimately determines playoff selection.

• Humboldt State leads the GNAC and is third in Division II in scoring offense, averaging 46.9 points per game. The Lumberjacks also lead the league and are sixth in Division II with 513.3 yards of total offense per game and is 14th in Division II with 292.7 passing yards per game. Humboldt State is second in Division II with a team pass efficiency rating of 188.39 and is fifth with a .682 pass completion percentage.

SIMON FRASER
LAST WEEK: Oct. 21: Lost at Azusa Pacific, 61-0
THIS WEEK: Oct. 28: vs. Humboldt State, 1 p.m.

• Simon Fraser was limited to 122 yards of total offense with 176 passing yards in a 61-0 loss at Azusa Pacific.

• The Clan had little chance to get into the end zone, going just 3 for 14 on third-down conversions and 0 for 2 on fourth down. Simon Fraser was 0 for 1 in the red zone and crossed the 50-yard line just three times.

• Quarterback Miles Richardson completed 22 of 36 passes for 176 yards and was intercepted once. Richardson enters the week ranked fifth in the GNAC with 207.6 passing yards per game and is 22nd in Division II with 20.86 completions per game.

• Wide receiver Justin Buren was Richardson’s top target, catching 10 passes for 89 yards, including a long of 17 yards. Rysen John finished with 32 yards on three catches.

• Kicker Patrick Hegarty was kept busy. He punted nine times for 248 yards, averaging 27.6 yards per punt, and kicked off twice for 125 yards, averaging 62.5 yards per kick.

• Simon Fraser is ranked 18th in Division II with four blocked kicks and is 25th in fewest penalty yards with 381. The Clan enters the week averaging 231 yards of total offense per game and 207.6 passing yards per game and is second in the GNAC with 22 yards per kickoff return.

WESTERN OREGON
LAST WEEK: Oct. 21: Lost at Humboldt State, 42-32
THIS WEEK: Oct. 28: at Tarleton State, 7 p.m.
 
• A fourth-quarter rally from a 35-17 deficit fell short on Saturday as Western Oregon lost at Humboldt State, 42-32.

• Wide receiver Paul Revis was named the GNAC Special Teams Player of the Week after he returned two punts for a GNAC season-high 100 yards. One of those was a 90-yard return for a touchdown in the second quarter, which was two yards short of both the conference and school record. In addition, Revis caught six passes for 89 yards to finish with 189 yards of total offense. Revis is second in the GNAC and is eighth in Division II with 113.8 receiving yards per game and 16th in Division II with 12.8 yards per punt return.

• Revis has surpassed the GNAC career record for all-purpose yards as his 6,483 yards surpassed the mark of 5,508 set by Azusa Pacific’s Terrell Watson, but he trails Humboldt State’s Ja’Quan Gardner, who has 6,611 to date.

• Quarterback Phillip Fenumiai completed 12 of 27 passes for 221 yards and a touchdown and also rushed 10 times for 38 yards to finish259 yards of total offense.

• Linebacker Bo Highburger led Western Oregon defensively with eight tackles. He is ranked second in the GNAC with 8.2 tackles per game.

• Western Oregon enters the week averaging 380.9 yards of total offense per game. The Wolves are second in the GNAC and 21st in Division II with 275.4 passing yards per game. They are also fifth in Division II with four defensive touchdowns.