Monday, October 28, 2013

PORTLAND, Ore. - A huge performance Saturday has moved Dixie State quarterback Griff Robles into sixth place nationally in total offense among NCAA Division II football players.

Robles rushed for 217 yards and three touchdowns and passed for 267 yards and one score leading the Red Storm to a 28-19 home win over Humboldt State. 

His 484 yards in total offense is the third highest single-game total in GNAC history and is rushing total ranks 11th all-time in conference history.  He is the first player in conference history to rush and  pass for at least 200 yards in the same game. 

Robles leads the GNAC in total offense averaging 372.8 yards per game.  He also is the conference leader in passing with a 300.8 per game average.  Robles has completed 190 of 327 passes for 2,406 yards and 20 touchdowns and has been intercepted just five times.

Robles is one of five GNAC players ranked in the Top 10 in this week's national statistics.  Simon Fraser linebacker Casey Chin is the highest ranked player in any category.  He ranks fourth in both tackles per game (13.0) and solo tackles per game (7.0) and is just on pace to set GNAC single-season records in both categories.

Humboldt State freshman receiver Chase Krivashei ranks eighth in receptions (8.4 per game).  Central Washington's Isaiah Davis ranks ninth in interceptions with five in eight contests.    Humboldt State kicker Matt Bruder is 10th in field goals made per game converting on 11 of 16.

In team categories, Central Washington is the only GNAC team ranked in the Top 10 in a major category.  The Wildcats rank eighth in rushing defense (87.9) and 10th in total defense (298.0).

NATIONAL STATISTICS (Through Oct. 26): Team (Top 30): Total Offense – 26. Dixie State 474.0. Total Defense – 10. Central Washington 298.0. Scoring Defense – 11. Central Washington 15.9. Rushing Defense – 8. Central Washington 87.9. Passing Offense – 13. Dixie State 320.1.  Passing Efficiency Defense – 13. Central Washington 102.4. Passing Defense – 25. Simon  Fraser 188.9. Kick Returns – 11. Central Washington 25.7. Punt Returns – 27. Simon Fraser 13.55. Punt Return Defense – 16. Central Washington 3.44. Net Punting – 22. Humboldt State 36.8.  Individuals (Top 30): Rushing – 21. Jordan Todd, CWU, 116.6.  Passing – 14. Griff Robles, DSU, 300.8; 23. Ryan Bergman, WOU, 280.0. Total Offense – 6. Griff Robles, DSC, 372.8. Receptions – 8. Chase Krivashei, HSU, 8.4; 16. JD Duncan, DSU, 7.5.  Receiving Yards – 19. JD Duncan, DSU, 110.0. Punt Returns -  27. Isaiah Davis, CWU, 12.7. Field Goals – 10. Matt Bruder, HSU, 1.40; 21. Chad Heerspink, SFU, 1.2. Interceptions – 9. Isaiah Davis, CWU, 0.6. Kickoff Returns – 22. Patrick Tepea, WOU, 27.7. Total Tackles – 4. Casey Chin, SFU, 13.0.  Solo Tackles – 4. Casey Chin, SFU, 7.0; 28. Jake Duncan, DSU, 5.8. Tackles For Losses – 286. Kraig Akins, WOU, 1.5. Forced Fumbles – 12. Kraig Akins, WOU, 0.38. Fumbles Recovered – 25. William Kanongata’a, WOU, 0.33. Passes Defended – 17. Isaiah Davis, CWU, 1.5.

Azusa Pacific Takes Over GNAC Lead, Hosts Second-Place Western Oregon Saturday

Azusa Pacific made the most of its opportunities last Saturday in defeating Central Washington 24-17 at Ellensburg to take over sole possession of first place in the GNAC standings.

The Cougars (6-2, 6-1) currently lead both Central Washington (5-3, 5-2) and Western Oregon (5-3, 5-2) by one game in the conference standings.  APU hosts the Wolves this Saturday at Glendora.  Kickoff is at 6:30 p.m.

In Saturday's other two games, CWU hosts Humboldt State (0-8, 0-7) at Tomlinson Stadium (1 p.m.) and Dixie State (3-5, 3-4) plays a 2 p.m. contest at Simon Fraser (2-5, 2-5).

In the first half of Saturday's game, Azusa Pacific, which is among "others receiving votes" and is 34th overall in this week's AFCA coaches' poll, didn’t have a first down, ran only six offensive plays (three of them in the final minute of the half) and had possession of the football for just 1 minute, 48 seconds of the 30-minute first half

Those numbers very well could be historic in the history of college football.  Still the Cougars led 14-10 at the break scoring on a first-quarter 50-yard interception by C.J. Broussard and on a 92-yard kickoff return by Tarik Myles.  

Both of their offensive series of the half were 3-and-outs. 

CWU, which successfully executed the first of two onside kicks after a second-quarter field goal, had a 55-6 edge in snaps and a 186-16 lead in yards in the half.   

The Wildcats finished the game with an 80-42 lead in plays and a 311-191 advantage in total offense. 

Azusa’s 42 total plays equaled the lowest in conference history.  Western Washington allowed just 42 snaps to Nebraska Omaha in a 2004 non-conference game.

Three Pointers

Matt Bruder of Humboldt State connected from 49 and 39 yards in the Lumberjacks’ 28-19 loss to Dixie State.  Bruder leads the GNAC in field goals from 40 yards, making five (42, 46, 44, 46 and 49 in that order).  He is 11 of 16 overall and Saturday’s  49-yarder is the second longest this season in the conference.  

Jamie Cacciatore of Azusa Pacific, who has a 52-yarder,  has the best field goal percentage in the GNAC, making 10 of 12 and is tied with Correa (8 of 11 on 3-pointers) for most kick-scoring points with 50.

3,079 and Counting

In less than two full seasons in the GNAC, Azusa Pacific’s Terrell Watson has rushed for 2,382 yards to rank sixth in conference history in career rushing yards.  The GNAC record is 2,836 by Jason Taroli of Western Oregon between 1997 and 1999 and in 2001. 

Including 697 yards in his freshman season before APU joined the GNAC, Watson now has rushed for 3,079 yards. He had 71 yards in 23 carries Saturday.  All but three of the carries came in the second half

As a provisional member, APU athletes are not eligible for NCAA records.  However, Watson’s second-half (272 yards) and fourth-quarter (232) rushing totals in APU’s Oct. 12 game against Simon Fraser are better than the current NCAA records.

INDIVIDUAL STELLAR GAMES

100-Yard Rushing Games: 6 – Jordan Todd, CWU; Terrell Watson, APU.  3 – Griff Robles, DSU; Chris Tolbert, SFU. 2 - Joe Harris, WOU; Myles Burton, DSC.  1 – Devauntee Hoffman, WOU; Kyle Morris, HSU; Jamarie Sanders, HSU; Joe Harris, WOU.

200-Yard Passing Games: 8 – Griff Robles, DSU.  6 – Ryan Bergman, WOU. 5 -  Kyle Morris, HSU. 4 - Ryan Stanford, SFU. 1 – Spencer Phillips, HSU.

300-Yard Passing Games: 3 – Griff Robles, DSU. 2 – Ryan Bergman, WOU. 1 – Kyle Morris, HSU; Ryan Stanford, SFU.

100-Yard Receiving Games: 4 - Joe Don Duncan, DSU. 3 - Mitch Frei, DSU; Kelechi Nwadibia, HSU; Tyrell Williams, WOU. 2 -  Chase Krivashei, HSU. 1 - Lemar Durant, SFU; Michael Reeve, WOU; Jesse Zalk, CWU; Robert Borcky, SFU.

GNAC RED LION PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Offense – Griff Robles, Dixie State (QB, 6-5, 230, Sr., Spanish Fork, UT – Utah) rushed for 217 yards and three touchdowns and passed for 267 yards and one score leading the Red Storm to a 28-19 home win over Humboldt State.  His 484 yards in total offense is the third highest single-game total in GNAC history and is rushing total ranks 11^th all-time in conference history.  He is the first player in conference history to rush and  pass for at least 200 yards in the same game.  Robles scored on runs of two, 21 and 50 yards in the first, second and fourth quarters, respectively.  The latter touchdown came with 7:56 remaining after the Lumberjacks had pulled to within two points with 9:41 left on a 39-yard field goal by Matt Bruder. 

Defense – Steven Fanua, Azusa Pacific (LB, 6-1, 227, Jr., Milpitas, CA – California) had 15 tackles and a key forced fumble to lead the Cougars to a 24-17 road win at Central Washington as the Cougars took over first place in the GNAC.  Ten of his 15 tackles were solos and he also broke up two passes.  His forced fumble, which he also recovered, came with 2:59 left in the fourth quarter after CWU had executed its second successful onside kick of the game.  Following Fanua’s recovery, APU got two first downs to run out the remaining time left on the clock and preserve the victory.

Special Teams – Tarik Myles, Azusa Pacific (KR, 5-6, 152, Fr., Rancho Cucamonga, CA – Summit) and Jesse Correa, Western Oregon (5-10, 185, So., Mililani, HI – St. Louis) ... Myles gave the Cougars the lead at 14-10 in the second quarter returning a kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown.  He also had a 22-yard return on another kickoff ... Correa kicked field goals of 46, 48 and 32 yards in the Wolves’ 30-16 win against Simon Fraser.  His 48-yarder was the third longest this fall in the GNAC and his 46-yarder equaled the fourth longest.

Honorable Mention – Devauntee Hoffman, Western Oregon (Fr., Portland, OR) rushed for 126 yards on  18 carries, averaging seven yards per carry.  He also caught one pass for nine yards ... Gustave Benthin, Western Oregon (DL, 6-2, 305, Sr., Knappa, ID) had six tackles, including three for losses of 12 yards.  Two of them were sacks for losses of 10 yards.

For more GNAC Football news, please check out the GNAC Weekly Football release.