Central Washington football travels to play Simon Fraser

An old rivalry will be renewed north of the border today. On paper, Central Washington’s 29th meeting against Simon Fraser University on the gridiron looks to be a lopsided visit for the Wildcats.

In its first season as a member of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, Simon Fraser has struggled in its first playing American rules football since 2002. SFU (located in Burnaby, B.C.) is 0-3 this season, the most recent loss a 48-25 defeat at the hands of Western Oregon last week. The Wolves piled a school-record 684 total yards of offense – the second-highest total in GNAC history.

This week marks the first trip to Canada by CWU since 2000, but SFU’s rivalry with the ‘Cats dates back to 1967. The Wildcats and the Clan had played each other once every season from 1982-2001, as they were affiliated with the same conference (either the Evergreen Conference or the Columbia Football Association) for 18 of those 20 years. Central is 20-8 against SFU all-time.

CWU head coach Blaine Bennett has faced SFU seven times in nine years as a college football head coach, so he knows to not overlook his team’s Canadian hosts, struggles aside.

“What you want to do is go up there, just like when you travel to Dixie State, and be a little bit cautious because we don’t want to overlook anyone,” said Bennett, whose team enters today’s contest with a 2-2 record. “We have to have a solid game plan, a simple game plan where our guys can play fast. We want to take care of the football, put points on the board in the first quarter, and hopefully let things roll after that.”

The past eight seasons, Simon Fraser has competed in NAIA. The Clan has played with Canadian-style football rules and the transition to the NCAA this season has been a difficult one. The Clan is last in the GNAC in points per contest, averaging just 14.3 per game. The defense has been equally as lackluster, surrendering 39 points and 519 yards per game. But it’s the rules and regulations that come with joining the NCAA rather than the rules on the field that has burdened the Clan the most.

“The real kicker is we’ve been playing up here in Canada, and off of last year’s team we’ve lost 60 players. The eligibility rules in Canada and in the NAIA are dramatically different than they are in the NCAA,” said Simon Fraser head coach Dave Johnson. “Academically, we are fine, but there were other issues with their eligibility.”

Big turnout

Simon Fraser had 108 players report to fall camp six weeks ago. Of those 108 players, 73 were new to the Simon Fraser roster. The Clan has 18 true freshmen who see significant playing time.

Transitioning to American football rules “hasn’t been bad” Johnson said, because high school football in British Columbia is played with American rules.

“The rule changes haven’t been nearly as challenging as the level of play,” Johnson said. “The rules and the speed and the athleticism of the teams in the GNAC is really the thing that is an issue for us.”

Fronts on both sides of the ball have limited what SFU has been able to do this season. The offensive line has four new starters, two of which are true freshmen. The defensive line has lost seven of its top 10 players this year to injury already and won’t play today.

“That’s how people rack up 700 yards,” Johnson said. “Effort has not been our issue, it’s just that we are playing with high school kids. Everyone is working hard, but we are in tough, that’s for sure.”

There are some bright spots on the defense. Defensive end Justin Capicciotti is seventh in the league with 6.3 tackles per game. He is third in both sacks (2.5) and tackles for loss (5.5) as well.

Junior defensive back Nigel Palma is also having a standout year. He leads the GNAC with three interceptions.

Expect the blitz

With the youth and inexperience the Clan has on defense, plenty of blitzing will be in order in an effort to disrupt the CWU offensive scheme. The Wildcat offense is averaging 37.5 points per game since sophomore quarterback Ryan Robertson took over as the full-time starter. Staying balance and controlling the ball will again be key for a Central offense that scored 23 first quarter points in last week’s 43-21 victory over Dixie State in Ellensburg.

“We need to make sure we are in manageable second and third-down situations, because I think they are going to blitz him (Robertson) quite a bit,” Bennett said. “We need to be able to handle the pressure with our offensive line.”

That offensive line got two new members last week. With junior guard Justin Eden and senior guard/center Luke Conklin banged up, redshirt freshmen defensive linemen Donnie Johnson and Neil Fuhrmann were converted offense and made their first career starts last week. The duo teamed with sophomore center Joey Tivnan, redshirt-freshman tackle Mike Waller, and senior tackle Brian Agnis for a Central rushing attack that went over the century mark for the third straight week. CWU running back Bryson Kelly scored a career-high three TD’s on the ground.

Being able to maintain balance on offensive is always a key to success for the Wildcats in Bennett’s eyes. Despite playing an opponent in which his team is the heavy favorite, nothing changes today for Bennett’s squad.

“Taking care of the football,” Bennett said. “I can say that every week, but up there, new environment, taking care of the football will be crucial.”

We need to create some excitement early. If we can get a little mojo going early, we will be fine.”

BREAKOUT BOX – SIMON FRASER STAYS POSITIVE DESPITE STRUGGLES

Simon Fraser has had quite a transitional season on the football field. A roster that has a 73-player turnover from 2009 and a change to American football rules have accompanied the Clan’s first year as a member of the NCAA.

Dave Johnson’s team has struggled mightily in year one, going winless in three tries in 2010. The Clan is surrendering 39 points and 519 yards of total offense a game. Despite the struggles, Johnson has made it a priority to maintain a positive outlook for him and his players.

“We have a couple of acronyms around here and one of them is W.I.N.,” Johnson said. “That stands for what’s important now. I don’t care about last play and I don’t care about next play. Right now, what is your responsibility, what can you being doing to help our team be successful? That’s what I care about.”

SFU gave up 684 yards of total offense to Western Oregon in a 48-25 loss last week. The yardage total was the second-highest in Great Northwest Athletic Conference history. The Clan is young, with no less than 18 true freshman getting significant minutes. Johnson is having his team take it one step at a time.

“If we are canceling a gap, or running a route at the right depth, and doing the little things, that’s definitely where we need to start,” Johnson said. “We are celebrating the success of our players each play. Whether that be they help an old lady across the street, or get a quarterback sack, or cause a turnover, we take time over the course of a week to recognize things that we can build the base of a football program on.”

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