Clan Downed 40-13 by Wolves on Seniors Day

SFU’s 2016 season finale a tale of two halves

Game Recap: Football | 11/12/2016 5:47:00 PM | Aaron Martin (Sports Information Assistant)

Burnaby, BC – On Seniors Day at Swangard Stadium, the SFU Clan football team (0-8, 0-10) wrapped up their 2016 season with a 40-13 defeat at the hands of the Western Oregon Wolves (3-5, 4-6).

Sophomore QB Miles Richardson finished 29-of-50 for 217 yards, one touchdown, and a pick. Senior tailback Ante Litre totaled 63 all-purpose yards (40 receiving, 23 rushing) in his final game for SFU. Meanwhile, freshman wideout Rysen John had a breakout performance, leading the Clan with five catches, including a couple spectacular diving stabs, 65 yards, and a touchdown.

On defense, the brothers Herdman wrapped their Clan careers with a solid performance – Jordan led SFU with eight total tackles (five solo), while Justin had five total tackles, including four solo, two TFLs, and one sack. Jordan Herdman fell three solo tackles short of tying the GNAC career record of 208, set by Central Washington’s Blake Walker from 2001-2004.

With 14 seniors playing their final game for the Clan, there was a different feeling around the contest, even if the end result was a familiar one.

“I think we were today what we were all year,” summed up SFU head coach Kelly Bates. “We do some really good things, and we do some things that hurt us and are hard to overcome. I think there was an added emotional difference, with it being the last game for 14 young men. I think those young men are revered in our locker room, and as it was all year, the kids’ effort was tremendous.”

On the Clan’s first drive, Richardson, throwing short to his right, was victimized by the Wolves’ Danny Hankins. The senior defensive back showed great awareness to jump the route and pick off the SFU QB, racing 35 yards back to the house.

The Wolves doubled their lead late in the first quarter, as pivot Nick Duckworth found junior slot receiver Keoni Piceno on a 24-yard ball to the endzone.

With the offense charging in the dying minutes of the first half, the Clan dialed up one of their most impressive plays of the season. On third-and-20 from the Western Oregon 39, Richardson evaded the Wolves’ pass rush before stepping up and launching a bomb to Buren, hitting the wideout at the four-yard line. Richardson extended the play once more on the next play, scrambling to his right before flipping the ball to John for the receiver’s first career touchdown.

Trailing 12-7 at the half, the big story for the Clan was again the play of their defense. Despite only making 13 total tackles in the opening 30 minutes, SFU’s stop unit made them count, racking up four sacks on Duckworth, as well as a forced fumble. In total, the Clan held Western Oregon to 72 yards in the first half (112 passing, and -42 rushing with 36 of those coming on sacks).

The SFU defense kept up the pressure on the Wolves’ first drive of the third quarter, as senior corner Justin Pugh picked off Duckworth at the Western Oregon 45-yard line.

After another three-and-out forced by the Clan, the snap on the ensuing punt skipped out of the hands of Western Oregon punter Nathan Osborn. Bouncing all the way down to the Wolves’ four-yard line, SFU linebacker Gabe Lopes scooped up the loose ball and walked in untouched for the score, putting the Clan up 13-12.

The Wolves regained the lead in short order, as Duckworth hit junior wide receiver Zack Suarez over the middle for a 27-yard score. A converted two-point try put Western Oregon up 20-13 with eight minutes left in the third quarter.

Western Oregon added three scores in the game’s late stages, as Duckworth hit Paul Revis and Suarez for majors from four and 10 yards out, while Wolves’ defensive lineman Jeremy Moore came in as a fullback and punched in a four-yard TD.

Team Statistics

Game Stats	WOU	SFU
First Downs	18	18
Total Offensive Yards	280	243
Passing Yards	343	217
Rushing Yards	-63	26
Penalty Yards	15-129	13-115
3rd Downs	2-7	5-17
4th Downs	0-0	0-4
Time Of Possession	23:32	36:28

Scoring Summary

1st Quarter	WOU	SFU
14:02 – WOU – Hankins 39 yd interception (Revis rush failed)	6	0
02:36 – WOU – Piceno,K 24 yd pass from Duckworth (Revis pass failed) 6 plays, 57 yards, TOP 2:32	12	0
2nd Quarter	WOU	SFU
00:07 – SFU – John 4 yd pass from Richardson (Heerspink kick ) 11 plays, 71 yards, TOP 4:33	12	7
3rd Quarter	WOU	SFU
10:10 – SFU – Lopes 3 yd fumble recovery (Jana rush failed)	12	13
08:16 – WOU – Suarez 27 yd pass from Duckworth (Perry pass ) 5 plays, 65 yards, TOP 1:54	20	13
04:53 – WOU – Revis 4 yd pass from Duckworth (Bannister kick ) 4 plays, 37 yards, TOP 1:07	27	13
4th Quarter	WOU	SFU
07:36 – WOU – Suarez 10 yd pass from Duckworth (Bannister kick failed) 9 plays, 83 yards, TOP 3:58	33	13
01:34 – WOU – Moore 4 yd run (Bannister kick ), 8 plays, 58 yards, TOP 4:09	40	13

 

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