Clan host Red Storm on Homecoming

Burnaby, B.C. – Two teams searching for their first victories of the 2010 season will meet on Saturday at Terry Fox Field, as the Simon Fraser University Clan football team prepares to host the Dixie State College Red Storm at 3 pm. Saturday will also mark Homecoming at Simon Fraser, and the SFU Alumni Association has a number of events planned beginning at 12 pm.

More information on Homecoming is available here:
[URL]http://www.sfu.ca/alumni/homecoming2010/

The Clan last week:
For the first time in Great Northwest Athletic Conference history, two running backs each ran for over 200 yards, as No. 22 ranked Central Washington’s Bryson Kelly (246 yards) and Simon Fraser University’s Gabe Ephard (222 yards) went back and forth trying to top one another. Ultimately, the CWU Wildcats left SFU’s Terry Fox Field with a 44-30 victory to improve to 3-2 (3-0 GNAC) on the season. The loss dropped the Clan to 0-4 (0-3 GNAC) on the year.
Ephard finished with two touchdowns, a 64-yard scamper in the second quarter to put SFU’s first points on the board, followed by a 70-yard run in the fourth quarter to clear the 200-yard mark.

Ephard’s running wild:
On Saturday, Gabe Ephard (North Vancouver, B.C.) set a new GNAC record by averaging 15.9 yards per carry against CWU. Ephard’s averaging 9.3 yards per play this season, tops in the GNAC through four games, and is second behind CWU’s Kelly in rushing yards per game, averaging 115.8 to Kelly’s 116.4.

True freshman making impacts:
A number of true freshman are making an impact for the Clan this season. First-year receivers Ben Allen (Winnipeg, MB) and Tore Corrado (Vancouver, B.C.) hooked up last weekend against CWU on a 60-yard trick play when former high school quarterback Corrado took a pitch out from quarterback Ryan Schwartz and fired a bomb to Allen. Allen has caught touchdown passes in his last two games and is third on the team in receiving yards with 143 over three games this year. On the offensive line, Matthias Goossen (Richmond, B.C.) has started all four games this season for SFU at left guard.
Defensively, with injuries to defensive tackles Dan Martin and Blair West, newcomer Ryan Northfield (Mississauga, Ont.) entered the starting lineup, while linebacker and former New West Hyack Casey Chin (Port Moody, B.C.) returned to field against CWU after missing two games due to injury.

Missing the homerun:
While the Clan’s running game has been outstanding this season, SFU’s passing attack has struggled, with starters Quinton Agosta (Bainbridge Island, WA) and Ryan Schwartz (North Vancouver, B.C.) combining to complete only 58-of-130 passes for 583 yards, five touchdowns and six interceptions. The Clan’s biggest passing play of the year to date was however Corrado’s toss to Allen last weekend of 60-yards, neither Agosta nor Schwartz have completed a pass longer than 32 yards through four games.

Closing the holes:
SFU’s defensive struggles continued last weekend; despite holding Central Washington to only 10 points at halftime, the Clan still gave up 508 total yards of offence, including 300 in the second half. SFU is currently last in the GNAC in scoring defence (40.2 points per game), rushing defence (255.8 yards per game), passing defence (260.5 yards per game) and total defence (516.2 yards per game).
The Clan however have made plays on the defensive side of the ball, and are currently second in the conference in sacks (8.0) and are tied for second in the GNAC with seven interceptions. Cornerback Nigel Palma (Vancouver, B.C.) is tied for the conference lead in interceptions with three heading into this weekend, while Marc DesLauriers is eighth in the conference with 28 tackles.
SFU has also showcased their discipline, committing a league low 23 penalties for 176 yards through four games.

Dixie State’s last time out:
Dixie State (0-4, 0-3 GNAC) enters Saturday’s game against SFU off a bye-week. On September 18, senior defensive end Nick Rocco recorded three sacks and four tackles for loss – setting Dixie State College school records in both categories – as a bright spot in the Red Storm in a 43-21 defeat to then #25 Central Washington.

Red Storm road woes:
Dixie State has not won a game away from St. George, Utah, since November 8, 2008, when they defeated GNAC opponent Humboldt State.

Freshman at the helm:
DSC quarterback Cody Stevenson is a true freshman and has started all four games this season for the Red Storm. The 6-6 Stevenson is averaging 174.2 yards per game in four appearances this season, and has completed 54.2 per cent of his passing attempts. Dixie State’s passing attack is currently ranked second in the GNAC (205.5 yards per game), behind only Western Oregon.

Lack of running attack:
The Clan face a Dixie State team that is struggling to find their running game. The Red Storm are averaging only 49.8 yards per game on the ground and have only one collective rushing touchdown this year.

Defensive leaders:
Dixie State currently has three of the top five leading tacklers in the GNAC. Linebacker Keauntea Bankhead is first in the conference with 45 tackles over four games, including 0.5 sackes, while fellow backer Nick Cragin is second, averaging 8.8 tackles per game. Defensive lineman Nick Rocco is fifth in the conference with 31 tackles, and leads the league with 3.5 sacks and 6.0 tackles for a loss over four games.

SFU head coach Dave Johnson’s thoughts on Saturday:
“On film, you can see their defensive front seven is a very formidable unit, their linebackers are leading the conference in tackles and can really fly to the ball.”
“[Stevenson] throws the ball like he owns the place, he’s a big body at 6-6, and can put a lot behind his throws.”
“[Dixie State] is a hungry team, they are going to come in here with a lot of zip. I think we have our hands full, because they want to come in to our house and leave with their first win of the season.”

Follow Saturday’s game live:
Live statistics for Saturday’s game are available at:
http://cgi.sfu.ca/~athlwww/livestats/football/xlive.htm
Clan TV broadcast of Saturday’s game is available at:
http://www.educationcdn.com/schools/clan/