The Simon Fraser Clan had to put on a second-half comeback last season to defeat the Pacific University Boxers 36-28.
On Thursday night, against the same foe in Forest Grove, Ore., the NCAA Div. 2 Clan opened its 2012 season by showing just how far it has climbed up college football ladder in the last 12 months.
SFU scored on its first five possessions in the non-conference contest, getting its entire traveling squad into the game before finishing with a clear knockout decision: a 51-14 victory.
“We are extremely happy after this one,” said SFU head coach Dave Johnson after the win. “Last year we had to fight and scratch and claw to win, so this I think, really shows our progress. It was a hostile environment down here tonight. The student section was packed and the band was loud.”
Led early by running back Bo Palmer, the leading returning rusher in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, the Clan showed just how devastating their improved lineup has become.
SFU opened the scoring with the first of Palmer’s two first-half rushing majors, each coming from two yards out. Inbetween, the Clan kept flexing their offensive muscle.
Sophomore quarterback Trey Wheeler hit Nevada transfer wide receiver Lemar Durant with back-to-back red-zone strikes, the first coming from two yards out late in the opening quarter and the second less than two minutes into the second quarter from seven yards out. Durant sprained his ankle after the second touchdown but Johnson reported that he was walking fine after the game.
After red-shirts and injury-filled seasons at Nevada, Durant was playing in his first football game since leading Centennial to the Subway Bowl title in December of 2009.
“So he was a little rusty,” laughed Johnson. “The best part is, he’s just going to get better.”
The new pass-catch duo is really showing great chemistry.
“Trey has really advanced with what we’re doing,” Johnson continued of his quarterback, “and when you have a guy like Lemar to throw to, that’s a pretty good target.”
As well, Bobby Pospischil, Durant’s former prep teammate at Coquitlam-Centennial, returned a punt 84 yards for the score, putting the Clan ahead 34-0.
The Boxers were able to cash in on a 30-yard catch-and-run just before the break to pull within 34-7 at halftime.
Wheeler was an efficient 13-of-17 for 83 yards and two scoring tosses in the first half, and he finished 17-of-21 for 128 yards. Palmer carried 13 times for 65 yards and Durant caught five balls for 28 yards.
In the second half, the deeper and more talented Clan just continued to put new players in the skill spots.
Oregon State transfer Keynan Parker, who also made his Clan debut by playing in the SFU secondary, scored on a four-yard run just 1:40 into the second half for a 41-7 lead.
Then, promising running back Tarrance Crawford, an Ottawa native, put the capper on a penalty-filled, 10-play, 80-yard drive with a 13-yard scoring run and a 48-7 lead late in the quarter.
Freshman kicker Tiernan Docherty (Richmond-Hugh Boyd) booted a 27-yard field goal to make it 51-7 early in the fourth quarter,
And while the Clan’s rushing attack was truly dominant, so too was its run defence. SFU rushed for 250 yards, and held the Boxers to just 40 yards along the ground. Ryan Blum led the winners on the ground with 67 yards on seven carries. Palmer rushed for 65, Crawford 48, Parker 43 and Pospischil 28.
“Ryan is still really learning the offence, but his talent just bubbles,” added Johnson. “We went down there with the idea of using three running backs but the score got pretty lopsided so we were able to get a lot of guys in.”
The Clan open the GNAC regular season at home to rival Central Washington one week from Saturday at Terry Fox Field.
