GNAC Football Daily Update

Football: Humboldt State Moves Into Tie For First

Running backs Lyndon Rowells and Daniel Wyatt combined for 366 yards and four touchdowns powering Humboldt State to a 35-14 win at Simon Fraser Saturday.

The win moved the Lumberjacks (7-2, 5-1) into a first-place tie in the GNAC with idle Central Washington (5-1). Both teams finish their seasons with home games against Western Oregon and Simon Fraser.

The Wolves (6-3, 4-2) kept their title hopes alive with a 42-7 home win against Dixie State and can claim at least a share for the championship by winning its final two contests.

Rowells, who leads the conference with 1,017 yards and six 100-yard games, rushed for 212 yards on 24 carries, scoring on runs of eight, 23 and 34 yards. The latter two came in the fourth quarter after Simon Fraser had climbed to within seven points on a two-yard TD run by Gabriel Ephard.

After Ephard's run, which capped a 70-yard, 13-play drive and came with 13:54 remaining, the 'Jacks answered quickly going 84 yards on five plays and consuming just 2:32 of the clock.

The next drive was also quick as HSU needed just six plays to travel 64 yards, scoring with 6:14 remaining in the contest.

Humboldt also scored touchdowns in the first quarter on a nine-yard pass from QB Mike Proulx to Patrick Gondkoff to finish off a seven play, 84-yard drive and on a one-play drive, a 72-yard run by Wyatt early in the second period.

Wyatt finished the afternoon with 154 yards on 11 rushes as HSU netted 420 of its 593 yards on the ground. Proulx had the rest completing 15 of 27 passes for 173 yards.

Simon Fraser (1-7, 0-6) had just 224 yards, 87 rushing (38 by Ephard) and 137 passing as QB Greg Bowcott completed 15 of 28. Taylor Wilkinson caught six for 52 yards.

In addition to Ephard's six-pointer, SFU reached the end zone in the second quarter on a 65-yard interception return by Adam Berger.

Humboldt's top defenders in the game were linebackers Justin Hornsby (8 tackles) and Jonathan Faraimo (6 tackles). Linebacker Andrew Marshall and defensive back Derek Jones had nine tackles each for Simon Fraser.

Western Oregon 42, Dixie State 7

Demario Ballard caught five passes for 127 yards and two touchdowns and two quarterbacks combined for 310 yards and four scores to lead Western Oregon.

The Wolves scored twice in each of the first three quarters in keeping alive their GNAC title hopes.

Ballard scored on a 49-yard pass from Evan Mozzochi with 46 seconds left in the second quarter and on a 35-yard pass from Mozzochi midway through the third quarter.

Each time his catch came on the second play of the drive, which took just 16 and 26 seconds, respectively.

Western Oregon had already found the end zone three times prior to Ballard's two TD catches. Trevor Gates scored on a seven-yard pass from Mozzochi and Bryce Peila had a 22-yard interception return for a TD in the opening quarter.

In the second quarter Trevor Roush capped an 11-play, 90-yard drive with a four-yard run to make it 21-0 with 11:06 left in the half.

Dixie (2-7, 2-6) then got its only score on a 18-yard pass from Cody Stevenson to Zach Fox with 4:26 remaining in the period before Ballard re-established the 21-pont margin in the closing minute of the half.

After Ballard's third-quarter TD, the Wolves added a final six-pointer on a 29-yard pass from Cory Bean to Kyle Lavender late in the third period.

Mozzochi finished the contest completing 11 of 15 passes for 218 yards before Bean finished up converting on seven of eight for 92 yards.

Western Oregon also netted 136 yards rushing led by Adryan Allen with 49 in outgaining the Red Storm 446-155 in total offense. Stevenson had 102 passing on 14 of 28. Sione Tapuosi rushed for 75 on 22 carries, though Dixie's net total was 53.

Linebacker King Manu led WOU with seven tackles. Aaron Corbier had 11 stops for Dixie.