Southern Nazarene Game Notes
Great American Conference Notebook
BETHANY, Okla. — Southern Nazarene has come so close to picking up its first win the last two weeks, losing by a combined score of six points after falling 17-14 to Langston and then 22-19 to NCCAA No. 3 McMurry. In both losses, Southern Nazarene out gained it's opponent. This week the Crimson Storm take on a Kansas Wesleyan team that fell out of the NAIA Football Coaches' Top 25 Poll after the 20th-ranked Coyotes lost 56-31 to Tabor. KWU is still receiving votes after taking its second loss of the year and first in Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference play to Tabor.
These two teams do have one common opponent on the year in Friends (Kan.). The Falcons pulled off a 17-7 win over the Crimson Storm back on Sept. 15, but Kansas Wesleyan upended Friends 28-24 just two weeks later.
RECAPPING THE WEEK
The Crimson Storm totaled more than 400 yards of total offense for the first time this season. Southern Nazarene threw for 274 yards and ran for a season-high 179 yards for a total of 453 yards. SNU out gained McMurry by almost 100 yards.
Dylan Terry threw for a career-high 274 yards, going 25-for-50 passing with two touchdowns. Sedrick Johnson pulled in both of those touchdowns and totaled a career-high 151 yards receiving on nine catches, including a 42-yard reception put SNU at the McM 9-yard line with 30 seconds to play. The Storm nearly had two 100-yards receivers as Jarod Martin pulled in five catches for 93 yards.
Derick Perkins led the way in rushing as the senior went for 73 yards on 25 carries and while Chris Hunter also had 42 yards rushing.
SNU had its first halftime lead of the year at 10-7 on the War Hawks, but trailed by 10 at 22-12 midway through the fourth quarter. Johnson put the Storm within three with 7:25 to play with his second touchdown of the day, but the Storm were left three yards short of tying and possibly winning its first game of the year.
The Coyotes gave up 547 yards to Tabor as 510 of it came on the ground on 82 carries. KWU passed for 304 yards and had 383 yards of total offense. Quarterback Trey Dallas was 20-for-35 passing for 304 yards and three touchdowns. He also threw three interceptions.
Zach McClain was the leading receiver as he caught all three touchdown passes and had 149 yards receiving. Brett Giesen led the way in rushing with 55 yards on 17 carries. KWU had just one lead at 3-0 before Tabor scored 14 straight and led from there.
THE LAST TIME
The last time these two played was the only time these two have played and Southern Nazarene had a big second half in pulling out a 52-23 win over then No. 21 Kansas Wesleyan. The Crimson Storm actually trailed 14-10 at the end of the first quarter, but out scored the Coyotes 14-3 in the second quarter to take a 24-17 lead at the half. It was all SNU in the second half as it held KWU to just six points while the Storm put up 14 points in each of the final two quarters.
Brady Wardlaw threw for 400 yards and four touchdowns as the Storm totaled 615 yards. SNU also rushed for 215 yards as Derick Perkins led the way with 82.
AMONG THE GAC
Southern Nazarene ranks second in the Great American Conference in pass defense as it is allowing just 160 yards per game through the air. The Crimson Storm are also third in the GAC in interceptions with seven and third in sacks with 16.
Sedrick Johnson is third in the conference in receptions per game at 5.8 and sixth in reception yards per game at 66.5. Michael Hicks leads the GAC in tackles with 77 while Dillon Brumbaugh is fourth with 59.
RECORD CHASERS
Michael Hicks is gaining ground on Dillon Brumbaugh in all-time tackles. Brumbaugh is currently sixth in school history with 225 tackles while Hicks has 211 and is in a tie for seventh with Jacob Todd (2002-06). Brumbaugh needs just four more to tie D'Antae Mitchell (2000-04) for fifth. Chris Bogle holds the all-time school record with 274. Hicks is also just seven tackles for a loss away from tying the school record. The sophomore currently has 38.5 tackles for a loss while Jarrod Dewald (2002-05) has the all-time record.
Derick Perkins currently stands third all-time in school history with 20 rushing touchdowns. He needs just three more rushing touchdowns to tie Branden Smith (2006-09) with 23. Perkins also needs just two more points to move into second all-time in school history in total points scored. He currently has 166 behind teammate Jarod Martin who has 168. Perkins passed Ryan Brock (2007-09) for third who has 162 points. Jason Kilmer is the all-time leader with 316.
Martin became the school's first 2,000-yard receiver with 46 yards against Langston. He already had the school record and has totaled 2,101 yards receiving on 126 catches. The 126 catches is also a school record.
Matt Pruitt tied D'Antae Mitchell for the all-time lead in school history in interceptions with 15. The junior recorded his 15th, Saturday, against McMurry.
Pruitt is also the all-time leader in fumble return yards with 105 as all of those yards have come this season. The junior recovered a fumble and took it back 75 yards for a touchdown against Friends and then notched another fumble recovery for 30 yards against Harding.
ABOUT THE COYOTES
Quarterback Trey Dallas leads the way for Kansas Wesleyan as he is averaging 213.8 yards per game through the air. He has thrown 12 touchdown passes and has rushed for one. Dallas has already thrown for 1,283 yards on the season. Giesen leads the team one the ground with 588 total yards and is averaging 98 yards per game. McClain is the go-to target for Dallas as he has eight receiving touchdowns and is averaging 85 yards receiving per game. Brady Harwell leads the team in tackles with 66, but the Coyotes have just five sacks on the year with no single player having more than one. Marc Porras leads the team in interceptions with five and is averaging 11 yards a return on each interception.
