SNU Game Notes
GAC Notebook
 
BETHANY, Okla. —The first week of the season is in the books and the home opener is now up for Southern Nazarene as the Crimson Storm host Ouachita Baptist Saturday at 6 p.m. It is the season opener for the Tigers who's bye week was last week. The Crimson Storm are coming off an 82-10 loss to Henderson State.
 
After a strong start to the 2012 season, in which the Tigers won the first six games of the season, but lost the last four. Tigers finished fourth in the GAC with a record of 6-4 overall and 4-4 in conference play. Ouachita returns 45 lettermen this season including 10 starters on a defense that ranked third in total defense last year. Six offensive starters return to a squad that ranked second in the conference in red zone efficiency.
 
2012 All-GAC First Team running back Chris Rycraw returns for his senior year and looks to power the Tiger rushing attack that finished third in the GAC last season. Rycraw, the second all-time leading rusher in the GAC, finished 2012 with 990 rushing yards on 199 attempts and eight rushing touchdowns. He finished fourth in all-purpose yards with a 113.7 yard per game average.
 
Junior quarterback Benson Jordan will lead a Tiger passing attack that ranked third in the conference in passing efficiency. He finished 2012 with a 61.8 completion percentage, finding the end zone 10 times through the air. Likely targets Drew White and Jalen Jones combined for 81 catches for 870 yards and four touchdowns.
 
Jordanwill be protected by an offensive line that gave up only seven sacks last year, second best in the GAC, and powered the Tiger offense to an average of 23.2 first downs per game.
 
A trio of senior linebackers returns in 2013. Jackson Guerra led the Tigers in tackles in 2012 and received All-GAC honorable mention honors. Rickey Brown and Augustine Ume-Ezeoke join Guerra to anchor a rushing defense that held opposing rushers to 145.6 yards per game, fourth best in the conference.
 
Defensive end Antwoin Patterson finished 2012 with 69 tackles, including 9.5 tackles for loss. He ranked third in the conference with three forced fumbles. The senior is the GAC career leader in forced fumbles with seven.
 
Senior cornerback Etauj Allen looks to improve on his All-GAC Second Team performance in 2012. He will lead a stingy Tiger secondary that gave up only nine passing touchdowns in 2012, best in the GAC. Allen also finished second in the conference in punt returns with a 13-yard-per-return average, highlighted by a 73-yard touchdown return.
 
LAST WEEK
Dylan Terry threw for 223 yards for Southern Nazarene University, 108 of which went to Brennan DiChiara as SNU suffered an 82-10 loss at No. 13 Henderson State in the season opener.
 
The Crimson Storm had 324 yards of total offense, but gave up 855 yards of total offense to defending Great American Conference Champions. The Reddies threw for 557 yards and rushed for 298 yards. The reigning GAC Player of the Year, Kevin Rodgers, threw for 468 yards and six touchdowns.
 
Terry was 27-for-44 and threw just one interception while DiChiara had six catches and averaged 18 yards per catch. Chris Hunter ran for 75 yards on 25 attempts and scored the only touchdown for the Storm.
 
Josh Price led the way on the defensive side with nine tackles while Austin Schultz and Michael Hicks each had eight.
Stan West also recorded an interception that led to Hunter's touchdown in the first. The senior picked off a Rodgers pass on the HSU 32-yard line and ran it back to the 24. The Storm then used three plays to cut it to 14-7 with 8:21 left in the first.
 
It was all Henderson State from there. The Reddies scored 55 unanswered points before an Ian Sanders field goal made it 69-10 in the fourth.
 
The Crimson Storm now get set for the home opener Saturday as they host Ouachita Baptist for a 6 p.m. contest.
 
RECORD CHASING
Michael Hicks has a chance this season to walk away with a handful of school records. The junior is just 42 tackles away from tying Chris Bogle's (2000-03) all-time record of 274. Hicks set the school's single-season record of 134 tackles two years ago and had 90 last season. He currently is tied for sixth all-time in school history with Adrian Valdez (2008-11) and needs just five more to tie Matt Pruitt (2010-12) for fifth all time. His 119 unassisted tackles are seventh all-time  and his 113 assisted tackles are sixth all-time. Matt Pruitt (2010-12) holds the the unassisted tackles record at 154 while Jarrod Dewald (2002-05) holds the assisted tackles record.
 
Hicks also needs just four more tackles for a loss to tie Dewald's record of 45.5 tackles for a loss. He is currently third all-time with 41.5 tackles for a loss. TJ Pearsall (2005-08) is second at 43 tackles for a loss. In the same breath, Hicks needs 65 more yards from tackles for a loss to tie Dewald's record of 230. Hicks currently has 165 yards from tackles for a loss and is tied for fifth with Clayton Franks (2002-05).
 
He also has 11.5 career sacks, ranking him ninth in school history. He needs 7.5 more sacks to catch Pearsall's record of 19. Trey Falkner and Jonathan Jenkins-Dill are tied for eighth with 12 sacks.
 
Hicks also set the school's all-time record in blocked kicks last season with his fifth.
 
Jarod Martin is just two touchdowns away from tying Derick Perkins (2009-12) for second all-time in school history in touchdowns scored. Martin has 31 career toucdowns. Jason Kilmer (2000-03) holds the school record at 52.
 
Ian Sanders tied the school record for point after kicks completed as he recored his 84th successful PAT. He tied Ryan Brock (2007-09) for the top spot and needs just one more extra point to set the school record.
 
AMONG THE GAC
Brennan DiChiara is seventh in the Great American Conference in receiving yards with 108 after the first week while Chris Hunter is eighth in rushing with 75 yards. Johnathan Martin is ninth in the GAC in kick return average at 16.9 per kick return. He has 118 yards in returns.
 
Josh Price is also seventh in the conference in tackles with nine.
 
EARLY RECOGNITION
Michael Hicks is no longer a hidden name for SNU. He has more tackles than anyone in school history in the first two years of play. That reputation has earned him a spot on the 25th Annual USA College Football Division II Preseason All-American list. He was also named a Player to Watch by the Oklahoma Sports Blog.
 
Stan West was also recognized as a nominee for the National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete of the Year.