Football | 10/4/2011 3:24:00 PM
Game 6: McPherson College (2-3, 2-2 KCAC) at No. 12 Azusa Pacific University (4-1)
Saturday Oct. 8, 2011| Citrus Stadium | Glendora Calif. | 8 p.m. (CST)
Game Notes (PDF)
Live Audio
The Matchup
McPherson wraps up the non-conference portion of its schedule on Saturday night when the Bulldogs travel to play No. 12 Azusa Pacific University (Calif) at Citrus Stadium in Glendora, Calif. The matchup between McPherson and the Cougars is scheduled for 8 p.m. (CST).
Radio coverage of the contest will be provided by 96.7 FM KBBE MidKansas Radio with an audio stream available at www.macbulldogs.com .
The Bulldogs enter the game with a 2-3 record and 2-2 conference mark after a disappointing, 42-35, loss to Bethel College on Saturday afternoon. The loss marked MC’s first against the Threshers in three seasons and was BC’s first victory since Nov. 14, 2009.
Despite the loss, junior quarterback
Jake Snodgrass (Derby, Kan.) threw for a career-high 251 yards and three touchdowns, including an 81-yard touchdown strike to junior wide receiver
Julius Record (Detroit, Mich.). The score was Records first touchdown since joining the Bulldogs last spring.
Additionally, senior running back
Travon Jones (Fresno, Calif.) posted his third 100-yard rushing performance with 107 yards on 17 carries and two touchdowns. The two scores gives Jones a touchdown in four straight games. He leads the ground attack with a 101.6 yards per game average.
Defensively, sophomore safety
Phillip Wilson (Long Beach, Calif.) has stepped up his game over the last two contests with 22 tackles, including a team-high 10 against Bethel. On the season, Wilson is third (32 total) on the team, behind senior linebackers
Darrick Johnson (Maricopa, Ariz.) (39 total) and
J.L. Gomez (Prosper, Texas) (43 total).
Azusa Pacific is 4-1 in 2011 following a 52-23 victory against Webber International University (Fla.) on Saturday evening in California. The Cougars, who rank No. 12 in the latest NAIA poll, have bounced back from a season opening loss to San Diego (42-40) with four straight victories, including a win against McPherson’s sister college La Verne University (Calif.), 65-14.
After Azusa, McPherson returns to Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference play against No. 19 Ottawa University next Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. (CST) at McPherson Stadium. Additionally, the matchup against Ottawa is also Homecoming for McPherson.
Scouting Azusa Pacific
Azusa Pacific welcomes the Bulldogs to California with a 4-1 record and the No. 12 ranking in the latest NAIA Football Coaches’ Top 25 poll. The Cougars are currently riding a four-game win streak following a 52-23 victory against Webber International University (Fla.) last Saturday at Citrus Stadium. APU’s lone loss of the season came in their opener, 42-40, against the University of San Diego on Sept. 3.
Azusa Pacific currently competes in the Golden State Athletic Conference, but is considered an independent in football. However, 2011 marks the final NAIA season for the Cougars, as the NCAA accepted a bid for the institution to compete at the Division II level and the Pac West Conference.
In 2010, the Cougars finished 6-4 overall and made the team’s first appearance in the NAIA Football Championship Series since 2005. APU lost its opening round matchup with eventual national champion Carroll College, 35-21.
The Cougars returned 18 starters, including 10 on offense from 2010 led by All-American tailback Johnell Murphy and quarterback John van den Raadt.
Murphy leads an APU rushing attack that averages 324.6 yards per game this season with 474 rushing yards (94.8 yards per game) on 45 carries in five games, while van den Raadt rests a close second with 434 rushing yards on 50 attempts. Additionally, Murphy leads an offense that averages 50.2 points per game with six touchdowns.
In the passing game, van den Raadt is completing 52.4 percent of his passes (54-of-103) for 831 yards and nine touchdowns. Senior wide receivers Matt Davis and Jeremiah Andujo serve as the Cougars primary targets with Davis leading the way with 20 catches for 445 yards. Andujo owns 19 receptions for 223 yards on the season.
The APU offense averages 519.8 yards per game and has outscored its opponents 251-89.
Defensively, Azusa is allowing an average of only 17.8 points and 301.8 yards per game. The Cougars rank 16th against the run, allowing opponents an average of only 2.9 yards per rush and fewer than 100 yards per game. Through the air, opponents average 209.0 yards per game and have connected on seven touchdowns.
Senior linebacker Spencer Danielson leads the team with 40 total tackles, while sophomore middle linebacker Sean Barber is a close second with 38. Defensive end Jake Jones leads the team with 6.5 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks.
Head coach Victor Santa Cruz is in his fifth season with APU and entered the season with a 20-32 career record with the team.
Game 5 Bullets...
McPherson 35, Bethel 42
» McPherson’s 42-35 loss snapped a three-game win streak for the Bulldogs against Bethel. Additionally, the win for BC is the first for the team since Nov. 14, 2009 when they defeated Sterling College
» The Bulldogs set a season high with 35 points in the loss.
» McPherson allowed Bethel 42 points, marking the third time this season the Bulldogs have allowed an opponent at least 40-points. It is the first time since 2007 that opponents have scored at least 40 points in three or more contests.
» Senior running back Travon Jones rushed 17 times for 107 yards, including touchdowns of 21 yards and four yards. Jones owns three 100-yard performances on the season and has scored nine touchdowns in five games this season
» Junior quarterback Jake Snodgrass completed 16-of-28 passes for a career-best 251 yards and three touchdowns, including a pair to junior wide receiver Julius Record. The performance improved Snodgrass’s season average to 141.4 passing yards per game. He has thrown for seven touchdowns and five interceptions in five games this season
» Junior wide receiver Julius Record caught two passes for 83 yards and two touchdowns, including an 81-yard scoring strike late in the first quarter. It marked the first time this season Record has had more than one reception.
» McPherson rushed for 203 yards, including 88 yards before halftime and 115 yards in the second half. The team performance is the second time the Bulldogs have gone over 200-yards rushing this season. In 2010, McPherson eclipsed 200-yards only one in 11 games.
» Sophomore Phillip Wilson led the team for the second consecutive week with 10 total tackles, while senior linebacker Darrick Johnson added nine.
» McPherson converted 3-of-4 red-zone opportunities, including two passing touchdowns and one rushing score. The Bulldogs are now 12-of-14 on the season with 10 touchdowns and two field goals.
Bulldogs in the National Rankings
Below is a breakdown of categories that McPherson ranks amongst the top nationally:
Team (Top 35)
1 - PAT Kicking Percentage (1.00)
17 - Kick Off Return Yards per Att. (21.7)
23 - 4th Down Conversion. (57.1)
27 - Pass Defense Efficiency (108.4)
29 - Total Rushing Offense (773)
30 - Rushing Offense Per Game (154.6)
30 - Punt Return Yds per Att. (10.7)
30 - Pass Defense per Game (175.0)
31 - Penalty Yds per Game (69.0)
32 - Punt Yds per Att. (37.6)
Individual (Top 35)
1 - Kouth - PAT Kick Pct. (1.00)
3 - Jones - Total Scoring (54)
6 - Jones - Scoring/G (10.8)
8 - Jones - Total Rushing (508)
9 - Jones - Rushing Yds/G (101.6)
13 - Thomsen - Fumbles Forced/G (0.4)
16 - Record - Total Punt Returns (126)
19 - Jones - All Purpose Yds (639)
26 - Record - Punt Return Yds/Att (10.5)
28 - Jones - All Purpose/G (127.8)
29 - Record - Total Kick Off Returns (228)
33 - Rotering - Punt Yds/Att (37.6)
Jones Making Impact in 2011
Senior running back Travon Jones has provided a consistent force for the Bulldogs throughout the early portion of the 2011 schedule. Jones set the tone early with 145 all purpose yards in MC’s season opener against Missouri Valley and since has rushed for more than 100 yards in three of the last four contests, including a 17 carry, 107-yard performance last Saturday against Bethel.
Jones has knack for finding the end zone with team-high nine touchdowns for 54 points, which ranks third nationally. He set a career-high with four scores against Bethany College on Sept. 11 and owns three multiple touchdown games this season following a two score game against Bethel.
On the national level, Jones ranks eighth in total rushing with 508 yards, ninth in rushing per game with a 101.6 yards per game average and 19th in all purpose yards at 639.
Jones 2011 Performance Breakdown
Sept. 3 at Missouri Valley
Rushing - 15 carries, 33 yards
Receiving - none
All Purpose - 145 yards
Sept. 11 vs Bethany
Rushing - 15 carries, 169 yards, 3 TD
Receiving - 1 catch, 6 yards, TD
All Purpose - 175 yards
Sept. 17-18 at Southwestern
Rushing - 26 carries, 101 yards, TD
Receiving - 2 catches, 13 yards
All Purpose - 107 yards
Sept. 24 at Friends
Rushing - 17 carries, 98 yards, 2 TD
Receiving - None
All Purpose - 98 yards
Oct. 1 vs Bethel
Rushing - 17 carries, 107 yards, 2 TD
Receiving - None
All Purpose - 107 yards
Ranked Opponents Tough on McPherson
Matchups with ranked teams has not been kind of McPherson so far in 2011 as it is 0-2 in games against teams currently ranked in the NAIA Football Coaches’ Top 25 with losses coming at No. 5 Missouri Valley and against No. 14 Bethany College.
Since 2009, McPherson is 4-5 against ranked teams, including 0-3 against non-conference ranked opponents. The Bulldogs most recent non-conference ranked teams were previously mentioned Missouri Valley, McKendree University (Ill.) and MidAmerica Nazarene University (Kan.). The McKendree and MANU contests took place in the first round of the NAIA Football Champions Series.
