FB: Dixie State loses thrilling triple overtime game at Simon Fraser

Box Score

BURNABY, BC – Simon Fraser needed three overtime periods to stamp its first-ever Great Northwest Athletic Conference victory Saturday, upending Dixie State College 62-56 at Terry Fox Field.

Freshman quarterback Stefan Cantwell (South Jordan, UT/Bingham) accounted for 476 total yards and had a hand in each of the Red Storm's eight touchdown scores – setting a GNAC record for touchdown responsible by an individual (mark previously held by two CWU quarterbacks).

He threw for 357 yards and rushed for 119, becoming the first quarterback in Dixie State's D-II tenure to rush for over 100 yards and throw for over 300 in a single game.

The contest also set a GNAC record for most points scored with 118. Central Washington's 75-41 win over Fort Lewis in 2002 help the previous mark with 116 points.

Simon Fraser (2-4, 1-4 GNAC) earned its first NCAA D-II victory after accumulating 572 yards of total offense – 266 pass, 306 rush. Dixie State dropped to 1-3 in the conference and 1-5 overall despite posting 463 total yards.

The Clan opened a 17-0 lead through the first quarter. Steven Spagnuolo capped a quick five-play, 60-yard drive with a 5-yard run. After forcing a DSC fumble, Bo Palmer (31 rushes, 178 yards) found the end zone to make it 14-0 and SFU kicker Ian Sternau closed the quarter with a 35-yard field goal.

Dixie State began to close the gap outscoring the Clan 21-7 in the second quarter. Early in the period, DSC took over a short field at the SFU 47 yard line. Six plays later, Cantwell scored the first of his five rushing touchdowns – a two-yard jaunt. SFU attempted a reverse on the ensuing kickoff and fumbled. Storm running back Brock Johnson (South Weber, UT/Northridge) recovered the fumble at the SFU 22 setting up a quick 11-yard scoring strike from Cantwell to Darren Carter (Sandy, UT/Jordan), closing the score to 17-14.

The Clan marched back down the field with backup QB Greg Bowcott rumbling into the endzone.

After both teams had a pair of unsuccessful drives, Cantwell attacked the Clan defense through the air late in the half. He completed 6-of-9 passes in a 75 yard drive that concluded with #11 calling his own number for a 4-yard rushing score leading into halftime.

Simon Fraser took the opening drive of the third quarter inside the red zone, but failed to capitalize when Sternau pushed a field goal attempt from 27 yards wide left.

DSC took the subsequent drive 80 yards in five plays for the go-ahead score. Cantwell completed a pass to Caleb Caple (Lake Charles. LA/Barbe) on the sideline for a 28-24 lead.

The advantage extended on the first play of the fourth quarter as Cantwell busted through a seam for 20 yards to the goal. DSC led 35-24.

SFU scored on the next drive. B.J. Bryant hauled in a 39-yard TD reception from Trey Wheeler and the Clan used Bowcott to rumble in for the two-point conversion, cutting the Storm's margin to three points.

The teams slugged back and forth, like a good boxing prizefight. DSC regained a 10-point lead on Cantwell's TD pass to Zack Fox (Spanish Fork. UT/Spanish Fork HS), only to see the Clan play throw and catch with Bryant with an answering score.

Dixie State went three and out, setting up SFU with a chance to win in regulation. The Clan got the ball as close as the DSC 2-yard line, but settled for a Sternau 23-yard field goal to tie the game.

The Red Storm took back the ball with nine seconds and took a shot with Jameson Schultz (Yucaipa, CA/Yucaipa) from 54 yards for the win. His kick was on-line but fell a few yards short, sending the conference game into overtime tied at 42.

SFU scored on the first possession when Wheeler hit Bobby Pospichil from 15 yards. DSC faced a fourth down and seven in its attempt and kept the game alive with a 17-yard Caple reception. Three plays later, Cantwell ran for a touchdown sending the game into the second overtime period.

DSC wasted no time in OT2. Joe Don Duncan (Corona, CA/Notre Dame) hauled in 25-yard pitch and catch from Cantwell. The Clan responded on third-and-goal with Bowcott scoring on a one-yard keeper.

The Storm received the first chance in the third overtime. After an opening three-yard gain from Jesse Ence (St. George, UT/Pine View), three straight incompletions stalled the drive. SFU handed the ball to Palmer. Consecutive runs of 12 and 13 yards respectively put the ball in the endzone and gave the Clan reason to celebrate.

Wheeler finished the game completing 24-of-33 passes for 306 yards. Palmer netted 178 yards on 31 carries while Bryant topped the century mark with 134 yards on six catches.

J.D. Duncan tallied his third game 100-yard game of the season, making nine catches for 101 yards. Fox had 94 receiving yards, Caple added 78 yards and Carter notched 67.

Defensively, the Red Storm had three players with 10 or more tackles. Freshman linebacker Skyler Fullmer (Riverton, UT/Riverton) led the club for the second consecutive week with 13 tackles. Cache Morgan (West Jordan, UT/West Jordan) had 12 tackles while tacking on 141 yards in all-purpose return yards. Christian Case (West Jordan, UT/West Jordan) made 10 tackles in his return to the starting lineup.

Dixie State football returns home next Saturday, Oct. 15, for a non-conference game with Azusa Pacific. Kickoff at Hansen Stadium is set for 1:05 p.m.

NOTES: Cantwell fell 17 yards short of the GNAC record for most individual yards of total offense of 493 yards… The game was the second longest game in GNAC history – Western Oregon and Western Washington played a four overtime game in 2004… DSC last played a 3OT game in 2007 vs. Humboldt State, a year where both team were D-II independents… SFU's previous NCAA wins came against the University of British Columbia in 2010 and Pacific (OR) University, a D-3 school, earlier this year.

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