Red Storm fall short in offensive battle vs. SFU

Records falls, but Dixie State loses to Clan

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ST. GEORGE – #Griff Robles (Spanish Fork, UT/Spanish Fork)# threw for a season-high 339 yards and accounted for six touchdowns, but over 500 yards of total offense was not enough for Dixie State as they dropped a Saturday game in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference to Simon Fraser, 58-47.

Robles connected on 32 of 45 passes, threw for five scores and added a rushing touchdown for the Red Storm. Dixie State, despite the solid offensive effort, fell to 3-6 overall and 3-5 in the GNAC.

The Red Storm set three team records notwithstanding the loss. Robles' completions set an individual and team mark for the most in any single game. His completion percentage of 71.1-percent and the squad's 732 all-purpose yards eclipsed previous team bests.

In a game that saw 1,094 yards of offensive production combined, the Clan (4-5, 3-5 GNAC) became the third straight opponent to eclipse the 500-yard mark thanks to efforts from quarterback Trey Wheeler and transfer wide receiver Lemar Durant.

The SFU signal caller completed 36 of 54 attempts for 482 yards. Twelve of Wheeler's passes found the hands of Durant, accounting for 228 yards and four touchdowns.

Both teams opened the game with touchdown drives. DSC capped an eight-play drive with the first Robles TD pass, a five-yard connection to Zack Fox (Spanish Fork. UT/Spanish Fork HS). SFU quickly countered on the seventh play of the ensuing drive with a two-yard run score from Bo Palmer.

The second quarter saw 48 combined points beginning with a touchdown reception from Mitch Frei (Santa Clara, UT/Snow Canyon) for six yards. The score marked the third straight game in which the converted basketball star found the end zone. Durant followed with the first of his three scores in the quarter while Jamal Kett also had a touchdown reception. Brock Johnson (South Weber, UT/Northridge) hauled in a wide-open TD from 24 yards and Fox cashed in a second score in the high-scoring quarter that saw the Clan take a 35-27 lead into the break.

Both defenses shined in the third quarter, leaving the scoreboard untouched at the end of the period.

The Red Storm appeared to make a charge early in the 4^th quarter. Frei's second TD grab, a four-yard look in the back of the end zone, and subsequent two-point conversion strike to Andre Aron (Inglewood, CA/Westchester) knotted the game at 35-35.

The fate of the game turned as the Clan posted back-to-back scores on possessions beginning in DSC territory. Kett and Durant again burned the Red Storm to push the advantage to 49-35.

Enter the special team dramatics of Cache Morgan (West Jordan, UT/West Jordan). The senior returned the subsequent kickoff 97 yards after faking a reverse for his second touchdown of the season on special teams.

Down 49-41, Dixie State could not halt the Clan as they marched 78 yards on 12 plays. Palmer closed the drive with a one-yard TD run.

Robles scampered five yards into the end zone with 16 seconds, but a last chance at a comeback was thwarted when the point after try from Austin Haslam (Philomath, OR/Philomath) was blocked by the Clan special teams and returned for a two-point play by Chandler Gayton.

Ten different DSC receivers made catches led by Fox with seven grabs for 73 yards. Frei and #A.J. Johnson followed with six a piece. (Roy, UT/Roy High School)Cameron Greene# paced the Storm defense with 11 tackles while Morgan added 10 stops and an interception.

Dixie State celebrates Senior Day next Saturday while hosting the Cougars of Azusa Pacific. Winners of two straight, APU will be looking to avenge the Red Storm's 24-22 win in Glendora on Sept. 15. Kickoff from Hansen Stadium is at 1:05 p.m.

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