[PREVIEW] Storm open home schedule against Azusa Pacific

Sept. 14 - 6 p.m. - Hansen Stadium

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Football vs. Azusa Pacific - 6 PM MST (Hansen Stadium)
Live Radio: SportsRadio 106.1 FM
Live Online Audio/Video (DSU): Dixie State All-Access
Live Stats(DSU): Dixie State Live Stats
Game Notes: Dixie State Azusa Pacific

Dixie State football opens the 2013 home schedule and play in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference on Saturday, Sept. 14, against Azusa Pacific. The game will kickoff at 6:05 p.m. at Hansen Stadium as the culminating event of Hall of Fame weekend on campus.

RED STORM VS. AZUSA PACIFIC
The Cougars lead the series, dating back to 2006, by a 4-3 margin. Both teams took a game last season on the other's home field. DSU took the early GNAC meeting on Sept. 15 with a 24-22 win at Citrus Stadium. A fumble recovery and touchdown runback from Ray Chapman (Compton, CA/Compton) sealed the 10-point fourth quarter comeback. In week 10, the Cougars returned the favor scoring nine points in the final quarter to upend the Storm 23-21. Azusa Pacific marched 75 yards on 12 plays in the final drive and took the game with a 24-yard field goal from Jaime Cacciatore. Overall, the teams have split the last four meetings in the series. Dixie State has won only once at home against APU – in 2009, 33-23. Tauni Vakapuna rushed for over 100 yards while Judd Thompson, now DSU Offensive Coordinator, threw for 344 yards and two touchdowns.

NEW FACES, NEW PLACES IN THE DEFENSIVE STARTING LINEUP
Injuries and personal changes have altered the Dixie State starting lineup on the defensive side of the ball for Saturday's game against Azusa Pacific. Junior safety Daniel Moffett (Kaysville, UT/Davis) will move from strong to free safety, replacing Robert Metz (Tucson, AZ/Canyon Del Oro) after his move to the linebacker corps. Will Bostic (Kissimmee, FL/Osceola) will make his first start at strong safety. At cornerback, Alshondre Smith (Stone Mountain, GA/Wesson HS) will get the starting nod on the left side filling in for an injured Jamal Smith (Oxnard, CA/Oxnard) (leg).

BEATEN BY THE BENGALS
Tight end Joe Don Duncan (Corona, CA/Notre Dame) caught two touchdown passes to account for all of Dixie State's scores in a 26-point loss before 5,585 fans at Holt Arena ... Duncan scored on a four-yard pass from Griff Robles (Spanish Fork, UT/Spanish Fork) in the first period and on a six-yard throw from Robles late in the third quarter. Idaho State, however, jumped to a 24-7 by halftime in snapping a 10-game losing streak dating back to its 2012 season opener. The Bengals, who outgained the Red Storm 580-256, scored four touchdowns and also got four field goals from Brendon Garcia. Quarterback Justin Arias completed 29 of 45 passes for 439 yards. Griff Robles (Spanish Fork, UT/Spanish Fork) had 242 yards on 23 of 38 passing for Dixie. Duncan (78 yards) and Mitch Frei (Santa Clara, UT/Snow Canyon) (65 yards) each had seven catches ...
Defensive backs Robert Metz (Tucson, AZ/Canyon Del Oro) and Daniel Moffett (Kaysville, UT/Davis) each had eight tackles for the Red Storm. DB Zac Christian (Plain City, UT/Fremont) had two takeaways, recovering a fumble and intercepting a pass.

A WIN BY DIXIE STATE WOULD...
• Mark the second consecutive year the Red Storm win a home opener (24-10 over Western Oregon on Sept. 8, 2012)
• Be the eighth win in the month of September since the NCAA D-II transition in 2006; DSU is 7-23 in September games

ALL-AMERICAN DUNCAN
Senior tight end Joe Don Duncan (Corona, CA/Notre Dame) (Corona, CA) returns for his highly anticipated final year holding a prestigious accolade. Duncan was named to the D2Football.com Preseason All-American List on Tuesday, Sept. 3. Two seasons ago, Duncan earned all-league, all-region and multiple All-American honors after leading the country in receptions and yardage for a tight end. Phil Steele listed him as the 27th best draft eligible TE available and Lindy's Sports Annuals "Look Ahead" named Duncan as the ninth best TE in the country.

TRANFERS A PLENTY, ESPECIALLY FROM SNOW:
Seventeen incoming transfers highlight the active 2013 Dixie State roster. The school leading the way by sending six players to DSU is Snow College in Ephraim. L.A. Southwest Junior College sends a pair of recruits while the following schools each had one player transfer to Dixie State: Copiah-Lincoln, Utah, Santa Barbara City College, USU Eastern, College of the Canyons, College of the Siskiyous, Mt. San Antonio and Arizona Western. Additionally, one transfer comes from DSU's opening opponent - DeShawn Perkins (West Jordan, UT/West Jordan), a redshirt freshman DB - played in limited time for Idaho State in 2012.

GNAC NATIONAL RANKINGS:
Team (Top 30): Total Offense – 10. Simon Fraser 587.0. Passing Offense – 3. Simon Fraser 518.0. Team Passing Efficiency Offense – 14. Simon Fraser 193.8. Scoring Offense – 29. Simon Fraser 4.10. Rushing Defense – 30. Humboldt State 69.0. Team Passing Efficiency Defense – 20. Simon
Fraser 85.3. Punt Returns – 27. Central Washington 14.0. Sacks – 30. Humboldt State and Simon Fraser 3. Kickoff Return Defense – 1. Western Oregon 0.0. Punt Return Defense – 13. Central Washington and Simon Fraser 0.0. Net Punting – 3. Humboldt State 47.0.
Individuals (Top 30): Rushing – 28. Kyle Morris, HSU, and Jordan Todd, CWU, 119.0. Receptions – 9. Lemar Durant, SFU, and Kelechi Nwadibia, HSU, 11.0. Receiving Yards – 12. Lemar Durant, SFU, 164.0. Scoring – 3. Lemar Durant, SFU, 18; 26. JD Duncan, DSU, and Ricky Sims, HSU, 12.0. PuntReturns – 12. Isaiah Davis, CWU, 14.0. Field Goals – 6. Matt Bruder, HSU, 2.0. Punting – 8. Chris Campbell (Las Vegas, NV/Legacy), HSU, 47.0. Interceptions – 1. Casey Chin, SFU, 2.0; 10. Six with 1. Total Tackles – 22. Stan Langlow, CWU, 13.0. Solo Tackles – 25. Stan Langlow, CWU, 8. Pass Sacks – 30. Sam Foster, HSU, and Dylan Roper, SFU, 1.5. Tackles For Loss – 6. Gabe Bruno, CWU, 3.0. Forced Fumbles – 4. Five with 1. Pass Defended – 10. Casey Chin, SFU, Evan Gray, HSU, and Derek Jones, SFU, 3.

GNAC, THE PRESEASON BREAKDOWN:
Humboldt State, which returns record-setting running back Nick Ricciardulli and has two former Division I quarterbacks on its roster, is the favorite to win its second Great Northwest Athletic Conference football title in three seasons. The Lumberjacks finished in a tie for second place with Western Oregon last year after winning their first GNAC football title in 2011. HSU received three of six first-place votes and outpointed Central Washington, which won its seventh title last fall, 22-19 in the annual GNAC Coaches preseason poll. The Wildcats finished two points ahead of Azusa Pacific, which closed its 2012 season with four consecutive wins, and Western Oregon for second place. Both the Wolves and Cougars earned 17 ballot points. Simon Fraser ended up in fifth place in the balloting, three points ahead of Dixie State.

HISTORY AGAINST THE FCS:
The Red Storm have a combined 0-9 all-time against teams in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (known formerly as Division I-AA):
• 9/9/2006: L 41-7 at San Diego
• 9/16/2006: L 66-14 at Northern Arizona
• 9/15/2007: L 61-7 at Montana State
• 9/13/2008: L 44-7 at Weber State
• 9/3/2009: L 36-7 at Southern Utah
• 9/12/2009: L 23-20 at Montana State
• 10/24/2009: L 44-17 at Cal Poly
• 11/6/2010: L 52-0 at Southern Utah
• 9/7/2013: L 40-14 at Idaho State

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