ARCATA — Just in case, Lyndon Rowells carried the ball one more time. One play after eclipsing the previous Humboldt State single-season rushing record by two yards, Rowells put an exclamation point on his and his team's efforts with a 71-yard touchdown scamper that sealed the Jacks' 66-20 win over Simon Fraser.
Boxscore
Rowells finished the game with 210 yards on 23 carries for a season total of 1,308, surpassing the total of 1,233 achieved by John Burman in 1968. But Rowells wasn't the only one setting records on a banner day to be a Lumberjack. Junior quarterback Mike Proulx completed 11 of 13 passes for 157 yards, giving him 4,827 yards passing in his three years at HSU, eclipsing the career total of 4,684 achieved by Blake Moorman in 2005-06.
"I'm very happy for Lyndon and Mike," Smith said. "They've worked hard to achieve what they have. But Lyndon will be the first one to tell you that it isn't just him - it's the entire offensive line. They worked together very well and are a big part of what we've achieved."
More than records, the win completed a major step forward for the HSU program, finishing off a 8-3 season and 6-2 Great Northwest Athletic Conference campaign. It marked a complete turnaround from third-year Head Coach
Rob Smith's first season, a 2-9 campaign.
"We added three wins last year to finish 5-5, and we added three more wins this year to go 8-3," Smith said. "It's been a great year, and I'm counting on many more to come"
Rowells scored the first touchdown of the day on a 22-yard run early in the first quarter, then added another on a 30-yard burst before the quarter ended. Daniel Wyatt raced eight yards for a score and Johnathan Faraimo returned an interception 25 yards for another giving the Jacks a commanding 28-0 lead at the end of the first period. Brian Blumberg's 42-yard field goal added to HSU's advantage.
The blowout continued with two more Rowells' TD runs before he finished his day with the long scamper. That added another Luberjack record to the junior's resume, his five touchdowns setting a single-game record previously shared by four players.
Simon Fraser running back Gabriel Ephard put in a workman's performance to highlight the Clan's efforts, gaining 170 yards on 31 carries and catching two passes for 66 yards. Much of his success came in the second half after HSU had emptied the bench, giving playing time to deserving athletes on senior day.
Other scores came on a 25-yard pass over the middle to tight end Matt Devlin, who gave the Jacks a 52-6 lead midway through the third quarter. Rowell's long run made it 59-6, the largest gap of the day, and a 24-yard pass reception by BabaJide Shinaba finished off HSU's scoring with 3:51 left on the clock.
Humboldt State's defense got in on the show, Mike Lynch, Eddie Umeh and Karl Nelson all accumulating 11 tackles, Cornerback Elzie Gatson picked off two of SFU quarterback Greg Bowcott's passes, with Faraimo and Jordan McGowan Smith each adding one.
Another notable season accomplishment came from freshman Matt Bruder, who added a 9-for-9 performance on point-after-touchdown kicks. Bruder finished the season an incredible 44-of-44 on PATs.
