ARCATA, Calif. – Saturday's gridiron meeting between Humboldt State and Azusa Pacific will not affect the Northwest Athletic Conference standings, but the non-conference clash will give each program a better idea of its direction in 2015.
 
The Lumberjacks (1-0) take on the defending GNAC champions in Citrus Stadium Saturday, Sept. 12. Kickoff is schedule for 6 p.m. PT.
 
"This is always a game that I think our players really look forward to," said HSU Head Coach Rob Smith. "Azusa Pacific is the two-time defending conference champion. A team that has been the top dog in the GNAC the last couple of years. The only two teams in the state of California that play NCAA Division II football get a chance to go toe-to-toe on Saturday night, and it should be fun."
 
HSU split its home and away series versus APU last season. The Green and Gold pulled off an early season upset of the then-nationally ranked Cougars 30-10 at home and lost to APU 55-21 in the road rematch. The Jacks hold the all-time series advantage with an 18-10 record.
 
The Cougars (1-0) were tabbed to finish first in the GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll, but they will have to secure the title without former all-conference running back Terrell Watson. Watson ran for 251 yards and three touchdowns against the Jacks last season, and he finished with a league-best 2,153 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns.
 
In its season-opening game, APU rebounded from a 21-0 deficit to defeat Lone Star Conference opponent West Texas A&M. Quarterback Chad Jeffries tossed a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to help the Cougars capture the road victory.
 
"This is a good Azusa team, no question about it," said Smith. "The Cougars opened the season in Texas and won despite very difficult circumstances. They have a running back transfer from Fresno State, a quarterback in Jeffries that really came on last year, and they are big up front."
 
Expectations for HSU are high after a dominant season-opening performance against conference rival Western Oregon. The Jacks rode career-best performances from running back Ja'Quan Gardner and defensive lineman Codey Heidebrecht to the 29-20 home win. The pair earned GNAC Player of the Week honors for their efforts. Gardner ran for 201 yards and a touchdown on 33 carries, and Heidebrecht forced a fumble, recovered a fumble and secured his first career interception.
 
"I don't expect us to be perfect in season-opening games, but it was a good opener," said Smith. "There were a lot of mistakes on both sides of the ball on Saturday, but we were able to overcome ours and come away with a win."
 
Smith believes Gardner's 200-plus-yard output was a sign of things to come for the Ceres, Calif., product. The 2014 All-GNAC Second Team player had three games with 100 or more rushing yards last season.
 
"The question going into the season was his durability," said Smith. "I certainly never intended to give him the ball 34 times, but he's one of those backs that gets better as the game goes on regardless of the number of carries. At any point he's able to take what would be a short run in most cases and turn it into something special."
 
One player Smith expects to improve from week one to week two is quarterback Robert Webber. The Corona, Calif., native connected on 14-of-27 passes for 106 yards and two touchdowns against the Wolves.
 
"He did not have his best performance Saturday," said Smith. "I think he would be the first one to tell you that there were some misreads and such, but he did still lead our offense in a way that we needed it to be led. He can be a lot better, and I believe he will be this week."
 
Playing in Azusa, Calif., means the Jacks have to prepare for more than the opponent ­– the weather is an obstacle too. The temperature on game day is projected to be over 90 degrees, and that forecast may be a roadblock to HSU success.
 
"We will get our kids drinking the fluids and all that, but it is what it is," said Smith. "It's going to be 90-plus degrees. With a 6 o'clock kickoff it is going to be that way for probably the first half and cool down as the sun sets. I don't get caught up in those types of things, and our players have been through it before. We have to be ready to play and be at our best."