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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend September 29, 2005 SOU faces a must-win scenario Saturday By KRIS HENRY Mail Tribune ASHLAND — Only minutes after watching his football team come up short for the third straight week, Southern Oregon University interim head coach Shay McClure wasted little time re-focusing the Raiders to the task at hand. Frustrated by a second straight loss in which SOU letdowns allowed the visitors to prevail, McClure’s voice boomed from the locker room with one firm message: It all starts in Los Angeles. While most 0-3 teams couldn’t make that assertion with a straight face, the Raiders are in a different boat when it comes to their NAIA affiliation and independent status. Saturday’s game at 16th-ranked Azusa Pacific will be the first for SOU this season against an NAIA program, and a victory in suburban Los Angeles would go far in lending credibility to the Raiders as they strive for a return to the 16-team NAIA Championship Series. The Raiders won the first four meetings against their fellow independents, but the Cougars have done just enough to claim the last two and ridden those victories to berths in the playoffs as the independent champion. Advertisement This year’s contest stands to be just as meaningful as SOU and Azusa Pacific strive to earn the distinction of being the top-rated independent, which carries an automatic playoff berth if the team’s final ranking is in the top 20. The Cougars (2-2) enter the contest on a high note after outlasting Humboldt State last Saturday, 13-12, when the Lumberjacks’ 40-yard field goal attempt missed its mark. Humboldt State was coming off a 19-14 victory over SOU in which a blocked punt for a touchdown turned the tide. Azusa Pacific returns 13 starters and 36 players overall from last year’s 11-3 squad that lost in the NAIA semifinals to Carroll College and escaped Raider Stadium with a 13-9 victory. Leading the charge for the Cougars is a stout defense led by All-American linebacker Stephen Holte, who boasts a team-high 61 tackles, and an offense guided by senior quarterback Sean Davis, who has completed 47 of 94 passes for 509 yards and one TD. Davis set a personal-best with 18 completions (for 152 yards) in helping the Cougars rally for a win over SOU last year, and has a prime target returning in tight end Ricky Burgan (12 catches for 107 yards). The brunt of Azusa’s attack is based on the ground, however, with Marcus Lampkin, a 5-foot-6 scatback, rushing for 267 yards and two scores on 53 carries. Lampkin is also the top receiving threat, coming out of the backfield to haul down 15 passes for 148 yards. Alex Peltier has added 127 yards rushing and two TDs on 27 carries to provide balance to an Azusa running game that is still chugging along despite the graduation of standout tailback Ben Buys. Another important weapon for the Cougars will be returning placekicker Mike Betancourth, who won last year’s meeting with two 30-yard field goals in the second half. The Raiders and Cougars have squared off with common opponents thus far in San Diego and Humboldt State, with Azusa faring better with a 30-6 loss to San Diego and its win over the Lumberjacks. SOU lost 51-0 in its season opener at San Diego. Although the Raiders are off to the school’s worst start since 1980 and longest victory drought since 1970-71 (six), SOU made strides offensively last week and has had solid defensive play throughout the season. Only special teams play has kept the Raiders from potentially being 2-1 entering Saturday’s must-win game at Azusa. While the Raiders still have been unable to create running room for tailback Jacobe Krizman, who has rushed 32 times for 56 yards in three games, sophomore quarterback Dan Downey had a solid debut last week in a 24-10 loss to Western Oregon. Downey tied a school individual record with 56 pass attempts against the Wolves, completing 25 of those for 234 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore Kevin Holtzman hauled in a game-high nine passes for 60 yards in the Raiders’ revamped offense, while junior Mike Olson finished with six catches for 77 yards and Gabe Hatchett showed some game-breaking abilities. Reach reporter Kris Henry at 776-4488, or e-mail SOU faces a must-win scenario Saturday ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztech Media Hosting Sports Equipment Online Casino Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation Online Pharmacy Online Casino Reviews Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Rogue Valley Travel Discount Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Casino Gambling Sites Budget Website Templates Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Advertisement s