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Raiders hope to get back on winning track BURNABY, British Columbia � Despite a two-game losing streak, the Southern Oregon University football team�s playoff hopes are still alive after it dropped two spots to No. 19 in the NAIA poll. The Raiders, who must win their final four games to earn a playoff spot, make a 15-hour bus trip to take on Simon Fraser Saturday. SOU is seeking its first-ever win in the 1 p.m. contest at Swangard Stadium. The Raiders (2-3), coming off a tough 21-13 loss to archrival Western Oregon, will be without the services of another cog in the system. With All-American defensive back Jenner Yriarte already out for the season with a broken ankle, senior wide receiver Toby Taylor went down with torn knee ligaments. Taylor, a former Eagle Point standout, led the Raiders in 1999 with 35 grabs for 399 yards and again was leading the team this season with 32 catches for 334 yards. "As with any adversity that we may encounter, this team must learn to move forward," said SOU coach Jeff Olson in a news release. "If we allow negatives to dominate our thought processes, tough times are ahead. But if we view adversity as an opportunity to get back up off of the ground and move forward, good things will happen." Home-field advantage has meant a lot in this series. Since the schools began playing on an annual basis in 1995, the home team has won four straight, including a triple-overtime win by the Clan in 1998. The Raiders hope to rediscover their once-potent running attack. Last week, they totaled only 62 yards on the ground and leading rusher Dusty McGrorty mustered just 16 yards on 17 carries. Quarterback Dan Walters held up his end with 236 yards on an 18-for-38 day but was picked off three times. SFU, which has lost five straight since a season-opening win over Puget Sound, features a balanced offensive attack that averages 25 points per outing. Leading the SFU offense are running backs Mike Vilimek (90 carries, 527 yards, seven TDs) and Marchi Gabriele (71 carries, 350 yards, three TDs). Quarterback Steve Powell (54-for-119, 650 yards) will have one of the Northwest�s best small-college receivers back in the lineup this week: junior all-star Scott Robinson, who missed the past three games with a leg injury. "Simon Fraser is a very big, very strong team with outstanding running backs," said Olson. "Their preseason prospectus highlighted their defense, but right now it appears their offense is performing well. They return a lot of experienced defensive players and the group has been impressive at times. (SFU) is always very tough at home, and one of our preseason goals (was) to win there." Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.