Dixie State University football proved to be no match for the formidable Humboldt State University offense on senior night at Hansen Stadium.
“It was special to give back to some of the seniors that have been with us through it all,” DSU head coach Scott Brumfield said. “They’ve sacrificed so much for the program, and we really appreciate what they’ve given to us.”
Coming off of a record-breaking performance last week in South Dakota, the Storm looked to impress once again, but the script was flipped in a big way Saturday night.
DSU allowed 545 total yards as the 13th-ranked Lumberjacks cut down the Storms’ hopes of winning their home finale in the 57-14 blowout.
HSU rushed for 421 yards as a team, finding the end zone on four separate occasions while DSU was held to just 134 yards on the ground.
The Lumberjacks controlled the game from the get-go, scoring the first 43 points of the contest before DSU finally found the end zone midway through the third quarter.
“You’ve got to give credit to [HSU],” Brumfield said. “We play in a tough conference with a lot of good teams, and they are certainly at the top of that list. They scouted us last week and came in with an effective game plan.”
Despite HSU’s stellar defensive play, the Storm were able to hit pay dirt on consecutive drives in the third and fourth quarters. Freshman quarterback Blake Barney led the DSU offense with 74 yards on the ground and 127 through the air.
The Storm first found the end zone late in the third quarter when Barney connected with senior wide receiver Nate Stephens on an 8-yard touchdown to cap off a nine-play, 75-yard drive. Senior running back DeJon Coleman followed that up by punching it in from four yards out on the next drive.
Sophomore tailback Ja’Quan Gardner led the way for HSU, gaining 185 yards and a touchdown on just 16 carries, a staggering average of 11.6 yards per rush. Sophomore quarterback Robert Webber added 48 rushing yards and 124 passing yards while accounting for four scores in the win.
The Jacks remained at 6-0 within Great Northwest Athletic Conference play as DSU dropped to 2-3.
It was the last home game of the season for DSU, something senior linebacker Robert Metz said is bittersweet.
“It’s awesome to see all the support tonight,” Metz, an integrated studies major from Tucson, Arizona, said. “It’s tough because we know it’s the last time we’ll play here. Obviously the game didn’t end up how we would’ve liked, but you can see the strides this program has made, and that’s something I’m proud of.”
The Storm will close out their season and GNAC play next week on the road against Central Washington University. With a win, DSU would finish at .500 (3-3) within conference play, a mark that hasn’t been reached in the school’s history.
