Lumberjacks Throttle Western Illinois
9/17/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 17, 2005
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Senior quarterback Zeke Dixon threw for a career-high 363 yards and five touchdowns as the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks routed Western Illinois, 63-36, Saturday at Homer Bryce Stadium. The Lumberjacks improve to 2-1 (.667) on the season. The Lumberjacks recorded the fifth-best single-game mark in school history with 663 yards of total offense.
It didn't take the Lumberjacks long to prove to head coach Robert McFarland that they had some fight as Dixon hit classmate Carl Price for a 71-yard scoring strike with 8:39 remaining in the first quarter. The Lumberjacks were right back on the attack again less than four minutes later as Dixon connected with freshman Lester Simmons for an 18-yard touchdown pass to give SFA a 13-0 lead. The touchdown was Dixon's second of the night and the first career TD reception for Simmons. The `Jacks tacked on one more score as time ran out in the first quarter to go up 19-0.
The Lumberjacks outscored WIU 28-7 over the next 25 minutes to build a 46-14 lead. Freshmen Damian Perkins and Dominique Edison, junior Jerome Brooks and sophomore Tyrell Williams each added touchdowns for SFA as it built a 32-point advantage. Perkins finished the game with 65 rushing yards on 11 carries. He also caught one pass for 11 yards. Brooks added 59 yards on nine carries.
The Leathernecks cut the lead to 46-21 with 2:38 remaining in the third quarter utilizing an eight-play, 62-yard drive that was capped off by a 10-yard Travis Glasford run. The touchdown was the lone highlight of the night for the Leathernecks' star running back as the `Jacks' defense held Glasford to 21 yards on 11 carries. WIU tacked on another score less than a minute and a half later as Marco Thomas caught a 55-yard pass from LaFalce.
But that would be as close to victory as Western Illinois would get as the `Jacks closed out the game with an offensive onslaught. The `Jacks put up 17 points in the fourth to reach their final tally.
Sophomore tailback Louie Runnels led the `Jacks ground game, carrying the ball 16 times for 70 yards. SFA finished the night with 195 rushing yards on 40 carries.
The Lumberjack signal callers hit 11 different receivers led by Edison who finished the night with five catches for 145 yards and two touchdowns. Williams caught four passes for 69 yards, while Price added 88 yards on three receptions.
The `Jacks return to action Saturday Sept. 24, when they travel to Southern Utah. The game against the Thunderbirds is set to begin at 7 p.m. from Cedar City, Utah.
-- SFA --
