Trio of seniors will be key to reinvigorated defence on Burnaby Mountain
2018 SFU Football Schedule ! Join us for HOME games up on the hill, 33 days until we play Our home opener Sept. 1 ! #NCAAD2 #football pic.twitter.com/BrnkTKkK5X
— SFU Football (@SFUFootball) July 31, 2018
BURNABY, BC – Simon Fraser University football team head coach Thomas Ford has been identifying talent throughout his entire roster during training camp, but one group has stood out. With three seniors up front, the Clan defensive line is expected to be very solid.
Weighing in at over 800 pounds combined, the three players — Rey Arcega, Kyle Wilson and Brad Lyons — have significant experience between them and are surrounded by up-and-comers who Ford is excited to see progress this season.
“Defensively, I think we’re going to be a much improved football team,” said Ford. “Our defensive line is probably the strongest position group on our team, [and] we’re looking for those [three senior] guys to anchor it.”
Arcega, Wilson and Lyons are joined by Isaac Evans, a red shirt sophomore who also impressed in training camp and is strong in multiple facets of the game.
“People are going to know about Isaac Evans after this year. [He] can really do it all, on all downs,” said Ford. “Those [four] guys up front are going to set the tone and if we can get after the pass rush a little bit and stop the run, I think it will take a little pressure off our younger corners.”
At linebacker, Simon Fraser has a senior in Gabe Lopes, and sophomores in Jakob Mozill and Shane Ward, who has previous experience playing for Sierra College and Sacramento City College. On the secondary, sophomores Brendan Lowry and Ben Minaker look poised to take a big step in their development.
According to Ford, both Lyons and Minaker have already stood up as leaders on defence but that role hasn’t been exclusive to seniors.
“There are a lot of guys starting to develop [into leaders],” said Ford. “Lyons is a guy that I think people definitely look to, [and] Minaker has been really an all-around leader, not just on the field, but helping guys in the class, [and] helping guys outside of football. Brendan Lowry [is a] sophomore this year, but he’s really starting to lead by example and become more of a vocal leader as well.”
Last season, the Clan struggled to keep opponents off the boards and averaged 55.1 points against per game. In 10 games, Simon Fraser gave up 2588 rushing yards, 2416 passing yards and allowed 74 touchdowns against.
On average, the scores were most lopsided in the early parts of games with teams outscoring SFU 169 to 14 in first quarters, but converting a less decisive 81 to 28 points in fourth quarters. Ford expects his team to spend less time in unfavourable situations this season.
“We can’t compete in the past and this year, when we’re in the fourth quarter, we [want to] have a chance to win the game,” said Ford. “I don’t want to be in a situation where we’re down 47-7. This year is really about bringing our guys up to the level of competition that it’s going to take to win, and hopefully we can get a couple of wins in the process.”
On both sides of the ball, that will require paying attention to the smaller aspects of the game. That was the focus of training camp, and with a mix of 28 new recruits and transfers and 51 returning players, getting everyone on the same page is crucial.
“You really have to focus on the details and this offseason recruiting was a huge focus [for us]. Once we got done with recruiting in April, we [started] just really focussing on the process,” said Ford. “We’ve been making sure that we’re understanding our schemes, making sure that we’re getting coached right on the technical aspects because we really feel that once the process is correct, we can get the job done.”
SFU is also not forgetting about the third of the game not controlled by offence or defence. As a former special teams coach, Ford is adamant that it is an area of the game that will experience significant improvement.
“Special teams is the area where I think we’re going to surprise some people,” he said. “It’s really important to me. Coach [Mike] Rigell is our special teams coordinator. He’s had that role at the last three colleges he’s been at, so he’s really dialed into the scheme.
“It’s all about getting our best athletes that can get down the field, run and hit. We feel that we have some guys, but we have a few offensive guys that are going to surprise some people on special teams. If you look at our team at the end of 2018, that’ll probably be the one area that [I think] we’ll have improved the greatest.”
Simon Fraser will kick-off their season on Saturday, September 1 at home against the Division III Willamette University Bearcats. Admission is free for all SFU students and staff with a valid ID card available for presentation at the Terry Fox Field gate. The opener will include entertainment, inexpensive food options and free access to the SFU climbing wall.
Tickets are on sale now. Fans who purchase tickets online will save money. Tickets purchased online are $10 for adults and $5 for youth 14-and-under, visiting students & seniors. Tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for youth 14-and-under, visiting students & seniors when purchased at the gate. Children under 6 are admitted free.
Offence preview: http://athletics.sfu.ca/news/2018/8/22/football-preview-exciting-clan-offence-looking-to-run-balanced-scheme.aspx
Source: Brad McLeod, Digital Media and Sports Information Specialist, SFU Athletics
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