By Jon Roe
Get a good look at the Simon Fraser University Clan, they may be playing with American competition next season and will be gone from Canada West. The Clan became the first non-American school to join the NCAA when it signed on to the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.
SFU currently plays in 14 sports in the NAIA and will be a full member in the NCAA div. 2 at the start of the 2010-11 season in football, basketball, cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field, volleyball, soccer, softball and golf, according to the Vancouver Province.
Beyond their imminent departure, this is still a good Clan football team. Last season, the Dinos beat the Clan in the Hardy Cup final 44-21.
The Clan’s run to the Hardy Cup final was somewhat surprising after they entered the season on a 25-game losing streak. Both the Clan and the Dinos stand at 2-1 this season.
The Clan won two straight games to start the season, beating the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds and the University of Manitoba Bisons 26-7 and 41-7 respectively before losing to the 1-2 University of Alberta Golden Bears 28-16 at home last week.
SFU is the top defensive team in the conference so far, allowing only 14 points per game and lead the league in denying the pass, allowing only 149.7 yards per game.
Quarterback Bernd Dittrich, who threw two costly interceptions in the Hardy Cup final against the Dinos, has two TDs and two INTs so far this season. He’s thrown for 488 yards.
Gabriel Ephard has been carrying the ball well so far for the Clan this season, averaging eight yards per carry and collecting 228 yards and two TDs.
The Dinos hold the lead in the all-time series against the Clan 5-4.