The Province du lieu suivant : Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada • 10

SUNDAY. SEPTEMBER 30, 2012 THEPR0VINCE.COM I SPORTS II A49 if fie guy leads big win for Clan Bo Palmer scores four times, rushes for 1 45 yards in 41-28 win over Dixie State dangerous passing attacks in the GNAC. After a 23-yard Torre Corrado punt return got SFU to the Dixie 23-yard line, Durant undressed his coverage, shortening his stride as he crossed the goal-line and turning midstride to softly snare a Wheeler pass, putting the Clan ahead 27-14 Palmer scored from two yards out on the Clan's second drive of the game, putting his team up 13-0, before making it 20-7 early in the second quarter, breakingtackles and hitting his stride to break free for a 37-yard score. Wheeler went 26-of-40 for 312 yards, and touchdown passes to Mathis Baumbach and Durant, the latter catching nine passes for 1 16 yards. The Clan defence held Dixie State to just 72 yards rushing on the game.

SFU looks to win consecutive GNAC games for the first time in its NCAA history this Saturday when it hosts Azusa Pacific in a 2 p.m. contest at Terry Fox Field. fk Simon Fraser's Bo Palmer rushes the ball ariainst at Tarru Fnv FialH wii UUa UHLJU INU Howard Tsumura THE PROVINCE The Simon Fraser Clan has gone a little pass-happy this season, with a quarterback and a wide receiver who lead the Great Northwest Athletic Conference in passing and receiving yardage. Yet as impressive as SFU quarterback Trey Wheeler and sure-handed target Lemar Dur ant were on Saturday night atop Burnaby Mountain, it was all about the little guy making the big plays out of the offensive backfield. Bo Palmer, the Clan's 5-foot-8 running back, who last season averaged 122 rushing yards per game, was averaging just 55 a game this season behind a young but improving offensive line.

But on Saturday, in a 41-28 win over the visiting Dixie State College Red Storm of Utah, Palmer stepped out of the shadows of the three-step drop and danced right through the opposition, carrying 17timesfor 145 yards and four touchdowns, including the back-breaker on a 54-yard draw play with 3:54 remaining in the third quarter to give the Clan (1-3 GNAC, 2-3 overall) its first win of the conference season. Palmer later punched home his fourth major of the game with 6:30 remaining after the Clan's Andrew Marshall forced a fumble that was recovered at the one-yard line by Kyle Miller. Afterwards, the elusive senior, a grad of North Vancouver's Windsor Secondary, was thrilled at the fact that the Clan ground game could fake a collective step forward, giving the offence true dual-threat potential. "Everyone knows we lost a big part of our offensive line, but the young guys have stepped up," said Palmer. "It took a little time to gain some momentum with our line and our backs, and I thinkyou saw that coming together tonight." And beating a tough, defensive-minded Dixie State team at home for the second straight season? "We knew they were coming in hot, so it was important to come out swinging," said Palmer, who last season rushed for 1 78 yards and two touchdowns, including the winner in a 62-56 triple overtime victory over the Red Storm, a win which represented SFU's first against a GNAC foe.

Clan head coach Dave Johnson agreed, adding: "Having Bo be effective and getting him out in space is beautiful, but we also need to be balanced. We can't be throwing the ball 50 times a game." Wheeler and Durant? The pair, along with the speedy Bobby Pospis-chil, did nothing but reinforce the fact that SFU boasts one of the most If' 1 Morgan ON SALE NOW AT LOCAL A I VLIQUOR STORES YOU COULD BE A I 11 1 .1 CCI T.J?, I i -r A 1 i1 i 3 1 ORIGINAL fa mm ma- J. Ut It OF A PAIR OF TICKETS TO A SEATTLE SEAHAWKS GAME WITH ACCESS TO THE CANADIAN EMBASSY VIP ZONE! ENTER AT PARTICIPATING STORES I A Seahawks fegj PARTY RESPONSIBLY CAPTAIN'S ORDERS Diageo Canada inc. 201 2. All rignts reserved droits resetvea "No purchase necessary.

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