After going without in the two previous games, SFU football put up an offensive touchdown. It was the most points they put up in four games. In the second half, they were beaten by a score of only 10–7, and didn’t allow a single point in the fourth quarter.

There were more than a few positives for the Clan Saturday night, but they came too late in the game. SFU lost 47–9 to Humboldt State Lumberjacks; the 21st straight loss dating back to 2014, and the eighth loss of the season.

Once again, the offence had difficulties moving the ball and putting up points. Even the defence — which for the previous two games was the team’s bright spot — gave up 546 yards. It was the worst game statistically since they gave up 631 yards in a 57–0 loss to Humboldt State last Halloween.

“Our offence was unable to get on the board early. We had some promising drives snuffed out by errors that have been consistent with what we’ve done all year,” said head coach Kelly Bates. “We are a young team and those early mistakes really make it hard to build any momentum.”

On the first play of the game, quarterback Miles Richardson threw an interception, giving Humboldt State the ball on their own 38-yard line, which led to a touchdown. For the sixth time this season, SFU surrendered a touchdown on the opposing team’s first drive.

Humboldt State’s second touchdown came two drives later as a result of a blocked punt at SFU’s 37-yard line. The Lumberjacks recovered at the 25-yard line, and all they needed was one 25-yard pass to make it 14–0 (with an extra point kick).

“There’s a building process in place that will take a considerable amount of time if this program is to turn around.”

SFU’s only score in the first half came off of Humboldt’s fifth touchdown in the second quarter. The Clan defence had blocked the Lumberjacks’ extra point kick and defensive back Jaryn Bailey, playing special teams, caught the ball and ran it 98 yards into the Humboldt end zone.

As it was on Humboldt’s extra point kick, it counted as a defensive PAT (point after touchdown), not a touchdown, and was worth only two points.

The Clan went into halftime down 37–2.

SFU allowed two scores in the first 9:34 of the third quarter — a touchdown and a field goal for 10 points. However, for the remaining 20:26 of the game, SFU didn’t allow a single point and gave up only 75 yards.

Just over five minutes into the fourth quarter, running back Jalen Jana ran 38 yards to put it in the end zone and give SFU a much-awaited offensive touchdown. Offensive touchdowns have been hard to come by for the team, with only seven on the season — three of them credited to Jana.

An interception by Bailey and the Clan stopping a Humboldt fourth down rush attempt on SFU’s 21-yard line — with SFU having pushed back the Lumberjacks from the red zone — kept the rest of quarter scoreless.

At the end of the game, SFU had done some good. However, much of it came in the second half. By then, it was unlikely Humboldt was putting in its best effort, and was probably mostly playing its second- and third-string players — SFU not allowing any points at the end of the third quarter and fourth quarter coincided with when Humboldt put in its backup quarterback.

“When we have success near the end of the game, I understand we’re playing against second string guys — I get that — but we are still building and we have to start somewhere. Those are positives we can build off of,” said Bates.

“There’s a building process in place that will take a considerable amount of time if this program is to turn around, and I think that we are in a predicament right now, because of what’s gone on here the last few years.”

SFU now has two games left in the season. While a win may be difficult to find — considering what the previous eight games have shown — they will somehow have to bring the way they played in the fourth quarter to kickoff.

SATURDAY: The Clan hit the road one last time to face the Central Washington Wildcats in Ellensburg, WA.

SFU fans will remember Central Washington as the team that gave SFU a 55–6 loss at the homecoming game October 1. The Wildcats currently sit second in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC), with a 4–2 record in the conference and 5–3 overall.

The Wildcats are coming off of a 44–7 loss on the road to the GNAC leaders, Azusa Pacific. Central Washington is second in the GNAC in both total offence and total defence statistics.

In their previous matchup, SFU was held to 42 rushing yards, and only scored a touchdown late in the fourth quarter.

“I’m always expecting full effort, I think that we’ve always got that, I think that we play extremely hard. The things we need to work at are things to do with playing consistent football, which is knowing your assignments and carrying the load properly on the field. We’re looking for our young kids to grow and get better at that, and that comes with experience,” said Bates.

“It’s been a learning process all year. We’ve done some things to try and make it easier on our young kids that don’t have to know as much and simplifying the game plan, and trying to let our kids to play physical is something we’ve tried to do on both sides of the ball.”

Kickoff is at 1 p.m.

Last Week: 8–4–1

Season: 68–50–2

Byes: Chicago, Washington, Arizona, Houston, Cincinnati, New England

The winning percentage keeps going up with another solid week! The Browns came oh-so-close last week in getting their first win, but were edged 31–28 by the Jets. The big upset of the week turned out to be the Monday nighter, where the Bears knocked off the Vikings in convincing fashion. The best game of the week was the shootout in Atlanta that saw the Falcons score late to beat the Packers in a 33–32 thriller. On to this week’s action.

Atlanta (5–3) at Tampa Bay (3–4), Thursday 5:25 p.m.

Tampa Bay opened the season with a road win at Atlanta. Since then the Bucs have been mediocre and the Falcons have played extremely well, with quality wins over the Raiders on the road and Packers at home. Look for Atlanta to take this one in a game with more turnovers than expected.

Prediction: Falcons 31 Buccaneers 24

Upset Special

Lions (4–4) at Vikings (5–2), Sunday 10 a.m.

Two weeks ago, I thought the Vikings were the NFC favourites with a team that was Super Bowl capable. After scoring only 10 points against a bad Bears defence, that no longer appears to be the case. The Vikings offensive line is struggling to protect Sam Bradford and the defence — which won games earlier in the year with turnovers and touchdowns — has not been as dynamic. I like the Lions in this contest because of how much their quarterback, Matthew Stafford, has decreased his propensity for turnovers. The Lions have more playmakers than the Vikings and if they are able to limit turnovers, they should win a low-scoring game.

Prediction: Lions 19 Vikings 14

Pittsburgh (4–3) at Baltimore (3–4), Sunday 10 a.m.

These arch rivals always play each other in tough, hard-hitting games decided by three points or less. Whenever I think of this matchup, Ray Lewis’ devastating tackle on Rashard Mendenhall, which shattered Mendenhall’s shoulder, comes to mind. This tilt has major playoff implications as the Ravens could pull into a tie for first in the AFC Central division with a win and a Bengals loss. The intrigue in this game also concerns the health of Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger who looks like he will be able to come back earlier than expected from a knee injury. I like a rested Ravens team coming off a bye to edge the Steelers in an emotional slugfest.

Prediction: Ravens 16 Steelers 13

Jets (3–5) at Dolphins (3–4), Sunday 10 a.m.

These divisional rivals have played some very memorable games over the years, highlighted by Dan Marino’s fake spike game winning touchdown and the “Monday Night Miracle” where the Jets overcame a 30–7 fourth quarter deficit to win in overtime 40–37. That game is notable for Arnold Schwarzenegger’s halftime interview where he boldly declared, “Wayne Chrebet is going to pull it off. I think as usual the Jets are going to come from behind, you will see [. . .] I think the Dolphins have to be terminated.” True to form, Chrebet caught a touchdown to tie the game at 30 and later a key reception in overtime which set the Jets up for the game winning field. In this matchup, look for another huge game by Dolphins running back Jay Ajayi, who recently became the fourth player in NFL history with back-to-back 200-yard rushing games.

Prediction: Dolphins 34 Jets 21

Philadelphia (4–3) at New York Giants (4–3), Sunday 10 a.m.

These two divisional rivals also have a long history steeped in tradition. The most memorable moment in the matchup is undoubtedly “The Miracle at the Meadowlands.” When teams take a knee at the end of the game, there’s a player standing behind the offence just in case there is a fumble. This happens because the Giants fumbled in the final seconds of a game in 1978 which saw Eagles defensive Back Herman Edwards scoop up the ball and score the game-winning touchdown. This game will be a tight matchup where the Eagles strong defence will be tasked with stopping an explosive Giants team that is rested off of a bye week. I like the Giants and league number one diva Odell Beckham to prevail in this matchup.

Prediction: Giants 28 Eagles 20

Dallas (6–1) at Cleveland (0–8), Sunday 10 a.m.

This matchup has trap game written all over it. The Cowboys are flying high after a big divisional win last week against the Eagles and go on the road, on grass, to play the laughing stock of the league. The wrinkle is that the Browns have played good tough football this year for new coach Hue Jackson and almost knocked off the Jets last week. They also traded for talented linebacker Jamie Collins from the Patriots who will immediately improve their defence. I have boldly predicted Browns upsets on two occasions this year and cannot predict a third. I grudgingly will side with the favourites in this one.

Prediction: Cowboys 24 Browns 23

New Orleans (3–4) at San Francisco (1–6), Sunday 1:05 p.m.

I do not like the Saints on the road and I like them even less on the road on grass. That being said, the 49ers may be the least talented team in the league. I think the Saints will be a factor in the playoff picture late in the year which makes this game one they simply have to have.

Prediction: Saints 26 49ers 16

Carolina (2–5) at Los Angeles (3–4), Sunday 1:05 p.m.

The Panthers finally got it going last week with a convincing home win against the Cardinals. While I don’t like that they are travelling across the country against a rested Rams team, I do think Panthers quarterback Cam Newton will make enough plays to beat an opponent with serious offensive limitations.

Prediction: Panthers 21 Rams 17

Tennessee (4–4) at San Diego (3–5), Sunday 1:25 p.m.

The Chargers are a playoff-calibre team despite their 3–5 record. The Titans have a strong running game and a very capable quarterback in Marcus Mariota but will not be able to do enough on the road to crest the 500-mark. Rivers and company pull closer into the playoff picture.

Prediction: Chargers 38 Titans 33

Indianapolis (3–5) at Green Bay (4–3), Sunday 1:25 p.m.

My skepticism about Green Bay’s offence and Aaron Rodgers’ play are officially at an end. The Packers roll over a terrible Colts defence at home and make a charge for a division title.

Prediction: Green Bay 41 Indianapolis 29

Game of the Week

Denver (6–2) at Oakland (6–2), Sunday 5:30 p.m.

Two division rivals with equal records, with the winner gaining first place in the division in prime time — you’ve got to love sports! The Raiders won last week in overtime against Tampa Bay despite setting a league record for accepted penalties in a game. They are young, brash, have an excellent quarterback in Derek Carr, and playmakers on both sides of the ball. The Broncos are a veteran team with tons of playoff experience, including a victory in last year’s Super Bowl. They also have a dominant defence and are extremely well-coached and -disciplined, which makes up for their offensive limitations. I was all in on the Raiders until I wrote the above, and reflected upon my own football experiences both playing and coaching on how important discipline, coaching, and experience are to winning.

Prediction: The boring Broncos 27, the sexy Raiders 24  

Buffalo (4–4) at Seattle (4–2–1), Monday 5:30 p.m.   

I’m tempted to express order a Jim Kelly jersey and a pair of zubaz pants to represent Bills fans in Seattle on Monday. Even with the power of the zubaz nation behind them, the Bills will be travelling cross country to face a Seahawks team reeling from a tie and a loss in back-to-back road games. You better believe the Seahawks will be focused and ready to maintain their precarious divisional lead in the NFC West.

Prediction: Seahawks 34 Bills 28

A slow metamorphosis is operating in SFU men’s basketball team. With several recruits and a new head coach, the 2016–2017 roster can hardly be compared to last year’s squad.

The Clan took over Columbia Bible College for its second exhibition game, with a 96–53 win. UBC transfer Kedar Wright led the team once again with 20 points. Redshirt Junior JJ Pankratz registered 19 points. Pankratz, who is one the few players returning from last year, was named as one of the co-captains of the 2016-2017 team. Freshman Graham Miller registered 15 points in the contest while another one of SFU’s new recruits, Othniel Spence, had 14 points.

As for the Clan hoping to strengthen its roster with new recruits, redshirt freshman Michael Provenzano seemed to have adapted to the team quickly. The point guard had some impressive moments on the court against Douglas College and Columbia Bible College.

It has only been a week since SFU men’s basketball went back on the court, but Former UBC player Kedar Wright already convinced the crowd of his talent through his electric performances. Wright scored the most points in both exhibition games and played a total of 42 minutes combined.

“I think we’re still growing as a team. There are still a lot of things that we need to clean up, which was evident today especially in the first half,” said Wright. “We were a bit messy on the defensive side in the first half. We’re still getting used to play with each other. I think we responded pretty well in the second half and there’s definitely going to be a lot of growth this year [and] I think we did as good job as a team. I’m excited to play again.”

Head Coach Steve Hansen, who was part of the coaching staff last season as an assistant coach, looks forward to learn from last year’s mistakes with his fresh team and get better results.

“I think we need to change the way we start games. They do get the job of running their personal offence, and that’s a very tough game to prepare for, but we just didn’t come out for the challenge in the first half. It was good to see some of the leaders at halftime take over, and we came over with a different attitude in the second half. It was good to see some adversity today.”

Even though the Clan shined for its first two exhibition games — SFU opened its exhibition schedule with a 97–63 win over Douglas College — Coach Hanson is still looking to solidify his new team and put together stronger collective performances while adjusting a new combination of players. Coach Hansen has already showed us what the Clan is capable of with some quality basketball and will be able to rely significantly on seven new talented faces, as well as more experienced players such as seniors Hidde Vos and Gibran Sewani.

The Clan will now take on Quest University in another home game on November 5. The game is scheduled for 7 p.m.

In a tight game compared to their last contest, SFU was able to grind out a 4–2 result against the University of Victoria Vikes. The Clan got four goals from four different players, a good sight considering the injuries up front to Adam Callegari, Tyler Basham, Mike Sandor, and Jesse Mysiorek.

“We just have good depth, and the boys are jumping into those opportunities,” said head coach Mark Coletta after the game. “Especially guys that don’t play that much. But I think we have a lot of goal scorers, first, second, third, fourth line — whatever you want to call them, one line more or less, I think they all play well.”

In the first period, SFU got up to a 2–0 lead. Spencer Unger and Mak Barden got the goals, and Lyndon Stanwood in his first start of the season only faced two shots.

However, that quickly changed. UVic roared out in the second period, peppering Stanwood with 15 shots, and adding another nine in the period. BC Intercollegiate Hockey League point leader Shawn Mueller got the goal, while Jaret Babych got one back for the Clan.

“It’s tough, especially if you haven’t played for four weeks in a row in a real game, to come back and you’ve only had two shots, and they weren’t really contested shots at all,” said Stanwood on the increased traffic in the latter two periods. “I was a little bit nervous at first, as you haven’t played in a while. Coming back and easing your way into it was great, I thank my team for that.”

The third period featured a barrage of power plays for UVic, but they weren’t able to truly take advantage. Mueller got his second of the game, but that was not enough as Mitch Crisanti scored an empty-netter to put the game away at 4–2.

One of the keys to the game was limiting the offensive production of Patrick Holland. The ex-NHLer was held to no points on the night.

“Our D did a great job, all six of them,” remarked Coletta on how they limited his chances. “[. . .] So we tried to isolate those things as best we can. [And also], our defence were up with the play. They were tight, [and] our gap starts when we break the puck out. I know you hear that a lot in the NHL level when they talk about gap. We try to bring that to a different level that as soon as we break the puck out we want our D to follow up, so that they’re already in position and that they’re not having to run up.”

“He’s a very good hockey player as you can see out there tonight,” said Stanwood. “But he’s playing in our league too. So we just take him as another player. You just want to do what you do against any other player, and that’s what we did tonight.”

SFU’s next home game won’t be until November 26, where they’ll play four-time defending champions Selkirk College. SFU is now two points off them in the standings, but have two games in hand.

The 2016–17 NBA season is here, with expert predictions that will invariably be wrong, and optimism that is misplaced. Yet, there is something magical about the return of ball season. Here are the four major storylines to follow this upcoming season.

1) Golden State is the best team in the league . . . again.

The Warriors got over the disappointment of being the first team to lose a 3–1 lead in the NBA finals by signing Kevin Durant two weeks later, via free agency. This iteration of the Warriors possesses the past two MVPs of the league in Durant and Stephen Curry. Surrounding them are the second best shooter in the league, Klay Thompson, and the two-year defensive player of the year runner up, the enigmatic Draymond Green. Rolling out a lineup featuring those four players means that this team figures to be the best offensive team — possibly of all time. This season is going to feel a lot like last year’s, when the Warriors won 73 games, because the talent discrepancy between the Warriors and the rest of the league is outlandish.

2)   The Cleveland Cavaliers want to spoil another Warriors party.

Despite being major underdogs in last year’s finals, the Cavs won their first title and Cleveland’s first major sports win in 52 years behind the legendary LeBron James. James solidified his place as best player in the league with a great finals, which saw him averaging 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 2.6 steals, and 2.3 blocks per game. With the entire squad returning, the Cavs look set to reach the finals for a third straight season. Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, and J.R. Smith will look to shoulder some of LeBron’s burden during the regular season. The Cavs’ eyes are again set on the Warriors out west, as they look towards a third straight finals matchup with the Oakland-based team.

3)   This is Russell Westbrook’s world, and we are all living in it.

With Kevin Durant’s departure, Russell Westbrook is now the man in Oklahoma City. Westbrook’s ferocious attacks on NBA defences figure to be a routine fixture now, and this season might be the greatest individual season by a player in the modern era. The Westbrook show will feature athleticism, power, and speed that is unmatched by any point guard in the game today and if he can lead his team to 50 wins there will be a strong narrative for Westbrook as the MVP. Three games into the new season, Westbrook has already had the first 50-point triple-double in the NBA since 1975, and won the Western Conference Player of the Week. Apart from the Warriors, Westbrook is guaranteed entertainment and must-watch TV this season.

4)   The MVP race is wide open.

It is hard to imagine Steph Curry three-peating as the MVP, and even harder to imagine Kevin Durant reclaiming that trophy as a new member of an already championship-level team. With the two splitting votes being on the same team, the MVP debate this season opens up as LeBron James, a four-time MVP, looks to regain the award and players like Russell Westbrook, James Harden, and Kawhi Leonard figure to make a push for the honour. Harden in Houston has an offensive genius head coach in Mike D’Antoni figuring to make him an even better player, and Kawhi in San Antonio looks to be the franchise player with the retirement of Tim Duncan. Westbrook, of course, figures to be a one-man wrecking crew for the entire season. Team success invariably plays a role in MVP selection, so in the tradition of making predictions early, I pick the two-time defending Defensive Player of the Year, Kawhi Leonard as my pick for MVP.