Box Score

ASHLAND – Southern Oregon scored a late touchdown and picked up an interception in the final minute to pull out a 31-28 comeback win over Simon Fraser Saturday afternoon at Raider Stadium.

With the win, SOU improves to 4-4 on the season. Simon Fraser falls to 2-6 with the loss. Southern Oregon returns to action next weekend, when the Raiders travel to California to face No. 8 Azusa Pacific at 6 p.m.

The Raiders struggled with turnovers early in the ballgame as Simon Fraser built a 21-3 lead in the first half. Following three consecutive SFU scores, the Patrick Donahue (Los Angeles, Calif./Franklin) took a pass from Austin Dodge (Vancouver, Wash./Skyview) down the middle and broke free for a 50-yard touchdown grab to make it 21-10. Six minutes later, Manny Barragan (Yreka, Calif./Yreka) took a handoff 23 yards for another score to pull SOU to within four points at 21-17. Tyler Crowley (Palo Cedro, Calif./Bishop Quinn) made a 45-yard field goal shortly before halftime to make it a 21-20 game at the break.

Southern Oregon took a brief lead – its first lead since Crowley kicked a field goal to conclude the Raiders' opening drive – midway through the third quarter on Crowley's third field goal of the game. But the Clan responded with a 36-yard touchdown pass from Trey Wheeler to B.J. Bryant to go up 28-23 with just over 20 minutes to play in the game.

The SFU defense clamped down in the fourth quarter, forcing an SOU punt and a pair of turnovers-on-downs before the Raider offense got one final possession with 2:15 to play at their own 44-yardline.

Dodge opened the drive with a seven-yard run, and completed a pass to Cole McKenzie (Red Bluff, Calif./Red Bluff) for nine yards on the next play. Dodge followed that with an 11-yard completion to Justin Otaguro (Honolulu, Hawaii/Roosevelt), down to the Simon Fraser 29-yardline. Following a Barragan seven-yard run and an incomplete pass, Dodge connected with Donahue on a pass in the middle of the field, and the SOU wide receiver broke through the defensive coverage to earn the 22-yard go-ahead score. The Raiders converted the two-point pass attempt to take a 31-28 lead with 1:05 to play.

The Clan returned the kickoff to their own 40-yardline, but on their second play of the drive, Wheeler threw deep down the middle and James Antaplyan (Los Angeles, Calif./Burbank) grabbed the pass for a game-clinching interception at the SOU 33-yardline.

Barragan finished with 198 yards on 29 rushes, while Dodge threw for 314 yards on 56 pass attempts. Otaguro caught nine passes for 100 yards, and Donahue grabbed eight receptions for 118 yards and a pair of scores. Josh Leff (San Clemente, Calif./San Clemente) led SOU with eight total tackles, while Michael Springer (El Dorado, Calif./Union Mine) finished with a team-high 2.5 tackles-for-loss.

The Raiders out-gained Simon Fraser 588-347 and possessed the ball for 36:43. The SOU defense limited the Clan to one third down conversion on 13 attempts. Bo Palmer finished with 136 rushing yards and one touchdown to lead SFU, while Wheeler finished with 155 yards passing on 28 attempts.