APU’s football team took on Simon Frasier University Saturday night at Citrus Stadium and defeated the GNAC rivals 32-24 in a back-and-forth matchup.
The Cougars got off to a quick start in the first quarter, taking a 10-point lead over the Clan. Freshman Chad Jeffries got the start at quarterback and helped carry the Cougars offense alongside senior running back Terrell Watson. The Cougars held the ball almost the entire first quarter, only allowing Simon Frasier to play on offense for 1:10.
Azusa Pacific’s offense ignited in the second quarter with Watson and Jeffries. By halftime, Watson had 130 yards rushing and a touchdown to show for it. Jeffries had 60 yards rushing with 125 yards passing and two touchdowns to help balance the Cougar offense.
“The offensive line did a really good job protecting us tonight,” said quarterback Chad Jeffries. “The defense had been focusing on Terrell all night, which really opened up some holes for me.”
Despite being down 23-3 in the third quarter, the Clan began to get the offense rolling and threatened the Cougars’ large lead. Meanwhile, Simon Frasier held the APU offense to zero points in the third quarter, closing the gap to 23-17.
This offensive production was carried mostly by the arm of Ryan Stanford, the quarterback for Simon Frasier. He threw two touchdown passes in the third while working the ball gradually down the field against the Cougars’ defense.
“It was big for us to come up after such a tough loss and be tough defensively tonight,” said sophomore linebacker Jonathan Thropay, who led the Cougars defensively with eight tackles.
In the fourth quarter, both teams were mistake-prone. Simon Frasier intentionally gave up a safety to the Cougars, who took the extra two points and scored a touchdown with the ensuing possession. However, Azusa Pacific felt pressure late in the game when Simon Frasier recovered an onside kick attempt. A late sack closed the door on the visitors and gave Azusa Pacific the victory.
“Whenever we play Simon Frasier, we know they play until the bitter end, so we know we have to go a full four quarters if we want to win,” said head coach Victor Santa Cruz.
Azusa Pacific’s next game will be Sept. 27 at Dixie State, and the team will returns home Oct. 9 to take on Humboldt State.