Football escaped enemy territory with a 38-12 victory, making their record 1-3 so far this campaign
Despite a disappointing home opener 36-42 loss against Western Oregon, the contest proved that there is potential in a Cougars’ offense that appeared to be stagnant for the first two matchups of the season. On Saturday Azusa Pacific’s football squad, particularly that same offense, showed their best 60 minutes so far this season as they defeated inter-conference rival Simon Fraser by a score of 38-12.
The Cougars running game was one of the biggest tribulations for this team heading into Saturday’s game. In the first three games, they averaged only 54.3 rushing yards per game. However, it was their running game last night that led them to outscore their opponent, particularly the play of junior running back Dante Davis who scored three touchdowns.
In fact, Davis scored the first touchdown of the game on APU’s second drive. With 6:42 left in the first quarter, Davis walked in a one-yard touchdown run giving the Cougars an early 7-0 lead. They held that lead heading into the second quarter, however, the defense gave up a 75-yard touchdown pass early in the second which led to a missed extra-point attempt from SFU, making the score 7-6.
Three drives later Davis scored yet another short-yard touchdown run after back Zikel Reddick placed the Cougars in the red-zone with a 29-yard carry midway through the quarter. It didn’t take long for SFU to respond as the next drive resulted in a touchdown score thanks to a 50-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Brandon Niksich, giving him his second TD of the night.
Another missed extra point opportunity from SFU allowed the Cougars to escape halftime with a 14-12 lead. However, there were concerns about the blown secondary coverages seen throughout the first half.
“We went into halftime knowing that we needed to adjust some things in the secondary after those deep scoring passes. So we made sure to make the proper adjustments that would lead us to a strong second half,” head coach Santa Cruz stated. And thankfully for the Cougars, those adjustments did wonders for their defense.
After scoring on their first drive of the third quarter thanks to a 12-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Anthony Catalano to Shane Hursh, the score was 21-12 heading into the final 15 minutes of play. The defense made the play of the night in the fourth quarter as linebacker Ben Sukut intercepted Niksich’s pass and returned it 29 yards for a Cougars touchdown. APU eventually added salt to the wound as they scored on their next offensive drive, with Davis crossing the goal line for the third time, this time a 29-yard carry.
“Not only the defensive adjustments but also the offense’s consistency in the second half allowed us to run away with the ball game,” said Santa Cruz. “Particularly the offensive line, they were excellent tonight. They allowed guys like Davis and Jasiah [Richard-Lewis] to show off their skill sets.”
Once the horn sounded the Cougars were able to celebrate victory, something this team has waited to do since the start of their training camp sessions. But along with victory, the team was also able to celebrate a performance that showcased the balance they are capable of seeing on both sides of the ball, with their defense failing to give up a single point during the last 30 minutes of play.
Although it is only their first win of the season, games such as this allow a team to escape their previous woes and build some momentum, something that will desperately be needed for this squad to continue their winning ways. Coach Santa Cruz realizes this.
“Right now it just feels good to win this game,” he says. “This team has seen so many new faces, and we’ve had a lot of frustrating times with scheduling, training camps, injuries, you name it. So it feels good that these guys are beginning to see the fruits of their labor.”
APU will compete in their fourth away game over the past five contests next, this time against GNAC rival Central Washington. Although CWU holds a 1-3 record, they have played in incredibly competitive matchups and have faced some strong squads so far this season, particularly second-seeded Ferris State. With this being said, next week’s matchup will be a strong test for Santa Cruz’s bunch. Kickoff will be on Saturday, Oct. 12 at 6 pm.