When Matt Zaengle and Jamen Wurm stopped Tiger tailback Hollist Brown on a 4th and goal from the one with 39 seconds left in the game, it ended the Tigers bid at tying the game and sending it into overtime.

"It was one of the greatest finishes since I have been here," said head coach Vic Shealy, who improved to 3-1 in home openers. "It paid our team a great compliment that they tried to run outside of the tight end twice and didn't score."

The Cougars got the scoring started when junior tailback/cornerback Jack Williams took an inside run 21-yards into the end zone with 4:47 left in the opening quarter. Olivet Nazarene answered with a 3-yard TD run by Brown with 4:42 left in the second. The Cougars used a Jim Daichendt field goal with 2:38 remaining in the half, to take a 10-7 lead at the intermission.

Then the fun started. Williams returned the second half opening kickoff 97 yards for a TD, giving the Cougars a short-lived 17-7 lead. Not to be outdone, the Tigers David Spender took the ensuing kickoff 99 yards for a TD, making the score 17-14 just 42 seconds into the second half.

A few minutes later Zaengle picked off a Brad Odgers pass deep in Cougar terriorty. However, on the next play, Cougar QB Geoff Buffum was picked off. The Tigers took advantage of the takeway, using an 11-yard TD run by Brown to take their first lead, 21-17, with 11:03 left in the third.

Olivet Nazarene extended the lead to 24-17 with 7:48 remaining in the game when Chad Martin nailed a 44-yard field goal. But just like the week before at San Diego when the Cougars trailed by 7 in the fourth quarter, they responded again.

Buffum guided the Cougars on a drive to tie the game. After hitting Caleb Willis for 42 yards, Buffum did a quick count, and the Tigers, unable to get their defense set, were caught napping. Buffum hit All-American WR Dexter Davis for a 21-yard catch-and-run TD pass. But the Cougars couldn't tie after Daichendt missed the PAT, giving the Tigers a slim 24-23 lead.

"I just stayed patient and stayed with the coaches call and didn't get frustrated," said Davis, who was kept quiet in the first half and ended up with 60 yards on 4 receptions.

The Cougars forced a punt, and again, Buffum led them on a game-winning drive. He hit Williams for a 34-yard pickup, then hit Davis again for the game winning score, connecting for 27 yards. The Cougars scored the 2-point conversion, giving them a 31-24 lead with 4:14 left in the game.

"It all came together (the Cougar offense)," said Buffum, who finished 19-for-35 for 278 yards and 2 TD passes. "I had all day to throw and guys were open."

That's when then the Cougars defense stepped up. They allowed the Tigers to drive to the 4-yard line, but turned them away four times, and wrapped up the 31-24 win.

"We had two key second half plays that almost lost the game for us, but the effort was as good as we could ask of our players," said Shealy.

The Cougars, 2-0, travel to Ellensburg, Wash. next Saturday to take on the NAIA's No. 15-ranked Central Washington.

Scoring by Quarters
Olivet Nazarene            0   7   14    3 -- 24
Azusa Pacific              7   3    7   14 -- 31

        INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
SCORING
APU - Jack Williams 22 yd run, 4:46 1st Qtr.
ONU - Hollist Brown 3 yd run, 4:42 2nd Qtr.
APU - Jim Daichendt 31 yd FG, 2:39 2nd Qtr.
APU - Jack Williams 98 yd kick ret, 14:38 3rd Qtr.
ONU - David Spencer 99 yd kick ret, 14:18 3rd Qtr.
ONU - Hollist Brown 11 yd run, 11:03 3rd Qtr.
ONU - Chad Martin 44 yd FG, 7:48 4th Qtr.
APU - Dexter Davis 21 yd pass, 6:44 4th Qtr.
APU - Dexter Davis 27 yd pass, 4:14 4th Qtr.

PASSING
Geoff Buffum (AP) 19-35, 278 yds, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Brad Odgers (ONU) 16-33, 249 yds, 0 TDs, 1 INT

RUSHING
Brad Odgers (ONU), 11 att., 69 yards
Jack Williams (AP), 12 att., 65 yards
Hollist Brown (ONU), 17 att., 50 yards

           TEAM STATISTICS
             APU      	ONU
OFFENSE		356 yds		404 yds
RUSHING		78 yds		155 yds
PASSING		278 yds		249 yds