GLENDORA, Calif. -- Azusa Pacific's last-second comeback attempt came up one yard short when sophomore QB Chad Jeffries found freshman RB Kurt Scoby with a desperation shovel pass, but Scoby was stopped after 77 yards at the one-yard line as time expired in a 24-21 defeat to Central Washignton Saturday night at Citrus Stadium.

Jeffries threw for 319 yards and rushed for 74 more with two rushing TDs, and Scoby had 18 carries for a game-high 154 yards to lead Azusa Pacific's offense, which outgained Central Washington by a 530-302 margin. Central Washington RB Arthur Burns rushed 26 times for 142 yards and all three CWU touchdowns.

Despite the yardage difference, Azusa Pacific fell behind in the third quarter, 24-21, and the Cougars turned the ball over on downs with 2:11 to play before getting the ball back at their own 22-yard line with no timeouts and just 22 seconds left in regulation.

With Jeffries under heavy pressure on 2nd-and-10, Scoby caught the pass inside the Cougars' 20-yard line, evaded two Central Washington defenders near midfield before a cutback move at the CWU 25-yard line put him within sight of the goal line. After breaking one tackle at the 15-yard line and another inside the 10, Scoby was eventually pulled down just one yard short of the goal line by Anthony Beaver and Blake Williams-Miller.

The Azusa Pacific defense was led by junior rover Jonathan Thropay, who notched 15 tackles including a sack and a hand in two other tackles for loss in the run game, and freshman LB Mykal Walker added 11 tackles (2.0 tackles for loss). Sophomore safety Taliuaki Suliafu forced one fumble and recovered another, and senior CB Josh Atkinson registered his third interception of the season as the Cougars forced three turnovers.

With the loss, Azusa Pacific drops to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play heading into next Saturday's rematch with Humboldt State, which defeated the Cougars in a non-conference matchup earlier this season.