CANYON, Texas -- No. 19-ranked Azusa Pacific shook off a slow start in its 2015 season opener at West Texas A&M, rallying from a 21-0 deficit with offensive fireworks and some quick defensive adjustments to post a 27-24 win Thursday evening.

The victory marks the second straight year the Cougars have knocked off one of NCAA Division II's perennial playoff programs, following last year's home win over Grand Valley State with an impressive comeback win on the road against a West Texas A&M program which hasn't missed the playoffs in consecutive seasons in over a decade.

Sophomore QB Chad Jeffries threw for 269 yards and two TDs, completing 17-of-32 passes while spreading completions out to seven different receivers, and freshman RB Kurt Scobycarried 22 times for a team-high 78 rushing yards.

Defensively, after allowing 255 yards and three touchdowns on West Texas A&M's first four possessions of the game, the Cougars clamped down and only gave up three points over the final 40 minutes of the game. The Buffs only put together two more drives that went over 16 yards, with a Josh Atkinson interception stalling the Buffs' opening drive of the second half before a 33-yard drive netted a field goal which pushed the West Texas lead to 24-10 midway through the third quarter.

The Cougars answered with a 13-play, 71-yard march that ended with freshman kicker Jacob Hall's 21-yard field goal that cut the lead to 24-13 with 51 seconds left in the third quarter. After West Texas A&M went three-and-out near midfield at the end of the quarter, Scoby ran for two first downs that put the Cougar offense near midfield. Jeffries first connected with Ethan Zeidler for 30 yards before tossing a 25-yard TD pass to Scoby that cut the lead to 24-20 with 12:42 to play.

After another three-and-out gave the ball back to Azusa Pacific, Jeffries capped a 10-play, 78-yard drive with a 27-yard scoring strike to junior TE Josiah Thropay for the game-winning score with 5:43 to play.

West Texas A&M was halted at its own 40-yard line on the first of two remaining possessions, and the Cougars stopped Buffs QB Preston Rabb three yards short of the first-down marker on a fourth-and-15 scramble for a turnover on downs with 1:20 to play.

Junior LB Sam Flemming tallied a game-high 11 tackles, registering one of the Cougars' eight tackles for loss, and Atkinson finished with four tackles, an interception and a pass breakup.

QUICK STATS
-A pair of 15-yard penalties (face mask and unsportsmanlike conduct) against West Texas A&M on the same play sent the Azusa Pacific offense to the red zone, where Jeffries scrambled for 15 yards to set up Ryan Adams' one-yard TD plunge for the first Cougar points of the game
-Early in the second quarter, a 42-yard TD scramble for sophomore QB Andrew Elffers on fourth-and-four was nullified due to a face mask penalty at the line of scrimmage
-None of the 14 possessions for West Texas A&M's hurry-up offense lasted more than 2:50; Azusa Pacific finished with 36:41 time of possession to the Buffs' 23:19
-Zeidler led Cougar receivers with four catches for 55 yards; senior H-back Grant Widmer and Thropay, a tight end, combined for 110 yards receiving on five catches
-Azusa Pacific is one of six Division II programs (including all four national title game participants the past two seasons) to win 25 of its past 28 games
-Thursday's win was Azusa Pacific's first-ever season-opening win outside the state of California. The Cougars lost all four previous out-of-state season openers

COUGARS' UPCOMING SCHEDULE

Saturday, Sept. 12, 6:00 pm vs. Humboldt State
Saturday, Sept. 19, 6:00 pm at Simon Fraser
Saturday, Sept. 26, 6:00 pm (MDT) at Dixie State