MONMOUTH, Ore. -- Azusa Pacific's defense dug in its heels in the red zone, turning Western Oregon away without points in four trips inside the 20-yard line as the No. 14-ranked Cougars posted an impressive 31-2 road win over the Wolves Saturday afternoon at McArthur Field.

With the win, Azusa Pacific improves to 5-0 overall with a perfect 4-0 Great Northwest Athletic Conference record at the halfway point of the eight-game conference schedule. With three quality road wins over GNAC foes, the Cougars have posted a 5-0 start for just the fifth time in program history and the first time since 2002.

"The key thing in football is to keep getting better," Azusa Pacific head coach Victor Santa Cruz said. "It's all about growth for this team, and we understand that we haven't yet achieved our very best."

Quarterbacks Andrew Elffers and Chad Jeffries combined for 288 passing yards, as Elffers started and went 12-for-19 for 187 yards while Jeffries came off the bench to provide 101 yards on 6-of-14 passes while each of them tossed a touchdown pass. Elffers was also the Cougars' leading rusher, carrying 9 times for 38 yards, including a three-yard third-quarter touchdown scramble.

Although Western Oregon generated 424 yards of total offense, it was unable to convert the yards into points. The Wolves' opening drive ended in a missed field goal, and the Azusa Pacific defense seized the momentum with four consecutive three-and-outs before senior free safety Hunter Malberg intercepted a pass at the Cougars' two-yard line with just four seconds left in the half.

"Our defense has the hunger and the humility to keep getting better and play for each other, and that excites me for this next phase of our season," Santa Cruz said. "It's a very good defense, but we're nowhere near where we need to be. We have to keep getting better and build on this performance."

Sophomore linebacker Mykal Walker added a defensive score with a 48-yard interception return for a touchdown to give the Cougars a 24-0 lead with 4:09 left in the third quarter. The Wolves missed a pair of third-quarter field goal attempts, and the game-defining fourth-down stop at the one-yard line kept WOU out of the end zone and preserved the 24-point lead with 10:17 remaining in the game.

After a scoreless first quarter, senior Tyree Davis returned a punt for 27 yards to the Western Oregon 10-yard line, setting up a Jamie Cacciatore 29-yard field goal for the game's first score. After another WOU three-and-out, Jeffries guided a seven-play, 49-yard drive which was capped by a 13-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Tanner Henry for a 10-0 lead with 5:28 to play in the half.

A seven-play, 60-yard drive midway through the third quarter was capped by Elffers' three-yard run, extending the lead to 17-0, and Walker intercepted Phillip Fenumiai near midfield for the pick-six and a 24-0 lead just over a minute later. The Cougars' impressive fourth-down stand at the one-yard line was followed by a safety, when Western Oregon stopped junior running back Chris Solomon in the end zone. Elffers found senior tight end Josiah Thropay for a nine-yard touchdown pass with 2:23 left to complete the scoring.

"We have a special bond with both quarterbacks, and we have confidence in both of them," Thropay said. "We have a lot of room to grow and get better, but it's been nice to see the passing game really take off for us."

Thropay had five catches for 72 yards, while redshirt freshman wide receiver Weston Carr added four catches for a team-high 78 yards. Solomon added 25 rushing yards on 14 carries, and Jeffries added 23 yards on six rushing attempts. Defensively, Azusa Pacific was led by Walker's team-high eight tackles, while six other Cougars registered sacks.

"The defense has the same goal every game, and that's to play fast, get turnovers, and get to the quarterback," said junior strong safety Taliuaki Suliafu, who registered the first Cougar sack just four plays into Western Oregon's opening drive while finishing the game with five tackles. "Every game is a big game for us, and as a defense we feel like we can set the tone. Everybody's playing fast and creating turnovers right now, and the more times we can get the offense the ball, we have confidence that they're going to put points on the board."

WHAT'S NEXT: Azusa Pacific is back on the road for the fourth time in six weeks, visiting Colorado School of Mines in a non-conference matchup on Oct. 8 in Golden, Colo.