GLENDORA, Calif. -- For the third straight year, Azusa Pacific kicked off the season with a Thursday night win over a quality NCAA Division II opponent by posting an impressive 28-10 win over West Texas A&M in front of a boisterous crowd of 4,977 at Citrus Stadium.
Sophomore RB Kurt Scoby rushed for a game-high 118 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Cougar offense, while the defense produced three turnovers and limited the Buffs to just 273 yards of total offense.
"It was good to see the defense fly around tonight," Azusa Pacific head coach Victor Santa Cruz said. "I loved how they created turnovers and got some good pressure on the quarterback."
The first three West Texas A&M possessions resulted in a fumble recovered by Azusa Pacific in Buffs territory, a bad punt snap which resulted in a safety for the first score of the game, and an interception. The last of those, a Mykal Walker pick, helped set up a five-play, 33-yard drive which Scoby finished with a 12-yard TD run to lift the Cougars to an 8-0 lead.
"Scoby is a really special running back with both his physical skills and his incredible vision, and I appreciate what the offensive line has done in accepting the challenge of improving with each rep," Santa Cruz said.
Senior K Jamie Cacciatore answered a West Texas field goal with a 39-yard of his own to spot the Cougars an 11-3 halftime edge. Coming out of the second half, Scoby broke free for his second rushing TD, scampering 21 yards to the corner of the end zone to extend the lead to 18-3.
Cacciatore connected again after a Buffs TD to give Azusa Pacific a 21-10 lead late in the third quarter. After halting the next two West Texas drives, the Cougars' punishing ground game began taking its toll on the Buffs, rushing eight times in a 10-play, 60-yard drive which chewed up nearly six minutes of precious fourth-quarter clock and culminated in Samuela Fanua's 11-yard TD to extend the lead to 28-10 with just 3:31 to play.
In all, Azusa Pacific rushed 42 times in 59 offensive snaps, accounting for 174 rushing yards while junior QB Andrew Elffers completed 10-of-17 passes for 68 yards to force the Buffs defense to respect the balance of the Cougar offense.
"Elffers did a good job leading a younger, athletic offense, and they're continuing to improve as a unit," Santa Cruz said. "We're excited to look at the film and identify the areas we need to improve for a tough matchup next week."
The defensive line produced four sacks of West Texas A&M QB Ethan Brinkley, and sophomore LBs Mykal Walker and Aaron Berry tied for the team-high in tackles with 10 each. Walker added an interception and pass breakup, and senior rover Jonathan Thropay contributed eight tackles along with a pass breakup.
WHAT'S NEXT: Azusa Pacific turns around to face one of its most difficult matchups of the 11-game regular-season schedule with a Saturday, Sept. 10 visit to defending Great Northwest Athletic Conference champion Humboldt State. The No. 13-ranked Lumberjacks also opened the season Thursday, posting a wild 52-45 overtime win at Carson-Newman earlier in the day.
