ELLENSBURG, Wash. – For three quarters, Azusa Pacific looked every bit the equal of No. 8-ranked Central Washington, but the Wildcats capitalized on a fourth-quarter turnover to turn the tide and post an impressive 34-23 victory over the defending Great Northwest Athletic Conference champions.

The teams went back and forth on the scoreboard, answering each other score for score until Central Washington free safety Max McIntosh made a diving interception near midfield on a pass from Andrew Elffers which was tipped into the air. The Wildcats turned the extra possession into an 8-play, 55-yard touchdown drive, turning a three-point game (20-17) into a two-score margin at 27-17 with just over five minutes to play.

After the score, Central Washington's GNAC-leading defense turned up the pass rush, sacking Elffers twice to keep Azusa Pacific pinned deep in its own territory. The short field resulted in another CWU touchdown with less than two minutes remaining before Weston Carr hauled in a 20-yard touchdown pass as time expired for the final 34-23 margin.

Central Washington scored on four of its five second-half possessions to take control of the game, and the Wildcats held Azusa Pacific's explosive offense to 291 total yards without allowing a 100-yard rushing or 100-yard receiving effort by any individual for the first time this season.

With the defeat, Azusa Pacific falls to 5-4 overall and 3-4 in GNAC play, while Central Washington moved one step closer to its first GNAC title since 2012 by improving to 9-0 overall and 6-0 in GNAC play.

How It Happened: In a game which was tied at the end of each of the first two quarters, Azusa Pacific tied the game again, 17-17, with 6:01 left in the third quarter before Central Washington moved in front for good on Gavin Todd's 38-yard field goal. The Wildcats still led 20-17 when McIntosh provided the game-turning interception which paved the way for CWU's strong finish.

The Cougars scored touchdowns on their opening drive of each half, opening the game with an 8-play, 69-yard drive, capped by Elffers' four-yard touchdown run. He added his second rushing touchdown from three yards out to finish off a 4-play, 75-yard drive that tied the game at 17-17 midway through the third quarter.

Central Washington was up to the task, answering the first-quarter score with Hennessey's 7-yard scoring strike to Justin Peterson to tie the game at 7-7. Jacob Hall drilled a 25-yard field goal with 8:57 left in the second quarter, converting a Kenny Norton interception into three points, but the Wildcats answered with a 42-yard field goal from Gavin Todd to tie the game at 10-10 heading into halftime.

The Wildcats opened the second half by taking over seven minutes off the clock with a 13-play, 75-yard drive which culminated in a one-yard touchdown plunge by Austin Pernell. Central Washington fumbled twice during the drive, recovering both times to keep the drive moving. Azusa Pacific responded quickly, using a 24-yard screen pass to Kurt Scoby to cross midfield before Elffers kept the ball for a 44-yard rush to set up his three-yard scoring run on the next play. That tied the game at 17-17 with 6:01 to play before Todd converted his 38-yard field goal with 2:37 left in the third quarter to give Central Washington the lead for good.

Turning Point: Azusa Pacific was on the move early in the fourth quarter, moving the chains three times after starting deep in its own territory at the 11-yard line. However, a tipped pass at midfield popped up in the air, and McIntosh tracked it down and dove for the interception at the Central Washington 45-yard line. The Wildcats turned the extra possession into an 8-play, 55-yard touchdown drive which extended the lead to 27-17.

National Audience: Part of the Division II Football Showcase package which streams live on the ESPN3 platform, Saturday's game marked the third time Azusa Pacific has been featured on a national broadcast. The Cougars' 1998 national championship game and 2014 season-opening win over Grand Valley State were televised to national cable television audiences.

Azusa Pacific Standouts: Elffers completed 22-of-31 passes for 200 yards, and he was also the Cougars' leading rusher with 57 yards on 14 carries. Jordan Bogardus registered a game-high 8 catches for 48 yards, while Weston Carr had 7 catches for 84 yards with a score. Kurt Scoby was held to 34 yards rushing on 12 carries, but he finished with 180 all-purpose yards by catching 4 passes for 48 yards and picking up another 98 yards on kickoff returns.

Kenny Norton came up with a first-half interception which led to Hall's first-half field goal, and he was one of three Cougars who registered a game-high 10 tackles, joining Aaron Berry and Taliuaki Suliafu with 10 stops. Berry and Willie Fair each registered 1.5 tackles for loss.

Central Washington Standouts:

Dual-threat quarterback Reilly Hennessey provided the offensive spark for the Wildcats, rushing for a game-high 60 yards and a score on 14 carries while completing 75 percent (21-for-28) passing for 264 yards and two more touchdowns. He completed passes to nine different CWU receivers, although Justin Peterson led the way with 6 catches for 118 yards. The Wildcats also produced 171 yards rushing behind nearly-identical production from Jordan Tufaga (14 carries, 56 yards) and Austin Pernell (14 carries, 55 yards).

Sean Elledge led the defense with a team-high 7 tackles, including one of the Wildcats' six sacks.

What's Next: Azusa Pacific visits Western Oregon on Saturday, Nov. 4, to finish off the GNAC slate before returning home to close out the regular season against Colorado Mesa on Nov. 11.

Quotable:"We played well in all three phases, and they were punching back, but where the game started to change was in the fourth quarter as both teams were looking for a break. Unfortunately, we had a turnover that gave them the opportunity to make it a two-score game, but I'm proud of the effort and the energy our team had. We're going to find ways to continue to get better in the details. I've got a good young football team that I'm very proud of, and even though it hurts right now, we're going to do what great programs do and learn all we can from this and get better for next week."

"My hat's off to Central Washington because they played lights-out football in all three phases, and they just made more plays than we did. I loved how our team was focused, worked hard, and kept believing throughout the whole game. Those were some collective efforts that had us in a position to win the game, but it came down to a few times we needed to make a play. We knocked the ball out four times and never seemed to be able to get our hands on it for a turnover. Right now, we have a group of guys who are blue-collar, hard-working guys whose talent is on the rise, and we're looking forward to getting back on the field to get better for another game. What I love about the learning opportunity for this situation is that we're a championship program that has a new evolution of players who are learning how to sharpen their edge. The edge is in the attention to details, and that's what gets you over the top. We have two games left that we know about, and I know we have a great senior class that's hungry to run through the tape in this race."
--Head Coach Victor Santa Cruz

"The quarterback started scrambling and just tossed it up, and I happened to be in the right place at the right time for the interception. We made that play happen throughout the entire defense. We got after the ball throughout the game, and we just have to keep focusing on the small details to make those plays and tackles. From here, we have to emphasize playing for each other, because we play for the man to the right and left of us."
--Senior CB Kenny Norton III