GLENDORA, Calif. – A non-conference midseason visit from Colorado School of Mines provided a midterm exam for Azusa Pacific, and the Cougars passed with flying colors in a 35-21 win. The Cougars scored consecutive touchdowns just 74 seconds apart late in the first quarter and never allowed the Orediggers to draw even the rest of the way at Citrus Stadium.

The defense pitched a fourth-quarter shutout for the third straight game, and with three more turnovers, Azusa Pacific now has four consecutive games with at least three takeaways.

While Kurt Scoby rushed for a new season-high with 191 yards on 30 carries, Andrew Elffers completed 20-of-30 passes for 208 yards and 3 TDs with Weston Carr hauling in 10 receptions for 162 yards with 2 TDs. The Cougars finished with 482 yards of total offense while holding Mines to 342 yards.

How It Happened: Azusa Pacific established its rushing attack from the outset, as Scoby rushed for 91 yards on the Cougars' first two offensive possessions. After he scored from 5 yards out for a 7-0 lead, the defense needed just two snaps to get the ball back into the hands of Scoby and company with a fumble recovery at the Mines 26-yard line. After Scoby picked up 4 yards, Elffers connected with Carr for the 22-yard scoring strike to give Azusa Pacific a 14-0 edge with 3:46 left in the opening quarter.

Colorado School of Mines climbed back into the game with an interception which was returned to the Azusa Pacific 1-yard line midway through the second quarter. Cameron Mayberry plunged across the goal line for the 1-yard touchdown to keep Mines within a score, facing a 21-14 halftime deficit.

Elffers capped a 9-play, 75-yard drive to start the third quarter with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Bogardus, and Scoby finished off another third-quarter scoring drive with an 11-yard touchdown after the Orediggers closed the gap to 28-21 midway through the third quarter. Taliuaki Suliafu and Lavell Thomas each had fourth-quarter interceptions to help keep Colorado School of Mines off the scoreboard in the final quarter.

Turning Point: With Azusa Pacific leading 21-14 to start the third quarter, the Cougars faced third-and-2 at their own 33-yard line when Scoby plunged forward for four yards to keep the drive alive. Azusa Pacific never faced another third down in the 9-play, 75-yard touchdown drive which gave it a 28-14 lead. Later in the quarter, after Mines answered with a touchdown to pull within 28-21, the Cougars converted another third-down opportunity when Scoby scampered for 14 yards on third-and-8 near midfield. Four plays later, Scoby scored from 11 yards out to extend the lead to 35-21.

Cougars Extend GNAC Non-Conference Success: With Azusa Pacific's win, the Great Northwest Athletic Conference is now 6-1 against non-conference Division II competition, all against opponents within Super Region Four, which includes the GNAC, Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, Lone Star Conference, and Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.

Scoring Records Continue To Fall: Two weeks ago, Azusa Pacific set the school and conference single-game scoring record in an 83-7 road win over Simon Fraser. With 48 points last week resulting in the highest two-game scoring total (131 points) in program history, Saturday's 35-point output against Colorado School of Mines gave the Cougars the highest three-game scoring total (166 points) in program history. The previous best three-game total was 159 points, set in 2011 when the Cougars beat three consecutive NCAA Division III programs by a combined 159-24 margin. Azusa Pacific has not played a regular-season game against a Division III opponent since that three-game stretch.

Azusa Pacific Standouts: Scoby's 191 rushing yards and 30 rushing attempts were both season-highs, and he added three receptions for 35 yards to finish with 226 all-purpose yards. Elffers completed 20-of-30 passes for 280 yards, his second-best passing yardage total this season, and he threw a season-high 3 touchdowns. Carr, who had 10 catches for 162 yards and 2 TDs, posted his fourth game of the year with at least 9 receptions and 160 receiving yards.

Kenny Norton led the Cougars in tackles with 8, while Darryl Smith and Adrian Shocks added 7 tackles each. Suliafu's interception was his third of the season, while Thomas notched his first pick. Christian Caraveo pounced on the first-quarter fumble which led to the Cougars' second score.

Colorado School of Mines Standouts: Cameron Mayberry scored all 3 touchdowns for the Orediggers, rushing 22 times for 87 yards while QB Ben Bottlinger completed 20-of-27 passes for 214 yards. Brody Oliver led Mines receivers with 94 receiving yards on 7 catches, while Riley Hoff caught 9 passes for 83 yards. Dean Wenger led the defense with a game-high 15 tackles.

What's Next: After playing 4 home games in the last 5 weeks, Azusa Pacific finishes GNAC play with 3 road games in the upcoming 4-week stretch, which starts with a Saturday, Oct. 14 visit to Humboldt State.