ARCATA, Calif. -- Jacob Hall provided a clutch game-winning kick for the second consecutive week, lifting Azusa Pacific to a 20-17 overtime win at Humboldt State which made head coach Victor Santa Cruz the program's all-time wins leader.

Santa Cruz tied Jim Milhon for Azusa Pacific's career wins record with last week's Homecoming win over Western Oregon, and he moved into sole possession of the lead with Saturday's victory, improving his career coaching record to 82-59 (.582 winning percentage) in his 13th season as the Cougars' head coach.

Saturday's matchup was Humboldt State's final home game, as the university will discontinue the Lumberjack football program following the 2018 season.

"This was exactly the type of game I expected," Santa Cruz said. "Humboldt State football has always had a lot of pride, and they've been getting better on film every week this season. Our players got that vibe throughout the week, and we knew it would be one of the most exciting games we've been a part of. There was so much pride on the line, and Humboldt State gave us all they had."

Both teams scored a pair of first-half touchdowns before holding each other to a single second-half field goal to send the game to overtime tied at 17-17. Humboldt State lost 20 yards to penalties on its first two plays of overtime, eventually settling for an unsuccessful 37-yard field goal try. Aaron Baltazar carried five times to get the Cougars inside the five-yard line, and Hall drilled a 23-yard field goal to lift the Cougars to the 20-17 win.

Baltazar and Bryce Grandison combined for all but three yards of Azusa Pacific's 159 yards rushing, with Baltazar rushing for a game-high 93 yards and both Cougar touchdowns on 18 carries while Grandison carried 16 times for 63 yards. Gaige Allen went over 100 yards receiving with seven catches for 103 yards.

With the win, Azusa Pacific improves to 7-3 overall (7-2 vs. NCAA Division II opponents) and 6-1 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play, setting up a battle at conference-leading Central Washington next week with a chance to share the 2018 GNAC title with the Wildcats. Humboldt State falls to 1-8 overall and 1-6 in GNAC play heading into the program's final football game at Simon Fraser next week.

How It Happened: Azusa Pacific got exactly the start it wanted with Josh Olave's interception on Humboldt State's first possession. The Cougars took each of their first two drives to the end zone for a pair of Baltazar touchdown runs to take a 14-7 lead early in the second quarter. The Lumberjacks tied the game at 14-14 in the final minute of the first half on Andrew Tingstad's eight-yard touchdown run.

In overtime, Humboldt State was penalized on its first two plays, first for holding and then for intentional grounding, sending the Lumberjacks back near midfield before Brenden Davis completed a pair of passes for a combined 25 yards. That gave Humboldt State an opportunity for a 37-yard field goal try for kicker Jose Morales, but the kick fell just short. The Cougar offense kept the ball on the ground as it pushed inside the 10-yard line for a short 23-yard field goal try for Hall.

The teams were almost dead even statistically, finishing one first down apart (Azusa Pacific 20, Humboldt State 21) and averaging exactly the same average yards per play (5.3) for the game while finishing just 16 yards apart in total offense (Azusa Pacific 345, Humboldt State 361). Both teams forced one turnover, both interceptions, and they were nearly identical in third-down conversions (Azusa Pacific 7-for-14; Humboldt State 6-for-13).

Turning Point: For as closely-matched as the teams were in 60 minutes of regulation, the overtime possessions for each team were in sharp contrast. While Humboldt State immediately lost 20 yards to penalties before salvaging a field goal try, Azusa Pacific carved out 22 rushing yards in five separate chunks to set up Hall for a game-winning kick from nearly the exact spot he drilled a week earlier.

Azusa Pacific Standouts: Hall again provided quality special teams production, hitting two short field goals and two extra points while averaging 42.7 yards on three punts including a 50-yarder and another inside the 20.

Baltazar and Grandison provided a combined 156 yards rushing while Tyrone Williams Jr. completed 15-of-24 passes for 186 yards. Allen was his leading receiver, making seven catches for 103 yards, while Grandison and Darrell Adams Jr. each pulled in three catches.

Defensively, Olave picked up his GNAC-leading fifth interception of the season, while linebacker Ben Sukut recorded a game-high 13 tackles. Willie Fair (11 tackles) and Quentin Frazier (10 tackles) were also in double figures, while Ma'ake Muti registered 1.5 sacks and forced a fumble.

Humboldt State Standouts: Tyree Marzetta was the Lumberjacks' leading rusher, carrying 24 times for 80 yards and one touchdown, while quarterback Andrew Tingstad's three carries accounted for 27 yards and the other Humboldt State touchdown. Tingstad (7-for-9, 58 yards) was one of three different HSU quarterbacks to combine for 24-of-33 passing for 237 yards. Joseph Sweeney was 11-for-14 for 111 yards with an interception, while Brenden Davis finished the game under center and completed 6-of-10 for 68 yards. Demetrick Watts led the Humboldt State defense with 13 tackles, while Moses Finau added 11 tackles with 2.5 tackles for loss.

What's Next: Azusa Pacific wraps up the regular season with a visit to Central Washington on Saturday, Nov. 10. The Cougars can secure a share of the 2018 GNAC championship with a win, while Central Washington will clinch the outright title with a win over the Cougars.