GLENDORA, Calif. -- Azusa Pacific needed all four quarters to get past winless Humboldt State as six turnovers balanced the scales in an otherwise dominant performance by the Cougars, who overcame the mistakes for a 37-21 victory Saturday night at Citrus Stadium.

Humboldt State stunned Azusa Pacific by turning an interception on the opening drive into an early 7-0 lead, and the Cougars never seemed to hit their stride. The first four times Azusa Pacific had the ball, it gave it right back to the Lumberjacks, although Humboldt State never converted another turnover into points the rest of the game.

Tyrone Williams Jr. threw for 227 yards and a pair of touchdowns and was also Azusa Pacific's leading rusher with 12 carries for 71 yards and a score, and Brandon Jackson was a frequent target with game-highs of 13 catches and 149 yards with two touchdowns.

Defensively, the Cougars applied constant pressure to the Humboldt State backfield, registering nine sacks plus two additional tackles for loss while holding the Lumberjacks to just 189 yards of total offense and nine first downs.

With the win, Azusa Pacific improves to 4-1 overall and 3-0 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, which moves the Cougars into a tie for the GNAC lead with Central Washington heading into a head-to-head clash with CWU before a national broadcast audience on ESPN 3 next Saturday (Oct. 6). Humboldt State falls to 0-4 overall and 0-3 in GNAC play.

How It Happened: Humboldt State ended the first two Cougar drives with interceptions, and the Lumberjacks didn't even let the Cougar offense get onto the field after recovering fumbles on special teams plays its next two possessions. Azusa Pacific got its offense clicking with three consecutive second-quarter touchdown drives to answer Humboldt State's early score and take a 21-7 halftime lead.

Ju'wan Murphy, who recorded two interceptions in the game, returned the second-half opening kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown, cutting the lead to 21-14 until Williams engineered a 12-play, 88-yard scoring drive which finished with a three-yard keeper for touchdown to extend the lead to 28-21 early in the fourth quarter. Andrew Tingstad replaced HSU starting QB Joseph Sweeney at that point, and he hit Tyree Marzetta for a 54-yard screen pass before keeping it for a one-yard rushing touchdown to cut the lead back down to a touchdown, 28-21.

After Humboldt State recovered a fumble in Cougar territory on the second play of the ensuing Azusa Pacific drive, the Cougar defense held its ground. Freshman defensive lineman Michael Malepeai registered consecutive sacks on second and third down to keep Humboldt State out of field goal range, and the Cougars marched 80 yards on 10 plays after getting the ball back to extend the lead to 34-21 on Jackson's second touchdown reception of the game.

Turning Point: For Humboldt State, which lost its first three games of the season by an average margin of 39 points, Evan Camerena's interception on Azusa Pacific's second play from scrimmage gave the Lumberjacks an early shot of momentum. Leo Wagner caught Sweeney's 8-yard touchdown pass for an early 7-0 lead, and the Lumberjacks collected three more turnovers in the first quarter alone to stay within striking distance even after Azusa Pacific's high-octane offense clicked into gear.

Azusa Pacific's defense limited Humboldt State to less than 200 yards, but more importantly it minimized the damage from turnovers by holding its ground regardless of field position. After the Lumberjacks' 23-yard touchdown drive on its opening possession, Azusa Pacific limited HSU to 35 yards the rest of the first half and just 26 yards in the third quarter.

Azusa Pacific Standouts: Jackson followed up a nine-catch, 129-yard, two-touchdown receiving effort last week with a career-high 13 receptions for 149 yards and two more touchdowns. Williams was the game's leading rusher, carrying 12 times for 71 yards, and the running back trio of Zikel Reddick, Bryce Grandison, and Gavin McDaniel combined to rush for another 142 yards on 33 carries.

Aaron Berry registered a team-high eight tackles, and eight different players had a hand in the Cougars' nine quarterback sacks. Quentin Frazier registered an interception with a 55-yard return, his second career pick and first of the 2018 campaign for the true sophomore.

Humboldt State Standouts: Ju'wan Murphy did a little bit of everything for the Lumberjacks, recording five tackles with two interceptions while returning the second-half opening kickoff 85 yards for touchdown to pull Humboldt State back within a touchdown, 21-14, at the start of the third quarter. Demetrick Watts added a game-high 10 tackles, while Camerena added seven tackles to his game-changing interception and 21-yard return which set up the Lumberjacks for the opening score of the game.

Andrew Tingstad brought some life to the Humboldt State offense with 115 yards on 5-of-8 passing, all in the fourth quarter. Wagner was the Lumberjacks' leading receiver with five catches for 36 yards, while Tyree Marzetta was HSU's leading rusher with 39 yards on 14 carries.

What's Next: Azusa Pacific wraps up the first half of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference schedule by hosting Central Washington next Saturday, Oct. 6, in a clash between two teams unbeaten in GNAC play so far this year in front of a national broadcast audience on ESPN 3.

Quotable:

Head Coach Victor Santa Cruz


Running Back Bryce Grandison


Defensive Lineman Ma'ake Muti