GLENDORA, Calif. -- A week after holding West Texas A&M to seven points in the season opener, Azusa Pacific's offense put on a show in a 58-14 victory over Simon Fraser in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference opener for both teams.
The Cougars scored 35 points off five turnovers, including a pair of defensive touchdowns, and sophomore QB Tyrone Williams Jr. produced five touchdowns (three passing, two rushing) while guiding Azusa Pacific to over 500 yards of total offense in the second week of the season.
Williams completed 21-of-27 passes for 301 yards and rushed 11 times for 62 yards, and he helped junior WR Weston Carr produce his first 100-yard receiving game of the year. Carr hauled in seven receptions for 137 yards and a pair of touchdowns, including a 30-yard connection for the game's first score in the opening quarter.
Robbie Polimeni hauled in a deflected pass on the ensuing drive and returned it 54 yards for a touchdown to extend the lead to 14-0. Carr's second touchdown covered 43 yards, and it was also followed by a defensive score when Cole Anderson picked up a fumble forced by David Price and returned it 31 yards for a score late in the third quarter.
Josh Olave led the big-play defense with a pair of interceptions and another pass breakup, and Jacob Hall led the special teams performance with a perfect 10-for-10 placekicking performance. He was 7-for-7 on extra points and 3-for-3 on progressively longer field goals, hitting from 38 yards in the second quarter, 47 yards in the third quarter, and 50 yards with plenty of room to spare in the fourth quarter.
How It Happened: After going three-and-out on the game's opening possession and a turnover on its second series, Azusa Pacific scored on 10 of its remaining 12 possessions of the game, starting with Carr's 30-yard touchdown reception with 5:45 left in the first quarter. On the ensuing series, Polimeni collected an interception on a bobbled pass and rumbled 54 yards to the end zone for a 14-0 lead.
The Cougars produced four first-half turnovers, which all led to touchdowns, including two scores in the final 2:10 of the half which extended Azusa Pacific's 14-7 lead early in the second quarter into a commanding 38-7 halftime margin. Hall got the second-half scoring started with a 47-yard field goal, and Williams hit Carr with a 43-yard touchdown pass before Anderson's fumble recovery score gave the Cougars a 55-7 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Turning Point: Simon Fraser's offense found success early in the game, producing 128 yards of offense in the opening quarter and adding 29 more on quarterback Miles Richardson's long touchdown run to open the second quarter. After Williams engineered a 10-play, 67-yard touchdown drive to extend the lead to 21-7, the defense responded with a three-and-out series which sent SFU backwards nine yards. The next two Simon Fraser possessions were an Olave interception and another three-and-out that led to 10 points, and Siaki Alualu jumped on a fumbled kickoff return with 32 seconds left in the half. Williams connected with Lucas Widmer for a 14-yard touchdown on the next play from scrimmage, pushing the halftime lead to 38-7 with a 17-point outburst in a span of less than two minutes.
Azusa Pacific Standouts: Williams spread his 21 completions around to seven different receivers, with Carr leading the way with seven catches for 137 yards. Gaige Allen added five receptions for 65 yards, and the Cougars had balance in a rushing attack which produced 212 rushing yards. Ray Riley dashed for a game-high 63 yards on three touches, busting out for a 56-yard gain on his final carry to finish with the team rushing lead ahead of Williams' 62-yard rushing effort.
The starting linebacker trio of Aaron Berry, Willie Fair, and Adrian Shocks each registered a team-high seven tackles, with Fair recording a tackle for loss.
Simon Fraser Standouts: Running back Jason Nelson averaged nearly five yards per carry, rushing for 76 yards on 16 carries, and quarterback Miles Richardson was dangerous on the ground with 56 rushing yards on nine carries. Richardson's longest run was his 29-yard touchdown scamper, and he completed 15-of-31 passes for 115 yards although he threw three interceptions. The Clan's lone passing touchdown came in the fourth quarter from backup QB Justin Seiber to TE Spencer McCabe. Shane Ward led the Simon Fraser defense with a game-high 10 tackles, and he also forced a fumble.
What's Next: Azusa Pacific continues GNAC play with its first road game of the 2018 season, visiting Western Oregon on Saturday, Sept. 15, at 1:00 p.m. That trip is followed by a non-conference visit to North Alabama on Sept. 22 before the Cougars return to Citrus Stadium for consecutive home matchups against Humboldt State and Central Washington.
Quotable:
