Skip To Main Content

Azusa Pacific University Athletics

The Online Home of the Azusa Pacific Cougars
Redlands Run
Brady Ecklund
44
Winner Redlands RED 1-3 , 0-1
9
Azusa Pacific APU 1-2 , 0-0
Winner
Redlands RED
1-3 , 0-1
44
Final
9
Azusa Pacific APU
1-2 , 0-0
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
RED Redlands 3 21 13 7 44
APU Azusa Pacific 0 3 0 6 9

Game Recap: Football |

Cougars Unable to Slow Down Redlands

GLENDORA, Calif. - Azusa Pacific stood toe-to-toe with Redlands through the opening stages Saturday night, but 3 Bulldogs touchdowns over the final 9 minutes of the second quarter broke open a tight game and sent the Cougars to a 44-9 loss at Citrus Stadium. The defeat dropped APU to 1-2 in its comeback season and 1-1 in SCIAC play.

For much of the first half, the Cougars gave themselves an opportunity. Redlands took a 3-0 lead on Dominic Ozeta's 29-yard field goal with 4:04 remaining in the opening quarter, but APU answered with perhaps its best sustained possession of the night. The Cougars marched 58 yards on 12 plays, consuming 6:31 before Tyler Nolan connected on a 24-yard field goal with 12:23 left in the second quarter to pull APU even at 3-3.
From there, however, the game swung sharply in Redlands' direction.

Bulldogs quarterback Tobey Schmidt broke the tie with a 34-yard touchdown pass to Carter Leibham at the 8:47 mark of the second quarter. Less than 5 minutes later Schmidt connected with Roshawn Lacy on a 2-yard touchdown pass, pushing Redlands' lead to 17-3. The Bulldogs then delivered another blow just before halftime, with Schmidt scoring on a 10-yard run with 25 seconds remaining to send Redlands into the locker room with a 24-3 advantage.

That 21-point second quarter ultimately proved decisive. After APU had battled Redlands to a 3-3 draw through more than 22 minutes, the Bulldogs scored 3 touchdowns in a span of 8:22.
Redlands did not allow the Cougars an opportunity to regain momentum after halftime. Taylor Bowie scored on a pair of 2-yard runs in the third quarter, the first with 9:32 remaining and the second with 3:59 left, stretching the Bulldogs' advantage to 37-3. Jakai Torres then broke free for an 18-yard touchdown 51 seconds into the fourth quarter, completing a run of 41 consecutive points.

Azusa Pacific finally reached the end zone with 4:33 remaining. Quarterback Laki Wallwork capped the scoring for the Cougars by scrambling 13 yards for a touchdown, his fourth rushing TD in the past 2 games.
The final numbers reflected Redlands' control after the early stalemate. The Bulldogs out-gained APU 427-143 in total offense, including a sizable 243-37 advantage on the ground, and generated 21 first downs to the Cougars' 9. Redlands averaged 6.7 yards on 64 offensive plays, while APU was held to 3.0 yards on its 48 snaps. The Cougars converted just 3-of-12 third downs and 1-of-2 fourth downs.

Wallwork accounted for the majority of APU's offense. He completed 9 of 15 passes for 106 yards without an interception and also led the Cougars on the ground with 13 yards and their lone touchdown. Redlands, meanwhile, sacked the APU QB 4 times for 26 yards in losses, which contributed significantly to the Cougars' season-low 37 net rushing yards.

Schmidt was efficient for Redlands, completing 10 of 16 passes for 146 yards and 2 touchdowns while adding 19 rushing yards and a score. Bowie rushed 12 times for 75 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Mark Mitchell III led the Bulldogs with 76 yards on 21 carries.

One bright spot for APU was its ability to protect the football. The Cougars did not commit a turnover and were penalized only twice for 15 yards. They also nearly played Redlands even in possession time, holding the ball for 30:17 compared with 29:43 for the Bulldogs. Those numbers, however, could not overcome APU's difficulty sustaining drives or containing a Redlands offense that produced 184 yards through the air and 243 on the ground.

The loss came 2 weeks after APU celebrated the first victory of its restored football era, a 35-17 win over Whittier on Sept. 19. Saturday's result leaves the Cougars 1-2 through their first 3 games of the campaign
The meeting also renewed a series that had been dormant for more than a quarter-century. The programs had not played since 2000, while an earlier meeting in 1999 produced one of the highest-scoring games in APU history against Redlands, a 59-52 Cougar victory at Redlands.

APU now returns to the road, traveling to Thousand Oaks next Saturday, Oct. 10, to face Cal Lutheran at 7 p.m. The Cougars then return home Oct. 17 against Chapman to open the newly-renovated Cougar Stadium.  Kickoff for that game in 2 weeks is set for 6 p.m.
 
 
Print Friendly Version