Have some! Hubolldt’s Bryson Hodge introduces himself to APU’s Silas Goma
(Arcata)- Azusa Pacific found itself down 28-0 and 35-7 before falling 42-17 to Humboldt State on Saturday night at Redwood Stadium in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference opener for both schools.
“I saw a team that was starting to grow up,” said APU HC Victor Santa Cruz. “I see what’s going on, there’s a good nucleus here and it’s growing up.”
In the first quarter the Cougars still looked the team that got bounced around by U.C. Davis the week before. The Lumberjacks amassed 139 yards of total offense in the frame to just 22 for the Cougars.
Humboldt took advantage of an APU fumble for the game’s first score. Ed Dilhunt was hit taking the pitch from quarterback Tyler Tuiasosopo and lost the ball. Linebacker Chris Peterson returned it to the Cougars 30.
Two plays later quarterback Alex Rump went 26-yards to Victor Spencer and it was 7-0 in favor of the home team.
A second APU turnover led to the Lumberjacks next score. Tuiasosopo was picked off by Jeremiah Maluia to set Humboldt up at the Cougars 28. Eight plays later running back Nick Ricciardulli crashed in from 3-yards to make it 14-0.
Watson and Tuiasosops each score a touchdown for the Cougars.
Offensively APU continued to struggle, not picking up its initial first down until there was 6:34 to play in the second on a Terrell Watson run. Watson was again the team’s most effective weapon carrying the ball 13 times for 78 yards and a touchdown.
The Lumberjacks rolled to a 28-0 lead when Daniel Wyatt scored on a ten yard run and Ricciardulli capped a 13-play 65 yard drive with an 8-yard scoring run.
Late in the quarter Tuiasosopo sneaked in on a 1-yard keeper to put the Cougars into the end zone for the first time in 2012.
Tuiasosopo got the start in place of first week starter Nick Owens.
“Tui brings some internals of leadership and he knows the offense,” said Santa Cruz in regards to the switch. “This was his first start in almost two years, since junior college.”
The hoped for miracle comeback didn’t occur in the second half, and things looked none too prosperous when Maluia returned a fumbled 62-yards to paydirt at the start of the third.
Down 35-7, APU instead of folding its tent began to assert itself.
“To me as a head coach you are evaluating how your team is doing,” said Santa Cruz. “We don’t make excuses but I have to be realistic because we’re architecting this thing. We just went toe to toe with the GNAC champ. The ability to be physical is what I’m excited about our guys can hang with that.
The Cougars mini-rally added the game’s next ten points. Freshman kicker Jamie Cacciatore drilled a 29-yard field goal at the 7:04 mark. Six minutes later Watson finished off a 54-yard drive with a 5-yard run to end the third.
The teams balanced the field against each other for the fourth quarter before the Lumberjacks added a late touchdown pass from Rump to tight end Alex Hiebert.
“From week one to week two you want to take a big step forward, we did,” said Santa Cruz. “So it’s back to work on Monday with a positive attitude, because we’ve got a good football team here. We’re going to find the positives, correct the negatives and get this thing rolling.”
Leave a Reply