Kyle Dravis and the APU Cougars still searching for their first win.
(Glendora)- A back and forth game in the first half, turned into a struggle in the second before Humboldt State held on for a 24-20 victory over Azusa Pacific on Saturday night.
The two teams combined to score six touchdowns in the first half, but only three points in the second game that was dominated by big plays and the relentless running of Nick Ricciardulli who carried the ball 45 times for 251 yards.
“Frustrating because you’re doing things and you’re here to win. Perspective wise not frustrating, were finally beginning to play and click like a team and those are the things I gotta go to bed to night and be fired up about. It’s 24-20 but it could easily have gone either way. All in all I like where this team is right now…Everyone else can say what they want to because I know where this team is going.”
Nick Owens’ 9-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Schick capped the Cougars 5-play 60-yard drive to open the contest. The drive was highlighted by a 30-yard completion to Wade Struiksma. The point after failed.
A heartbeat later things got better for APU when the Lumberjacks, on their first play from scrimmage, fumbled the ball and APU freshman linebacker Matthew Hackett gathered it off the ground and returned it 19-yards for a quick score. Jamie Cacciatore added the point after and the Cougars found themselves with a very unfamiliar 13-0 lead.
“That was new for us,” said APU HC Victor Santa Cruz. “It was great.”
Still in the first quarter, Humboldt crawled back into striking distance at the 3:04 mark freshman quarterback Casey Mintz went 7-yards to Marquise Deadwiler. The march covered 64-yards and was kept alive when Mintz connected with Brandon Kakitsuka on a third and eleven. The play went for 15-yards and brought the Jacks to 50.
Humbolt’s Nick Ricciardulli ground out 45 carries and 251-yards.
APU quickly gave the ball back to Humboldt after a three and out. The Jacks then went 69-yards and Daniel Wyatt went the final 20-yards to put his team back on top.
The Cougars went to Terrell Watson (21-117yds)on their next drive. APU’s leading rusher went for 18-yards on the first play of the series to bring the ball passed midfield. He then went 43-yards on the third play, and before covering the final three yards to end zone to put his team back on top, 20-14.
Late in the half Humboldt jump back on top when Mintz went 36-yards to Deadwiler, who got behind Darrell Wilson, for a touchdown. Matt Bruder added the extra point and the Jacks led 21-20 at the break.
The teams traded possessions to start the third quarter, before Humboldt pieced together a drive that ended with Bruder booting a 42-yard field goal to make it 24-20 in favor of the visitors.
The Cougar offense, electric against Simon Fraser the week before and successful in the first half was closed down by the Lumberjacks in the second half. Five of APU’s seven second half possessions ended in a three and out.
A final drive the fourth quarter found life when Owens went 16-yards to Struiksma on a third down and 11. But following another connection with Struiksma for 6-yards, three consecutive incompletions doomed the Cougars cause.
The loss dropped APU to 0-7 on the season, while Humboldt ended a two-game skid and improved to 5-2
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