Owens to Dravis Delivers APU First Win

dbarker on October 20, 2012 — Leave a Comment

Nick Owens leads APU to first 2012 victory!

(Glendora)- “I said to my athletic director; ‘did I just guarantee a win?'” Azusa Pacific University head coach Victor Santa Cruz shared with reporters after the game on Saturday night. In fact he had and it may have taken a few key bounces, big defensive plays, and a really long pass from Nick Owens to Kyle Dravis but the guarantee stood as the Cougars won their first game of the season 24-17 over Central Washington.

Speaking Friday night at the team’s largest fundraising dinner of the year Santa Cruz let out the confidence he had in his team and his belief in them by promising the win.

“We heard it,” said APU quarterback Nick Owens who led the offense to three second half touchdowns after the teams stalemated in a 3-3 first half tie. It was also Owens who ‘Dialed Eight’, ‘Went Federal Express’, ‘Went Long”, 53-yards long, to Kyle Dravis with 49 second remaining to get the win.

The Cougar D!

After the Cougars built a 17-3 lead in the fourth quarter the Wildcats began to chip away. After missing opportunities on an early drive and having a field goal attempt partially blocked by APU’s Silas Goma, Central Washington went on the march. Taking advantage of a bad punt CW went 50-yards on eight plays. Demetrius Sumler scores on a 1-yard run at 8:55 mark to play to make it 17-10.

The Wildcats won a scramble to recover an onside kick at its own 40-yard line. A 38-yard pass from Ryan Robertson to Anthony Spain moved the ball deep into APU territory and 21-yard completion from Robertson to Spain on fourth down and 18 kept the drive alive. Robertson then went 9-yards to Sumler for the touchdown. After scoring the touchdown Sumler threw the ball in the air and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty was called. CW kicker Sean Davis was forced to tie game on a 35-yard extra point.

The Cougars had their next drive stall at the Central Washington 22 and a field goal attempt went wide left. CW was immediately forced to give the ball back after going three and out.

Starting at its own 24 with 1:50 left in the game APU went to work.

Owens followed an incompletion with a 19-yard pass to wide receiver Mike Martens. Terrell Watson then carried the ball four yards to the 47. A second down pass fell incomplete to set up a third and six from Cougars 47.

“They didn’t have safety help over the top,” said Owens. “I’d seen that the whole game and I knew Kyle (Dravis) could take that, but we couldn’t connect.”

“I was the primary,” said Dravis with a smile.

Out of a shotgun formation Owens took the snap and, knowing he was going to take a hit, stepped up and made the throw. Dravis beat the cover corner to the inside and, without a safety in centerfield, and made the catch for the game winner.

Like Sumler’s touchdown, Dravis was flagged for excessive celebration (high-stepping into the end zone) and the penalty was applied to APU’s kick-off. Instead of driving the ball downfield, the ball was pooched kick and returned into Cougar territory. A five-yard offside penalty was tacked onto that and CW had the ball first and ten at the 32 with 43 seconds remaining.
On first down Robertson, facing relentless pressure for much of night scrambled for 14-yards. His next two passes fell incomplete. On third and ten, and the ball of the left hash, Robertson attempted to throw the ball on a deep out across the the far hash. APU safety Nick Grunsky read the play and picked the ball off to secure the win.
APU scored on its first possession of the second half after Owens hit Dravis on a sideline route that gained 64-yards. Two plays later Watson scored on a 14-yard run to make it 10-3.
Eight minutes later Ronald Douglas on his fifth carry of the game, 14th of the season, blasted through a gap and raced 73-yards for a touchdown and 17-3 lead.

 

 

Nick Grunsky’s inteception saved the day for the Cougars

 

 

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