MidValleySports.Com

It was a record setting night for Terrell Watson.

(Glendora) – Terrell Watson rushed for 299 yards and five touchdowns on 29 carries to lead Azusa Pacific to a 44-36 comeback win over Simon Fraser Saturday night at Citrus College. Watson scored all five touchdowns in the second half including four in the fourth quarter to become APU’s all-time career rushing touchdown leader.

The Cougars trailed 23-3 at halftime and Watson had only 28 yards in the first half before exploding in the second half. APU finally took the lead early in the fourth quarter on a 70-yard run by Watson but the lead changed hands twice more before the Cougs settled it late with two more Watson touchdowns.

Terrell Watson receives the game ball from former Cougar Christian Okoye

***With the five touchdowns Watson broke the single game APU TD record held by Christian Okoye, who attended the game and was on hand afterwards to congratulate Watson.

***Watson came into the game as the sixth leading rusher for APU and fourth all time in rushing touchdowns. With the five scores Watson jumped over Okoye, John ven den Raadt and Ben Buys to become the Cougars’ career touchdown record holder.

***Watson also had a 68 yard touchdown run with 5:10 left in the contest that gave Azusa Pacific a 37-36 lead. He then scored again on a 13 yard run with 2:20 left to seal it.

***Watson’s 299 yard night also was the second best single game yards total in Great Northwest Athletic Conference history and he tied the GNAC record for single game rushing touchdowns with five. His 10.3 yards per carry was a conference best for highest single game rsuhing average for a rusher with at least 20 carries.

***Simon Fraser had one last shot but was stopped on a fourth and five on an incomplete pass at the Cougar 31 with 1:07 left.

***Watson’s other scores came on short runs of one and two yards.

***The Cougars had 508 total yards. Simon Fraser had 475.

***APU quarterback Dasmen Stewart was 8 of 24 for 171 yards and an interception.

***Simon Fraser led 10-3 after one and and 23-3 at halftime when Chris Tolbert scored on runs of one and two yards in the second quarter. Tolbert had four touchdowns on the night.

***Jamie Cacciatore booted three field goals for Azusa Pacific  including a 45 yarder in the fourth quarter that tied the game at 30.

***Tolbert had 34 carries for 174 yards for Simon Fraser. Quarterback Ryan Stanford completed 22 of 44 for 250 yards, one touchdown and an interception.

***There were 46 points scored in the fourth quarter combined-31 by APU.

***”My role is small. The linemen did a great job and my job is easy compared to them. In the second half we knew we had to come out and play. It’s a blessing to be here. I love this school,” said Watson.

***”It shows a lot of who he is as a person; he will do whatever it takes for this team to win. We talked about sacrifice at halftime and he took it to heart. He gave everything,” said APU HC Victor Santa Cruz on Watson.

***”It goes down as one of my top two games with the game against Central Washington last year as being number one. It’s just a great win. To come back that way and see our guys…the heart…it was awesome. They could have folded if they wanted ot but they’re champions and I believe that,” Santa Cruz said.

***After APU tied the score at 30 with 6:09 left Simon Fraser responded 45 seconds later on a 51 yard TD pass from Stanford to Bobby Brocky to take a 36-30 advantage. Watson scored the last two touchdowns.

***Azusa Pacific improved to 4-2 overall (4-1 in the GNAC) while Simon Fraser fell to 2-3 and 2-3 in the GNAC. .

SF  10  13  0  13

AP  3    0 10  31