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BOTHELL (Sept. 22) -- Running backs Demetrius Sumler (San Diego, Calif./Cathedral Catholic HS) and Johri Fogerson (Kent/O'Dea HS) combined for 274 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground, helping lead the Central Washington University football team to a 41-17 victory over Azusa Pacific University on Saturday afternoon at Pop Keeney Stadium in Bothell.

The Wildcats improved to 3-1 overall and 3-0 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference with the win. Azusa Pacific fell to 0-4 overall and 0-3 in the GNAC. The Cougars are in their inaugural season of provisional NCAA Division II membership.

The game, which was originally scheduled to be the home opener for CWU and to be played in Ellensburg, was moved to Bothell earlier this week after poor air quality in central Washington necessitated a move for the safety of the teams and spectators.

CWU continued to utilize an effective ground game, scoring on its first two possessions via rushing touchdowns. Sumler capped the opening drive with a three-yard TD run -- the first of his three rushing touchdowns for the game -- while Fogerson found paydirt from four yards out on the opening play of the second quarter for a 13-0 lead.

The shutout was short-lived, though, as Azusa Pacific running back Terrell Watson scored a 65-yard rushing touchdown on the very next play from scrimmage, and the score remained 13-7 until late in the second quarter when Sumler added a four-yard TD run with 3:56 to go in the half.

The Wildcats took their turn with a one-play scoring drive, as Sumler netted a season-long 50-yard run for a touchdown early in the third quarter, pushing the lead to 27-7 with his final TD of the game. Azusa Pacific did respond with a two-play drive that was capped by a 54-yard pass from Tyler Tuiasosopo to Mike Mertens, but the CWU lead remained in double digits the rest of the way despite a 43-yard field goal by the Cougars' Jamie Cacciatore on the first play of the fourth quarter.

The 65 total carries by the CWU offense was its highest single-game total since 1988, while the 98 passing yards by senior Ryan Robertson (Sammamish/Eastlake HS) marked just the second time since 2002 that the Wildcats failed to pass for 100 or more yards in a single game. Robertson completed eight of his 12 pass attempts in the contest.

While the offense thrived with its ground game, the defense also earned four takeaways and kept the Azusa Pacific offense in check. Aside from the two big scoring plays, which helped the Cougars accumulate 119 of their 338 total yards of offense, the Wildcats forced Tuiasosopo into three turnovers -- two fumbles and an interception -- and they also picked off starting quarterback Justin McPherson once. Redshirt freshman Cedrique Chaney (Kelso) intercepted his fourth pass in the last two weeks in the end zone late in the opening half, and then senior linebacker Louie Bruketta (Ellensburg/Kittitas HS) had his first career pick -- and a 22-yard return -- early in the fourth quarter to help seal the CWU victory.

Senior Jarrel Johnson (Bennettsville, S.C./Myrtle Beach HS) had five total tackles, with two of them going for losses. Included was a quarterback sack, while he also forced one fumble and recovered another. Senior Kevin Puckett (Pomona, Calif./Garey HS) led the defense with eight total tackles, while junior linebacker Riley Wall (Olympia/Capital HS) finished with six tackles including three for losses.

Watson totaled 112 rushing yards on just 11 carries for Azusa Pacific, with that total aided by his 65-yard scoring run. Tuiasosopo completed 7 of 14 passes for 136 yards.

CWU is currently scheduled to be home at Tomlinson Stadium in Ellensburg next Saturday (Sept. 29) for a 1 p.m. kickoff versus pre-season conference favorite Humboldt State University. With the air quality still a concern in the Kittitas Valley, CWU officials may elect to move the game to a neutral site. A decision is expected to be made early this next week.