ELLENSBURG, Wash. (Oct. 4) — Central Washington University held Azusa Pacific University to just four first downs and 82 yards of offense in the second half. But, those heroics were not enough to overcome the Cougars' fast first half, as the Wildcats lost to visiting APU 27-20 at Tomlinson Stadium.
 
"It was great to get back in it in the second half," said CWU first-year head coach Ian Shoemaker. "I really appreciate the character of our kids coming back, playing tough and giving us a chance to win."
 
The Cougars took the opening kickoff and marched 70 yards in seven plays, capped by a Terrell Watson 20-yard touchdown run. Then, on CWU's first offensive play, sophomore quarterback Jake Nelson (6-2, 210, Lake Stevens) threw the first of his two interceptions on the day. APU ended up punting. But, on the Wildcats' second offensive play, running back Ishmael Stinson (5-11, 200, Sr., Gig Harbor) fumbled and that led to a second APU score that put the Cougars up 13-nothing, after CWU blocked the extra-point try.
 
"I was a little disappointed in how we started the game," Shoemaker acknowledged. "Two turnovers in the first two offensive plays and you're not going to beat a good team."
 
After CWU turned the ball over on downs at the APU 35, Watson took the handoff and raced 64 yards to the CWU one-yard line, which set up the Cougars third TD with less than two-minutes gone in the second quarter. That was Watson's long run on a day in which he would carry the football for 256 yards. 
 
CWU would answer with its first touchdown on a short-field drive, set up by a 65-yard punt return by Isaiah Davis (5-10, 186, Jr. Bremerton) to the APU 14. Stinson took the ball in for an eight-yard rushing TD that cut the lead to 20-7 with 5:33 left in the first half. For the second-straight game, Stinson would end up leading all Wildcat ball carriers, as he rushed for 30 yards on six carries.
 
But, APU would put the final first-half score on the board with a four-play, 31-yard drive that followed Nelson's second interception. Tanner Henry caught the 19-yard strike from Chad Jeffries—Henry's second scoring catch of the half—to put the Cougars up 27-7 at intermission.
 
The change in the second half could not have been more dramatic as the Wildcat defense stymied APU, holding the Cougars to a single pass completion after halftime. Conversely, the Wildcat passing game got on track, recorded 201 second-half yards, fueled by an 87-yard scoring strike from Nelson to Kent McKinney Jr. (6-1, 177, So., Seattle), who blazed by two APU defenders for the TD.
 
"We put three receivers to the right and had McKinney by himself on the left and I just hit him," said Nelson.
 
McKinney added, "Jake put it out there I went and got it. We ran it [the play] once the opposite way and it was open. This time they had a safety over the top but I ran by him."
 
That's no surprise, since McKinney is also a sprinter on the CWU track and field team. The TD was the longest in CWU history as an NCAA Division II member.
 
Late in the fourth quarter, McKinney nearly caught another bomb from Nelson but missed it by "inches. It was inches away. I should have come in a little more and I would have had it. That's on me."
 
On the day, McKinney caught four passes for 118 yards. After a 5-13 first half, Nelson completed 13 of 22 second half passes. Greg Logan (5-10, 181, Sr. Graham) was on the receiving end of seven of them for 76 yards.
 
McKinney's touchdown was sandwiched by two Sean McDonald (6-1, 165, So., Sammamish) field goals, from 29 and 21 yards.
 
While CWU was scoring 13 points in the second half, the Wildcat defense kept the Cougars out of the end zone. CWU special teams also blocked two APU kicks—a PAT and field goal attempt.
 
"In the second half, I thought we played a lot better," said Nelson. "The defense kept us in the game."
 
Redshirt freshman middle linebacker Kevin Haynes (6-0, 230, Battle Ground) continued his outstanding play, leading the team—and game—with 12 tackles.
 
With the loss, CWU fell to 2-3 on the season and 1-1 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play. APU improved to 3-1, 1-0 in conference. It was the second consecutive year that the Cougars have won at Tomlinson Stadium.
 
Next Saturday, CWU plays at South Dakota Mines. CWU leaves for Rapid City, S.D. Thursday morning.
 
"It's going to be a short week of prep," Shoemaker acknowledged.