ELLENSBURG, Wash. – Junior kicker Gavin Todd kicked a 42-yard field goal, leaving just 1-second on the clock, as the 23^rd ranked Central Washington University football team defeated 22^nd ranked Azusa Pacific (1-2, 0-2 GNAC) 17-16 to improve to 3-0 on the season and 2-0 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.
 
After the Wildcat defense forced a three-and-out, quarterback Reilly Hennessey hit Christian Gasca on a 16-yard completion to set the Wildcats up at the APU 25-yard line.  Todd lined up for the 42-yard attempt and split the uprights to give CWU the 17-16 advantage.
 
"Leading up to the kick, I was so nervous, but I kept telling myself that this is what they (CWU) brought me in for, and I knew it was going to come down to a kick," Todd said about the last second attempt.  "When the kick went through, I felt true elation.  This (Southern California) is my home, I had all my friends and family here, and it was an amazing feeling to do this for the team and in front of my loved ones."
 
With 1-second to play, the game ended in dramatic fashion as the Cougars took the CWU squibbed kickoff and lateraled seven times, eventually breaking through the Wildcats' line of defense and into the end zone.  As the Azusa Pacific sidelined rushed the field in celebration, the referees huddled and called an illegal forward pass by the Cougars, ending the game, and awarding CWU the 17-16 victory.
 
"Grit is one of our core values, and our guys were the definition of that tonight.  We stepped up in the face of adversity and found a way to pull out a victory," CWU Head Coach Ian Shoemaker said.  "If you look at the stats, we controlled the game.  We ran the ball extremely well and our defense was overpowering.  We turned the ball over a bit too much, and had we taken care of the ball, things may not have been so tense down the stretch.  All in all, it was a great night."
 
Statistically, the Wildcats dominated the football game.  The Wildcats put up 468 yards of total offense, including 263 yards rushing, led by Christian Cummings who ran for a career-high of 111 yards on 17 carries.  Jordan Tufaga also set a career mark on the ground, rushing for 90 yards on 16 carries and a score.
 
The Wildcats held APU to 284 yards of offense, and reigning GNAC Offensive Player of the Year, Andrew Elffers, to just 108 yards passing on five completions.  Kevin Haynes led the defense with 10 tackles, and a sack. 
 
Central Washington totaled five sacks on the night, with Elisha Pa'aga grabbing two for himself.  The defense forced two turnovers on the night, both on interceptions by Tyler Hasty and Darien Williams. 
 
Hennessey finished 23 of 31 for 200 yards, finding Nate Rauda seven times for 87 yards.  Gasca added 64 yards on six receptions, while Justin Peterson and Kyle Self each had three catches for 28 and 19 yards, respectively.
 
Up next, the Wildcats head to St. George, Utah to square off with Dixie State on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 5 p.m.