ARCATA, Calif. -- Senior QB Chris Dixon, the NCAA Division II National Player of the Week 2 weeks ago, continued his sizzling play by accounting for 280 of Humboldt State’s 333 yards of total offense to lead the Lumberjacks to a 21-7 victory over the NAIA’s No. 8-ranked Azusa Pacific.

Dixon rushed for 105 yards on 20 carries and completed 23-of-39 passes for 179 yards and 1 TD to pace Humboldt State, which handed Azusa Pacific its first defeat of the season.

Behind Dixon’s play, Humboldt State took the opening drive and marched 67 yards on 12 plays, capped by Adrian Waddy’s 1-yard blast that put the Lumberjacks up 7-0.

Azusa Pacific answered right before the close of the first quarter when sophomore QB Sean Davis connected with junior TE Jo Jo Herrera on a 60-yard touchdown strike to knot the game at 7-7. That, however, was the last of Azusa Pacific’s highlights for the evening.

Humboldt State added 2 second quarter TDs, using a 57-yard return on Azusa Pacific’s ensuing kickoff to setup the go-ahead score, another Waddy 1-yard burst that completed a 35-yard drive. Then just before halftime, Azusa Pacific botched a punt and handed the ball to the Lumberjacks at the Cougar 38-yard line. Six plays later, Dixon hooked up with Dustin Craeger for the final TD, giving Humboldt State a 21-7 lead at halftime.

The game was expected to turn on Azusa Pacific’s defense vs. the Humboldt State offense, and the Lumberjack’s 2 short-field situations in the second quarter proved to be the Cougars’ demise. The Cougar defense allowed Humboldt State just 82 yards 35 plays in the second half.

Azusa Pacific’s offense, which came into the game averaging 27 points a game, never got untracked and back-to-back interceptions on the first 2 drives of the second half hurt the Cougars’ chances of making any sort of comeback.

Sophomore running back Ben Buys, who came into the game averaging 134 rushing yards a game, was held to a season low 63 yards.

The 7 points are the fewest tallied by an Azusa Pacific team since Southern Oregon shutout the Cougars, 31-0, in 2000, some 31 games ago.

With the loss, Azusa Pacific falls to 4-1 on the season, while Humboldt State improves to 3-1. The Cougars return home next week to host a dangerous and talented Southern Oregon, which defeated Montana State-Northern, 61-0, today. Two weeks ago, the Raiders fell at Humboldt State, 31-10.