Chapman at Azusa Pacific

Saturday (Nov. 15)

Cougar Stadium, 6 p.m.

Records:

Azusa Pacific – 7-1

Chapman – 3-6

THIS WEEK: Nationally-ranked Azusa Pacific, winner in 16 of its past 18 games, returns to action this week to host NCAA Division III Chapman University at 6 p.m. in Cougar Stadium in what will be both team’s regular-season finale but hopefully not the last game for Azusa Pacific.

MISSION ALMOST ACCOMPLISHED: Fifty-one weeks ago Azusa Pacific began a mission to right what it believed was a wrong. It was Nov. 17, 2002, when the then 9-1 Cougars were informed by the NAIA that they would not be participating in the national playoff series, that despite winning 9 of 10 games, including their final 4 in a row, they had been bumped from the 16-team playoff field. Last year’s stunning and gut-wrenching announcement has fueled this year’s set of Cougars, who after winning 7 of 8 games believe they are now 1 victory away from earning that seemingly elusive NAIA playoff berth.

NAIA PLAYOFFS: The NAIA national office in Olathe, Kan., will announce the 16-team field of the 2003 NAIA Playoff Series on Sunday (Nov. 16) at 10 a.m. (PST). The entire field along with first-round sites and pairings will be released via the NAIA website.

THE LAST HURRAH: Twenty Cougar seniors will be playing in the final home game with Azusa Pacific during Saturday’s game with Chapman. Among those seniors are 11 starters, including All-Americans Nick Tavaglione and Anthony Diggs on defense and offensive linemen Aaron Leverenz and Dave Wilford.

SERIES NOTES: Chapman leads the all-times series with Azusa Pacific, 5-4, but the Cougars have won 4 of the past 5 meetings after the Panthers took 4 straight to open the series which began in 1994. In Azusa, the 2 teams have split 4 previous meetings, but again, the Cougars have taken the past 2 played in the Canyon City, including a 38-6 decision in 2000, the Panther’s last visit to Azusa.

A year ago, the Cougars scored TDs on their first 4 possession and in between returned a fumble for another score to jet out to a 35-7 halftime lead on its way to a 48-7 win for its largest margin of victory ever over a Chapman team. Ben Buys rushed for 130 yards on just 17 carries (7.6 avg.) and scored a trio of TDs to pace a Cougar offense that piled up 544 yards of total offense. Meanwhile, the Cougar defense led by Tavaglione and Peder Moore held a Chapman offense that had been averaging 34.5 points over the previous 4 games to just 178 yards of total offense while forcing 4 turnovers, turning a trio of them into eventual Cougar points.

Chapman and Azusa Pacific have closed 6 previous seasons with the Panthers winning 4 of those season-enders. In fact, Azusa Pacific has won 8 of its past 12 regular-season-finales, but all 4 loses were to Chapman (1995-96-97-2001).

vs. NCAA DIVISION III: Since 1996, Azusa Pacific is 36-7 vs. NCAA Division III teams. The Cougars had won 12 straight from 1998 to 2001 and 15 of 16 during one stretch. However, losses in 2001 to Cal Lutheran and Chapman cut the string. The Cougars have started a new winning streak of 9 straight vs. NCAA DIII teams, including winning verdicts over Pacific Lutheran, Cal Lutheran, La Verne and Gustavus Adolphus this season.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME: In 39 seasons of Cougar football, Azusa Pacific has played its home games in 4 different locations (Duarte High School 1965; Hillside Field 1966-68, 1970-1986; Charter Oak High School 1969; and Cougar Stadium 1986- ). The 21-12 over Pacific Lutheran earlier this season was Azusa Pacific’s 100th home victory. The Cougars are currently 103-65-4 in Azusa, which includes an impressive 29-5 mark over the past 5 seasons. They have won 9 straight at home since 2001.

ABOUT THE COACHES: Fifth-year Azusa Pacific head coach Peter Shinnick, son of former Baltimore Colt linebacker and UCLA All-American Don Shinnick, has fashioned a 35-14 record to date. Shinnick reached 30 wins quicker than any previous Cougar mentor, and only Cougar Hall-of-Famer Jim Milhon (1978-94) has won more games at Azusa Pacific (81). Shinnick led Azusa Pacific to the 1999 NAIA semifinals and put the Cougars back in the NAIA playoffs in 2000.

Ken Visser has been Chapman’s only coach since the program was re-instated in 1994. Now in his tenth season at the Panther helm, he has fashioned a 43-47-1 record to date, thanks in part to a school-best 8-1 record in 1995.

NATIONAL RANKINGS: Azusa Pacific was ranked No. 9 in the past 3 NAIA Coaches Top 25 Polls and will probably still be ranked there when this week’s poll is released on Tuesday (Nov. 10) at 1 p.m. In somewhat of an oddity, every one of the NAIA’s top 10-ranked teams has not lost over the past 3 weeks. Heading into this week’s poll, Azusa Pacific has appeared in 21 consecutive NAIA Top 25 Polls and 49 of the past 57 polls dating back to 1998.

LAST WEEK: Azusa Pacific enjoyed its second bye week of the season following a 23-10 victory over Gustavus Adolphus in St. Peter, Minn., on Nov. 1.

In that game, Azusa Pacific scored a pair of touchdowns in the first 5 minutes and then held Gustavus to just 143 yards total offense to pick up the win in the chilly 30-degree temperature of Minnesota. Freshman James Keeler rushed for a career-high 128 yards on 27 carries, including a 33-yard TD run that put the Cougars up 14-0. Sophomore QB Sean Davis enjoyed the best game of his young career, completing 13-of-22 passes for 147 yards, including a 58-yard TD strike to Nate Farris on the Cougars’ opening play of the game.

Chapman dropped a 49-44 barnburner at La Verne last Saturday. The 2 teams combined for 49 points in just the first quarter itself, and the score was tied 28-28 at halftime. Chapman opened a 34-28 lead early in the second half but La Verne answered with back-to-back TDs and then put the game out of reach by driving 66 yards on 10 plays, capped by a 14-yard TD run with 2:08 left in the game.

Chapman QB Patrick Josten completed 11-of-21 passes for 185 yards and 1 TD and rushed for 104 yards on just 15 carries, scoring another TD on the ground. The Panthers collected 402 yards in total offense but surrendered 444 to La Verne.

NATIONAL STATS: In last week’s NAIA national statistical listing (Nov. 6), Azusa Pacific led the nation in punt returns (19.5 avg.), was second in rushing defense (73.9 avg.), fourth in scoring defense (12.2 avg.), 18th rushing offense (207.1 avg.) and 14th in total defense (273.5 avg.). Individually, Cougar RB Ben Buys was 9th in the nation in rushing (142.3 avg.) and tenth in scoring (10.3 avg.). Senior WR Nate Farris continued to lead the nation in punt returns (26.3 avg.) and senior CB Brian Rocheleau was 16th (12.7 avg.).

A new NAIA statistical report reflecting games played through Nov. 8 will be released by the NAIA on Wednesday, Nov. 11.

GROUND HOGS: The Azusa Pacific ground game is seemingly getting better with each game. Currently 18th in the NAIA in rushing offense at 207 yards a game, the Cougars have produced a 100-yard rusher in every game this season (Ben Buys in 6 games and James Keeler in 1) and are 7-0 in those games. Dating back to last year, the Cougars have won 9 straight games in which at least one back has gone over the century figure in rushing. Azusa Pacific has leaned heavily on its rushing attack this season, calling at least 40 running plays in 6 of the 8 games played this year, including a season-high 50 vs. Rocky Mountain. Not since 1996, when the Cougars averaged 209 rushing yards a game, has Azusa Pacific had a ground game like the one operated by this year’s team.

GREEDY GUYS: A year ago, the Azusa Pacific defense, regarded as one of the 10 best in program history, forced 17 turnovers (10 fumbles and 7 interceptions) in 9 games played, just shy of 2 take-aways a game. Through 8 games this year, the Cougar defense has already exceeded last year’s effort with 21 turnovers (11 fumbles and 10 interceptions) and is averaging well over 2 take-aways a game.

RETURN OF THE SACKMASTERS: The Cougar defense, which was shut out of quarterback sacks vs. La Verne, bounced back quite nicely against Gustavus Adolphus, with a season-high 7 sacks. All-American DE Nick Tavaglione had 2 sacks, including one for a safety, and Anthony Diggs tallied 2.5. Together, Tavaglione and Diggs have teamed for 14.5 of the Cougars’ 24 sacks this season. The Cougars are averaging 3 sacks a game, and are collecting over 8 tackles behind the line of scrimmage. The Cougars sacked the opposing quarterbacks at San Diego (3), Cal Lutheran (2), Southern Oregon (3) and Gustavus (7) more than any other team this season. Tavaglione, who currently leads the team with 9 sacks, has 19 in his 17-game career at Azusa Pacific.

LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING: Senior CB Brian Rocheleau (Yucca Valley, Calif./Yucca Valley HS) is playing All-American-like football. The 5-foot-8, 160-pound Rocheleau is currently fourth on the team with 35 tackles, thanks in part to a career-high 10 vs. Humboldt State, a game in which he also collected his first-ever interception. On the season, he leads the team with 9 pass deflections. Against Pacific Lutheran early in the season, he caused a fumble on the Lutes’ second possession to stop a drive inside the Cougar 10-yard line. Then late in the game, he put the breaks on another PLU drive by recovering a fumble again at the Cougar 10-yard line with 3:25 left in the game. Along with his defensive skills, Rocheleau is also an accomplished punt returner, and is averaging a hefty 12.7 yards on his 11 returns this year, 16th in the nation.

SPECIAL GUYS: Azusa Pacific may have its best-ever set of special teams, and their impact has been significant throughout the season. The punt return tandem of Nate Farris and Brian Rocheleau, who together are averaging an NAIA-leading 19.5 yards on their 22 returns this season, have had a huge hand in setting up numerous Cougar TDs through short-field situations set up by their returns.

Meanwhile, kicker David Ignash has now made 4 of his past 7 attempts and is 6-for-11 for the season As a punter, he is averaging 36.9 yards a boot (39.8 avg. over the past 5 games), but more importantly, 29 of his punts have not been returned, including 11 that landed inside the 20-yard line.

Additionally, Azusa Pacific has blocked 3 of 4 field goal attempts during the past 4 games games, and the 2 blocks of Southern Oregon’s second half field goals attempts certainly provided some breathing room for the Cougars down the stretch of that game.

ABOUT THE PANTHERS: An NCAA Division III independent, Chapman has dropped 6 of 9 games this season, but has split its past 4 meetings, and over those past 4 games, the Panthers are averaging a hefty 38 points and 414 yards of total offense.

The Panthers employ an option offense that is spearheaded by QB Patrick Josten, who has thrown for 11 touchdowns and run for another 5. He is averaging 155 yards through the air and 62 on the ground.

While the Panther offense has excelled, the Chapman defense has struggled in recent weeks, surrendering on average 43 points a game over the past 5 contests. Nonetheless, Chapman does have some rather imposing figures and none may be greater than senior LB Michael Carter who has a team-high 7 QB sacks this season. Sophomore defensive back Randell Hill tops the team with 3 interceptions and 12 pass deflections.

SHINNICK SAYS: “The week off has been great. It allowed the o-line to heal and for some key people to get rest. Sean (Davis) had a very good game at Gustavus, and last week he picked up right were he left off in that game and continued to get better during the week.

“Last year, all we had to do was win our last game to get into the playoffs. We won that game, but as we all know, we didn’t get into the playoffs. This year we have to win and not leave any doubt in the rating committee’s mind that we belong. A playoff spot is not guaranteed. I told the guys last week during practice that the playoffs start now.

“I told the seniors that we have to get some work done in the bye week. There’s a lot at stake for these guys. They’re looking to become the first group at Azusa Pacific to have back-to-back 1-loss seasons. They could walk out of here having done what no other team has done.

“Offensively, Chapman is a scary group. They have an experienced quarterback, 2 very good running backs and speed at wide receiver. We have to be well-prepared in order to slow them down. Their option game is going to be a good test for our defense.

“Our defense have been very good because its creates problems for a lot of people. Right now, we’ve got 11 guys on the field playing extremely well together. It’s a group that is confident in each other and in the scheme.”

ON THE AIR: Azusa Pacific’s student-run radio station KAPU will carry the Azusa Pacific-La Verne game. Click here to listen to Mike Dennis and David Nyhoff call all the action starting at 5:50 p.m. on Saturday (Nov. 15).

TICKET PRICES: Tickets for the Chapman game are sold at the gate on game day, starting at 4:30 p.m. Prices are $5 for adults, and $3 for seniors and students with ID. Children age 12 and under are free. All Azusa Pacific students, faculty and staff are free as well. There is no charge for parking.

DIRECTIONS: To attend the Azusa Pacific-Chapman game, take the 210 Freeway and exit Citrus Ave. in Azusa. Go north (toward the mountains). The main entrance into the campus and the stadium will be on the right, less than a mile.