AZUSA, Calif. – Junior Trent Sakioka provided a bolt of lightening by returning a punt 69 yards to score a touchdown and then set up 2 other scores with impressive returns to spark Azusa Pacific to a much-needed 38-20 victory over Dixie State before a crowd of 3,402 Saturday night at Cougar Stadium.

The victory ends more than a month of frustration in which the Cougars lost 5 straight, and snaps the program’s longest losing streak in 20 years. Senior RB Marcus Lampkin and junior QB Chris Lamkin spearheaded an Azusa Pacific offense that set 12 single-game season highs tonight, including highest total offense (347) and most points scored (38).

With the Cougars trailing 7-0 early in the game, Sakioka took a Rebel punt and sprinted 69 yards untouched in the opposite direction to tally Azusa Pacific’s first special teams TD of the season. Moments later, he returned another punt to the Rebel 35-yard line, and 4 plays later, Lampkin sprinted around right end for an 11-yard TD run to give Azusa Pacific a 14-7 lead it would never relinquish.

Midway through the second quarter, Sakioka returned yet another punt 34 yards to the Dixie 30-yard line. Four plays later, Lamkin hit TE James Webster just across the goal line for a 4-yard TD strike to cap a Cougar run of 21 consecutive points.

Though Azusa Pacific surrendered a touchdown late in the first half to take a 21-13 lead into the lockerroom at halftime, there was little doubt that the Cougars were in control, a feeling they haven’t enjoyed much this season while playing a highly demanding schedule that includes 4 foe ranked in the top 15 of their respective associations.

Azusa Pacific turned to Lampkin in the second half, and he responded with his best showing of the season. One of the program’s all-time best backs, Lampkin had been held in check most of the season until tonight, weaving through the Dixie secondary to accumulate 160 yards on just 18 carries, including 122 in the second half on just 8 touches. The effort vaulted him into seventh place on Azusa Pacific’s all-time rushing chart with 1,901 yards in his 28-game Cougar career.

“I’m more relieved about the win,” said Lampkin. “My success tonight had more to do with the offensive line making big, big holes for me. Records are something you look back on to prove that you played. Right now I’m just trying to live in the moment and enjoy my close family of teammates.”

On his first touch of the second half, Lampkin twisted his way 38 yards downfield to set up another Cougar TD. Two plays later Lamkin tossed a perfect 22-yard strike to Jordan Farrell in the corner of the end zone to push the Cougar advantage to 28-13 less than 3 minutes into the second half.

After Dixie State answered with an Amos Allen 3-yard blast to pull back to within a TD at 28-20, Lampkin led another Cougar response. Two more Lampkin rushes of 31 and 35 yards put the ball back deep in Dixie territory, and though the drive stalled out, it was more than enough gain for freshman PK Ben Hansen to push through a 27-yard field goal for a 31-20 Cougar advantage to end the third quarter.

Dixie State would never come close again.

Led by junior DE Casey Roel, the Cougar defense suffocated Dixie State in the fourth quarter, holding the Rebels to just 2 yards of offense on 11 plays. The Cougars tallied a season-high 8 quarterback sacks on the night and 4 of them came in the fourth quarter alone. Roel, who recorded a career-high 7 tackles, registered 2 of his 4 sacks in the final period.

“Our defense had a good match-up with this opponent,” said Roel, who a year ago played linebacker. “It was their size vs. our speed. I like being back on the defensive line because you can use your speed to keep the offensive line off-balance. It feels more natural for me being closer to the ball.”

Azusa Pacific capped the scoring with a nifty end-around in which WR Paul Hardiman took a pitch as Lamkin got decked and raced to the opposite sideline for a 20-yard score with 10 minutes left in the game.

“It’s nice for our guys to reap some fruit,” said first-year Cougar coach Victor Santa Cruz. “Our seniors have really held this team together. They’ve done a great job of being leaders and keeping us going. Now we have some momentum for the rest of the season.

Azusa Pacific finished with a season-high 347 yards of total offense and averaged a whopping 6.6 yards a rush. In only his second start as a Cougar, Lamkin completed 10-of-16 passes for 130 yards and 2 touchdowns.

“Our passing game was good enough to make them honor it,” added Santa Cruz, “and that opened Marcus getting into their secondary.”

After yielding a game-opening an 82-yard touchdown run off a direct snap to Rebel WR Skyler Ence (the longest rush allowed by a Cougar defense in over 10 years), the Cougar defense bunkered down and held Dixie State to just 15 yards rushing the rest of the game. Of course 8 sacks for a loss of 63 yards helped. In all, Azusa Pacific limited Dixie to just 229 yards total offense, and a mere 57 in the second half.

For his night in spotlight, Sakioka finished with 142 yards on 5 punt returns.

With the win Azusa Pacific improves to 2-6 while Dixie State falls to 1-7.