Leopards lose catfight to Cougars
Campus Times
November 12, 1999
ULV suffered a tough 47-45 loss Saturday afternoon to the defending
NAIA National Champions, Azusa Pacific University. Senior quarterback Dan
Blahy directed the offense, completing 21-of-31 passes for 329 yards and
three touchdowns. With two seconds remaining on the clock APU successfully
kicked a 19-yard field goal to win the game.
In a season in which most of its games have come down to the wire, the
University of La Verne football team has seemingly had as many lives as
a cat.
But Saturday, for only the second time this season, the Leopards were
defeated on the final play of the game as they lost to the Azusa Pacific
University Cougars, 47-45.
"We've been in tough ballgames all year," said ULV head coach
Don Morel, "and we've won the majority of them."
"But this is a pretty good 6-2 football team," Morel said
of the Cougars, the defending NAIA national champions. "I don't think
we have anything to be embarrassed by."
APU place-kicker Mike Spellman kicked a 19-yard field goal as time expired,
capping a 12-play, 81-yard drive and giving the Cougars the victory.
After junior Jonathan Johnson's 30-yard interception return for a touchdown,
La Verne led 38-23 with 5:05 left in the third quarter.
But APU's Jack Williams then scored three touchdowns, the last of which,
a 2-yard run with 8:08 to play, gave the Cougars a 44-38 advantage. Williams
tied a school record with six touchdowns as he led APU's attack with 164
yards and four TDs rushing. He also caught three passes for 93 yards.
The Leopards retook the lead, 45-44, with 3:38 to play on junior running
back Ricky Allen's 2-yard run. But they could not stop Williams, who spearheaded
the Cougars' drive from their own 17 to first and goal at the La Verne 6.
Three Williams' runs later, APU called a timeout with two seconds remaining
and on fourth down, Spellman booted the winning kick.
La Verne senior quarterback Dan Blahy threw three first-half touchdowns
as he staged an impressive showdown with Neo Aoga, the Cougars' 6'3",
285-pound senior quarterback.
Blahy completed 21-of-31 passes for 329 yards and Aoga passed for 362
yards and two TDs on 28-of-43 passing.
Senior receiver Kenny Fredieu, who had eight receptions for 183 yards,
caught a 66-yard TD from Blahy to open the scoring in a first half dominated
by big plays. The lead changed possession five times in the half.
La Verne led 21-17 with six minutes left in the half after Blahy's 13-yard
TD pass to senior receiver Rashard Magee, a lead which they held until the
fourth quarter.
The Leopards had their biggest lead of the game when Johnson stepped
in front of his receiver, intercepted Aoga and raced down the left sideline
to put La Verne up 38-23 in the third quarter.
Williams scored his fourth touchdown on the Cougars next possession,
but Aoga's two-point conversion attempt was broken up, preventing APU from
closing within a touchdown.
The Leopards turned the ball over on the second play of their next drive
when Fredieu caught a pass but had the ball knocked loose, giving the Cougars
possession at ULV's 16-yard line.
Fredieu's fumble was the fourth of five fumbles lost by La Verne (6-2,
4-1 SCIAC), which had six turnovers in the game.
"I think we played well, but the bottom line is I've never seen
a team win a game with [six] turnovers," said Morel.
On APU's first play, Aoga was wrapped up by Sanchez but still managed
to loft a pass to Williams, who ran into the end zone untouched, making
the score 38-36.
The Leopards forced APU to punt on its next possession when Sanchez
sacked Aoga on third down.
But La Verne gave the ball right back when Magee fumbled after what
would have been a first-down catch.
Williams then gave the Cougars their first lead, 44-38, since the first
half when he scored from two yards out.
Freshman Justin Brown's 27-yard kickoff return gave the Leopards good
field position at APU's 42. Blahy bobbled the snap on second and goal but
still managed to toss the ball to Allen, who ran it into the end zone for
a 45-44 ULV advantage.
"They're the defending NAIA champs and I couldn't ask for more
out of our guys," said Morel. "Every game ... our guys have played
as hard as they can and, as a coach, I couldn't be more thrilled about that."
