CLU CAN'T KEEP UP WITH AZUSA AZUSA PACIFIC 31, CAL LUTHERAN 10.

Byline: Heather Gripp Staff Writer

AZUSA - The Cal Lutheran football team distinguished itself by achieving what other offenses couldn't do against Azusa Pacific. But then the Kingsmen turned into just another victim of the nationally ranked Cougars.

Cal Lutheran became just the second team in 13 games to score a touchdown against Azusa Pacific, but little went right for the Kingsmen after that in a 31-10 nonconference loss to the Cougars in front of 2,416 on Saturday at Azusa Pacific.

Cal Lutheran's 10-0 lead after one quarter was erased as the Cougars returned to the form that earned them the No. 10 ranking in the NAIA coaches' poll.

By the second half, first downs, much less scoring, became a rarity for Cal Lutheran (1-3). The Kingsmen went without a first down in the half until nearly 10 minutes into the fourth quarter.

They hurt themselves with three turnovers in the second half, including two intercepted passes from Casey Preston (26 of 52 passing for 292 yards).

However, the Cougars (4-0) did plenty of damage on their own.

Azusa Pacific standout running back Ben Buys, who was held to 26 yards in the first half, hit his stride to finish with a game-high 124 yards on 22 carries for his fifth consecutive game with 100-plus yards rushing.

Heather Gripp, [phone]

heather.gripp(at)dailynews.com