ST. GEORGE, Utah – The Dixie State football team fell to 0-4 on the season with a 42-23 loss to Azusa Pacific on Saturday at Hansen Stadium.
 
Dixie State bounced back after two disappointing offensive week with 338 yards of total offense, balancing totals with 180 passing yards and 158 yards on the ground. But stopping one of the preeminent runners in the nation, APU's Terrell Watson, and the Cougar rushing attack proved difficult. All six of Azusa Pacific's touchdowns came on the run.
 
The Cougars (3-1) and the Red Storm traded scoring drives deep into the second quarter. Azusa Pacific gave Watson five carries during its opening 10-play drive. A two-yard scamper from Watson put the Cougars up, 7-0.
 
Junior quarterback Ben Longshore (Santa Clarita, CA/Canyon) made his first start of the season and promptly led an answering drive that lasted 13 plays. On third-and-five inside the red zone, Longshore floated a pass to Dalton Groskreutz (Santa Clara, UT/Snow Canyon) in the end zone for a score.
 
APU signal caller Chad Jeffries threw for only 136 yards on 9-of-15 passes, but the firt of his two rushing scores came late in the first quarter. His seven-yard run put the Cougars up 14-7 at the end of the first quarter.
 
A first for the Red Storm, Longshore shared time at quarterback with Hayden Gavett (Corona, CA/Centennial) in a two-man system. Gavett filled in more of a wildcat quarterback role with rushes and option reads to vary the DSU attack. In the Storm's second offensive drive, Gavett rushed for a crucial first down while Longshore found Groskreutz for a second TD score on fourth down at the APU 21-yard line.
 
Jeffries carried the Cougars to a 21-14 lead, rushing three times including another seven-yard scamper into the end zone.
 
Dixie State was unable to knot the game on the next possession, but the DSU defense stepped up. With APU driving to try and bump their lead to two possessions, sophomore cornerback Jacob Witham (Las Vegas, NV/Palo Verde) intercepted a Jeffries pass and set up the Storm in Cougar territory. It took nine plays to drive 47 yards for a score, a six-yard rush from Gavett. The point after attempt by Alex Giordani (West Jordan, UT/West Jordan) was blocked handing Dixie State a 21-20 deficit at the half.
 
Giordani responded by kicking a 42-yard field goal, his longest of the year, to give Dixie State a 23-21 lead early in the third quarter.
 
Azusa Pacific rattled off 21 straight points behind two more Watson rushing scores and scoring run by Ryan Adams. The Cougars were efficient moving the sticks on third down and took advantage of a DSU mistake on special teams in the third quarter.
 
Down by five, 28-23, Dixie State thought they had stalled APU. The Cougars punted on fourth down and seven, but a five-yard substitution penalty on the Storm gave APU an extra shot. Needing two yards instead of seven, APU handed the ball to Watson who barreled his way for a first down. Adams' run of 27 yards followed three plays later.
 
Defensively, junior Robert Metz (Tucson, AZ/Canyon Del Oro) posted a career-best 13 tackles and safety Aeryus Holloway (Compton, CA/Ayala) added 12 stops.
 
Nate Stephens (Redding, CA/Shasta) led the Dixie State receiving corps with seven grabs while Groskreutz posted a team-high 56 receiving yards. Myles Burton (Berkeley, CA/Rodriguez) netted 71 rushing yards on 10 attempts and Gavett finished with 54 yards on the ground.
 
Longshore closed out his first start with 180 passing yards on 23-of-42 passing with two scores and no interceptions. It was the first game in the 2014 season in which Dixie State did not commit a turnover.
 
The Red Storm finishes off their current homestand next Saturday when they play Simon Fraser at 6 p.m. The game will officially kick off GNAC league play for Dixie State.