Central’s football team won, 24-21, in a thriller against defending conference champions Azusa Pacific this past Saturday. The Wildcats had huge games coming from their defense and running game.

This Saturday’s game ended with Azusa’s quarterback making an improvised pitch to their running back, who took it 78 yards before being tackled at the one-yard line by the Wildcat’s Anthony Beaver and Blake Williams-Miller.

Central was led by running back Arthur Burns, who rushed for 155 yards and scored all three Wildcat game touchdowns.

The feat was a career high for Burns, a transfer from Washington State University, taking a huge step forward after missing his first season due to an injury.

The Wildcats needed to help quarterback Justin Lane through the running attack. Lane was only starting in his second game and playing without star wideout, Jesse Zalk.

In game film, Central looked for different formations that Azusa hadn’t seen from previous weeks.

“They hadn’t seen any double tight end sets. We thought it would be an advantage to us and it turned out to be a positive for us,” head coach Ian Shoemaker said.

Running back Jordan Todd initially started the game, but was brought down hard early and did not return to action.

Shoemaker said the injury was a high ankle sprain and the team will see how his body responds throughout the week.

The running game exploded this week against Azusa Pacific, however the Wildcats still have a game plan for what the defense gives them.

“It’s dictated by what’s given to us and what the defenses provide,” Shoemaker said. “The week before Simon Fraser gave us some things in the pass game and we took advantage early and, this week, we found that the run game was where our advantage was.”

Easily one of the biggest plays for the defense this week was from Wildcat’s defensive back Myles Carelock’s interception.

With a little more than two minutes remaining in the third quarter, Carelock jumped an out route and took the ball 32 yards downfield until being tackled at the Azusa 13 yard line.

Central ended up kicking the go-ahead field goal, claiming their second lead of the game.

Special teams played a crucial part in Saturday’s win, blocking a field goal and extra point; leaving four points off the board for Azusa.

Shoemaker said there wasn’t a tell that they saw on film during the week, just consistent effort on Central’s part.

The defense and special teams kept showing up as they blocked a punt deep in Azusa’s territory, setting up the first of three of Arthur Burn’s scores. Azusa answered on their next drive, making it 7-13 at the end of one.

Central was down 21-7 late in the first half, with Azusa marching down the field.

The Wildcats put Azusa in a fourth and goal situation from the 24-yard line and stuffed them for a nine-yard tackle for loss. Central responded with a 67-yard drive that resulted in Burns’s second touchdown of the day.

The Wildcats have their second conference game at home against the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology on Saturday at home.

Central has  a leg up going into this week because South Dakota runs a similar defense to Azusa.

“We will be emphasizing some of the similar things in the run game and matchups and things like that,” Shoemaker said. “We need to contain the pretty active quarterback.”