Wednesday, September 3, 2014

GLENDORA, Calif. -- After a successful two-year NCAA Division II adjustment period, Azusa Pacific enters its first season of full active status with lofty preseason expectations Thursday when it takes on Grand Valley State (Mich.) in a non-conference football game at Citrus Stadium. 

The 6 p.m. season opener will be broadcast to a national television audience on the CBS Sports Network.

Matching up with Division II’s all-time winningest program is a tall order for the NCAA’s newest active Division II football program, but it’s exactly the type of challenge that ninth-year head coach Victor Santa Cruz embraces as he continues to elevate Azusa Pacific to national prominence.

Like every program entering a new season, Azusa Pacific has question marks.  However, the atmosphere surrounding the Cougar program under Santa Cruz is one of excitement and enthusiasm, thanks to the return of seniors Terrell Watson and Tyler Thornton, last year’s GNAC Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, respectively.

After going 9-1 in conference play and 10-2 overall last year, the Cougars enter 2014 as the unanimous favorite in the GNAC preseason coaches poll while entering the national Top 25 for the first time in program history with a No. 22 preseason ranking.

Although the 112-player roster includes just 10 returning starters, the fewest in the GNAC, Azusa Pacific has the most returning letter winners (46) in the conference for the second consecutive season.

“I couldn’t be more excited about our senior leadership throughout the team,” Santa Cruz said. “Collectively, they really represent the heartbeat of the program.

"They hold a high standard, but at the same time they’re also infectious with getting our whole team to see what the standard of our program is both on and off the field.

"I’m excited for who these young men are and to see them grow within the standards we have for our program. They’re excited for every opportunity to play football and practice football, but more importantly just to be with each other.”

Grand Valley, which is ranked second nationally in the AFCA pre-season national poll, comes into the game coming off a 12-3 season in 2013, which ended with a 27-13 loss in the NCAA Division II national semifinals against eventual national champion Northwest Missouri State.

Azusa Pacific won its final eight games a year ago including a 67-0 victory over Division III Greenville College last December in the Victory Bowl in Rome, Ga. 

Its only two losses were 38-17 at Grand Valley in its season opener and 7-3 in a home game Sept. 28 against Central Washington.

Thursday's game is one of seven on this week's GNAC schedule.  The other six are all scheduled to be played on Saturday.

Two of the other six are against NCAA Division I Football Championship Series (FCS) teams as Central Washington plays at the University of Montana and Western Oregon takes on Portland State at Hillsboro, Ore.

Elsewhere Dixie State plays at Colorado Mesa  (7 p.m.), Humboldt State visits Texas A&M - Kingsville (7 p.m.), Simon Fraser hosts Menlo (noon) and Colorado Mines plays at South Dakota Mines (6 p.m.).