Southwest Breezes Past Marauders : College football: Brown rushes for 126 yards to help blow away Antelope Valley, 28-0, in Southern California Bowl game.

Turnovers, bad bounces and even Mother Nature played a hand in Antelope Valley College’s downfall in Saturday’s Southern California Bowl game.

As a result, the Marauders were bowled over by visiting L.A. Southwest, 28-0, in a contest that few figured would be so lopsided.

Antelope Valley (8-3) committed five turnovers, four on interceptions thrown by sophomore Marty Washington. The Marauder quarterback, who also lost a fumble, was harassed all afternoon and completed only two of nine passes for 26 yards.

Twice the 6-foot-2 Washington was blindsided while throwing, and each time the ball squirted into the arms of a defensive lineman.

A strong wind hampered the Marauders’ usually strong passing attack. But a swarming Cougar defense, which limited Antelope Valley to 124 yards and eight first downs, probably was more responsible.

“We didn’t expect it to be like this,” Southwest Coach Henry Washington said. “But we did our homework. We studied their film and we stopped them from doing things they like to do.”

Southwest (8-2-1) forced the game’s first break midway through the second quarter. Attempting to pass inside the Antelope Valley five-yard line, Washington was hit and fumbled away the ball at the three-yard line.

Freshman fullback Takim Brown then entered the game for the first time and rushed three yards to give Southwest a 6-0 lead.

From there, it was all Brown, who finished with 126 yards and two touchdowns in 20 carries to earn honors as the game’s most outstanding offensive player.

The 6-foot, 240-pound Brown’s performance was particularly impressive considering that he sat on the bench for most of the first half as punishment for missing three practices this week.

During Thanksgiving weekend, Brown visited his hometown of Pullman, Wash., and was unable to return as scheduled because of an unexpected heavy snowfall.

“I was stranded,” Brown said. “I couldn’t get out.”

In the third quarter, Brown, who rushed for only four yards in two attempts in the first half, carried 11 times for 90 yards, including an 18-yard touchdown run that increased the Cougars’ lead to 20-0.

“Our guys were getting tired trying to stop him,” Antelope Valley Coach Brent Carder said. “Our defense was on the field for a long time. That’s the kind of guy you need to have to wear somebody down.”

Earlier in the third quarter, quarterback Jesse Wallace hit wide receiver Michael Stephens on an eight-yard pass to make it 12-0. Wallace hit Stephens on a two-point conversion after Brown’s second touchdown.

In the fourth quarter, Wallace ran eight yards for a touchdown on a quarterback draw, and a two-point conversion gave the Cougars their final points.

In summation, it was a forgettable game, Carder said.

“I’m a little depressed right now,” Carder said. “We like to hold onto the ball, but five turnovers took care of that. We have to give them credit.”