SANTA ANA - The Dons won their second bowl game in three years after defeating College of the Canyons 24-21 in the 2012 Southern California Bowl. The victory closes out the 2012 season and gave the Dons an 8-3 record while Canyons ended its season with a 6-5 record.

The Dons used two defensive stands in the final quarter after Terifa Tafuna put SAC up 24-21 on a 27-yard touchdown run in the first minute of the fourth quarter. The Cougars had just three possessions for the rest of the game, getting in scoring position twice before coming up empty.

The Cougars first drive in the fourth quarter was a three-and-out before they got the ball back with over 11 minutes left in the game. That drive made it down to the Dons 20-yard line but was quickly ended when Justin Lenzelle intercepted a pass on the nine-yard line.

Canyons had one more chance as the Cougars drove to the Dons nine-yard line before a 15-yard penalty and a sack by Thomas Olds pushed them back to the 31-yard line. After a potential first-and-goal, the Cougars faced fourth-and-28 and saw their final pass fall incomplete.

The game reached the final score of 24-21 with Canyons scoring first on an eight-yard run by Ryan Kasdorf in the opening minutes of the game. Joshua Webb evened the score at 7-7 just 13 seconds later when he returned the ensuing kickoff 91-yards for a touchdown.

Webb later gave the Dons their first lead of the game at 14-14 halfway through the first quarter when he caught a 24-yard touchdown pass from Beau Perry. Canyons tied the game at 14-14 before the first quarter ended with a six-yard touchdown pass from Kasdorf to Tim White.

Dan Vear made back-to-back plays for Canyons in the second quarter to reclaim the lead for the Cougars at 21-14. One play after he blocked a Dons punt, Vear caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from Kasdorf.

Dillan Freiberg pulled the Dons within four points at 21-17 with 11:18 left in the third quarter with a 29-yard field goal, setting up Tafuna's game-winning touchdown.

Webb was named the game's Most Valuable Player with his two touchdowns while Areseo Lakey was named the Offensive Player of the Game as he rushed for 135 yards on 20 carries. Canyons' Joey Cicoria was named the Defensive Player of the Game after recording 11 tackles with a sack and a tackle for a loss.