Suddenly, a stunning interception gave Lompoc hope against the always pesky San Luis Obispo Tigers on Friday night.

Just as stunning, moments later, San Luis Obispo's own interception stomped it out - and left no doubt.

San Luis Obispo, poised to score a deciding touchdown late instead witnessed Lompoc's Rudy Yruegas make a spectacular pick in the Braves' endzone with just over 2 minutes left - the Braves down two points.

Only to watch it bettered on the next play.

Lompoc quarterback Ryan Bower's pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage, right to SLO's David Nord who ran uncontested into the endzone for a 20-yard nail-in-the-coffin as San Luis Obispo escaped with the 42-33 win over visiting Lompoc on a homecoming night.

“Every time we play SLO ...” Lompoc coach Robin Luken lamented “ ... it's always been crazy. There was a three-overtime game in 90-whatever. Last year, it was tight at our place. The year before it went to overtime. We've never been able to beat them; since 96 with four years in between that we didn't play them.”

This one didn't lack dramatics, but neither did it lack costly turnovers.

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“Six turnovers to their three or four isn't going to get it done,” Luken said.

It was Lompoc's first loss of the season, the Braves falling to 4-1 while dropping their PAC-7 league opener.

A week after SLO watched Santa Barbara throw seven touchdowns against them in a surprising loss, the Tigers this time did their own damage, via the run.

San Luis Obispo's Jay McElearney finished with 27 carries for 179 yards. He wasted no time, taking his first carry of the game 23 yards in for the touchdown.

However, Lompoc responded with its own drive at the end of the quarter. Frankie Martinez pounded the ball in from 1 yard out for what should have been the equalizer. However, the extra point failed - eventually leaving Lompoc in a predicament as the minutes wound down.

And then the turnovers started.

Lompoc's Jonathan Julian recovered the first - No. 23, McElearney, coughing it up.

But just as quickly, Lompoc's No. 23, Bobby Collins, returned the favor.

McElearney made up for his folly with a 5-yard touchdown run with 9:42 left.

Then he caught a 32-yard pass from David Schultz to put the Tigers in command 21-6 at the half.

The homecoming fireworks were still to come.

As good as McElearney's first half was, Collins' third quarter was just as good.

Collins caught his own long touchdown on a swing pass, good for 31 yards to draw his team nearer. Then he ran in a 25-yard carry to suddenly draw the Braves within two points, 7:18 left.

San Luis Obispo did respond, Schultz falling forward on a quarterback keeper for a 1-yard touchdown - 28-19.

But Collins wasn't done. He had caught a pass for a TD. He had run one in.

And now he was going to find a third way to shoulder his team. Collins took the kickoff at the 3-yard line and left Tigers diving behind him, rushing down the far-side sideline for a thrilling 93-yard return for a touchdown.

“I really didn't expect this much scoring,” Luken later said.

The wild third quarter left Lompoc still down two points - the extra point missed and subsequent 2-point conversion failures coming back to haunt them.

But as wild as the third quarter was, the fourth was quite an encore.

SLO struck first, again from McElearney on his 4-yard run. Lompoc's Scott Aguilar, though, hauled in a 30-yard touchdown on a slant route to equal the effort, 4:34 left in the game.

Yet, it seemed Lompoc was out of time when SLO drove to the Braves' 3-yard-line with just over two minutes remaining.

That's when Yruegas made his remarkable snag on a throw attempt into the endzone.

Lompoc was in business at the 20.

Until Bower's pass was tipped, and converted for a game-killer.

Once again, Luken opted to give both his quarterbacks playing time - Richie Hirzel the first half and Bower the second half.

Collins finished with 112 yards rushing and 42 through the air. For SLO, Schultz finished with 168 yards passing.

Oct. 11, 2008