SURPRISE, Ariz. — It didn't take long for things to start going badly for the Wayland Baptist football team here Saturday night. Ottawa-Arizona, ranked 21st in the NAIA, scored its first points on a blocked punt scoop-and-score less than two minutes into the game, and the undefeated Spirit rolled to an 80-21 Sooner Athletic Conference victory.
Wayland (1-3, 0-2 SAC), which trailed 73-7 at halftime, got two touchdown runs from
Jerrell Peterson, from 28 and 51 yards, and another from
De'Sean Johnson on a 7-yard rush. Johnson wound up with 136 yards on the ground on just 13 carries, an average of 10.5 yards per carry, while Peterson added 85 yards on only eight totes, a 10.6 ypc average.
OUAZ quarterback Austin McCullough completed 15-of-21 passes for 398 yards and seven scores, on throws of 57, 33, 25, 35, 18, 23 and 15 yards. The Spirit ended with 466 yards in the air (to 16 different receivers) and 549 yards of total offense. Wayland wound up with a respectable 417 total yards, including 238 on the ground, but Wayland's undoing were five costly turnovers — three interceptions and a pair of fumbles.
The 24-yard blocked punt return for TD was one of three non-offensive TDs for the Spirit (4-0, 2-0), who also scored on a 25-yard strip sack-and-score in the first quarter to make it 24-0 and 50-yard fumble return just 12 seconds before halftime.
The 80 points represent a school record against Wayland. The Spirit sacked WBU quarterbacks
Nick Quintero and
Trayton McLain seven times.
Sophomore linebacker
Casey Buck led Wayland's defense with 10 tackles, while sophomore
Charles Lee and freshman
Damian Morrell recorded INTs.
The Pioneers are back home next Saturday to host Texas College at 2 p.m. The Steers are 0-3 overall and 0-2 in the SAC, losing Saturday at home to Oklahoma-Panhandle State, 34-8. Texas College's previous losses were to Lyon, Ark., 32-17, and to Lane College, 27-0.
