Rachel Heaton
The Paw Print
With multiple offensive scores and an interception for a touchdown from junior Brent Lush (Tucson, Ariz.), the Adams State University football team took down non-conference opponent Wayland Baptist University (Texas) on Saturday with a final score of 55-7. Adams State advances to 2-0 overall, while Wayland Baptist falls to 0-2.
For Wayland Baptist, this was their first home football contest in 72 years as this is their first season of football since 1940.
The Grizzlies got onto the board early with a 30 yard pass from junior Cody Davies (Bozeman, Mont.) to senior JB Hall (Boulder, Colo.). A successful 2-point conversion by senior James Ackel (Riverside, Calif.) put ASU up 8-0 with 9:25 left to go in the first quarter. On ASU’s next possession, Lush would recover a fumble that led to a ten yard run by freshman Chaz Butler (Denver, Colo.) This put the Grizzlies up 15-0.
Lush then intercepted the ball and took it 30 yards into the end zone, giving Adams State a 22-0 lead. With 1:38 left in the first quarter, senior Trevor Eggleston (Tucson, Ariz.) came in and rushed 8 yards for the final score of the half and an Adams State lead of 29-0. In the first quarter, the Grizzlies scored of four consecutive drives.
The second quarter found more Grizzlies in the end zone. Senior Ron Gaudin (Miami, Fla.) scored for ASU on a 21 yard pass from Davies with 10:55 left in the half, putting the Grizzlies up 36-0. Senior David Van Voris (Elizabeth, Colo.) added three more points with a 26 yard field goal.
Senior Scott Kellogg (Littleton, Colo.) also found the end zone on an 11 yard pass from Davies with 14 seconds left in the half. This left the score at 46-0 in favor of Adams State going into halftime.
Adams State’s first drive of the second half ended with a 29 yard field goal by Van Voris. This put the Grizzlies up 49-0 and was the only scoring play of the third quarter.
On the first play of the fourth quarter, Van Voris kicked a 47 yard field goal to give ASU a 52-0 lead.
The fourth quarter also saw Wayland Baptist get on the board for the first and only time of the game. A one yard pass from WBU quarterback Luis Gonzalez to Seth Eaton and a successful point after by Reid Layton made the score 52-7.
The Grizzlies capped off the game with another Van Voris field goal, good for 28 yards. This put the final score at 55-7, in favor of Adams State.
ASU racked up 642 yards of total offense in the game, while holding WBU to 233 yards. Davies was 18-20, throwing for 287 yards and 3 touchdowns. Eggleston went 9-9 for a total of 78 yards.
Red-shirt freshman Dominique Matthews (Brighton, Colo.) led the Grizzlies in rushing with 85 yards on 14 carries. Sophomore Michael Carl (Rush, Colo.) had 60 yards on 13 carries.
Gaudin led the receivers with 114 yards and a touchdown on 7 catches. Kellogg had 6 catches for 74 yards and a touchdown. Hall had four receptions for 83 yards.
Van Voris was good on all four of his field goal attempts. He was named Special Teams Player of the Week by the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC).
The Grizzlies will open RMAC Conference play this Saturday, Sept. 15 in Gunnison, Colo. where they take on conference rivals Western State Colorado University in the Colorado Classic. Adams State has won the Colorado Classic for 10 straight years now. Last year, ASU defeated Western at home by a score of 49-10. The Mountaineers enter the contest with a 0-2 record after falling to Angelo St. in week one, 42-14 and West Texas A&M in week two, 57-20.
The game is set for a 1 p.m. start. Fans unable to make the drive can listen on KSPK FM (102.3, 103.5, or 104.1) or stream live online at kspk.com.
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