Field Level Media
Sep 8, 2019
Arizona set a school record for most points in a half and cruised to a 65-41 win over FCS foe Northern Arizona on Saturday night in Tucson, Ariz.
The Wildcats (1-1) scored touchdowns on all seven of their first-half drives -- and added a safety on a bad NAU punt snap that was kicked out of the end zone -- and were up 51-13 at the break.
Gary Brightwell ripped off a 94-yard scoring run around left end -- tied for the second-longest run in school history -- and backup quarterback Grant Gunnell threw a 75-yard touchdown pass to Thomas Reid III as part of a 517-yard half.
Brightwell added a 43-yard run in the third quarter on a drive that Dante Smith ended with a 47-yard romp through the middle for a 58-20 lead.
Brightwell finished with 141 yards on just five carries. J.J. Taylor carried 10 times for 102 yards, and Smith took eight for 84.
NAU (1-1) scored four second-half touchdowns behind Case Cookus, who completed 28 of 48 passes for 373 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
The Wildcats, who finished with 720 yards, gained 282 in the first quarter, taking a 21-0 lead before the Lumberjacks added a touchdown.
Quarterback Khalil Tate rested for the remainder of the half after his second TD pass to Tayvian Cunningham with 9:42 left, which made it 35-7. Tate came back in to play two second-half series and finished 14 of 17 for 138 yards and the two scores.
Gunnell, a true freshman, replaced Tate in the second quarter and capped his debut drive with a 9-yard touchdown throw to Drew Dixon for a 42-10 lead.
Gunnell was 9 of 11 for 151 yards and three scores.
Tate was on point from the start, completing both of his pass attempts on the first drive of the game, capped by a 47-yard strike into the end zone for Cunningham.
Taylor did the heavy lifting on the next possession, accounting for all the yards in a 65-play drive -- a 40-yard run to start it and a 25-yard burst up the middle for the score.
Arizona's 65 points were the seventh-most in school history, and its 720 yards rank third.
--Field Level Media