The third-ranked Jackrabbits improved to 2-0 overall, while UAPB dropped to 1-2 on the season.
SDSU needed only five offensive plays to score its first three touchdowns — all on passes from senior quarterback Taryn Christion. After a 29-yard punt return by Marquise Lewis put SDSU deep in Golden Lion territory, the Jackrabbits needed only two plays to cash in as Christion found freshman tight end Blake Kunz over the middle for an 8-yard score.
A turnover on the next UAPB possession led to a 31-yard scoring pass from Christion to Adam Anderson, who leaped up and over two defenders to corral his first career touchdown. Moments later, Christion hooked up with reigning Missouri Valley Football Conference Offensive Player of the Week Cade Johnson deep down field for a 71-yard touchdown that gave SDSU a 21-3 lead.
On the play, Christion became the MVFC’s career leader in touchdown passes, surpassing the 78 thrown by Illinois State’s Matt Brown from 2009-12.
Jamie Gillan, who connected on a 47-yard field goal midway through the first quarter, added a 20-yarder later in the stanza to pull to within 21-6. However, the Jackrabbits would tally the final 69 points of the game and continued to churn out big plays as eight of the 13 touchdowns they scored on the night covered at least 30 yards.
Christion, who played only in the first half, threw two more touchdowns before exiting, finding Jacob Brown in the end zone from nine yards out late in the final minute of the first quarter and adding a 40-yard scoring strike to Johnson early in the second quarter. It marked the fifth five-touchdown game of Christion’s career.
Combined, three Jackrabbit quarterbacks went 19-for-21 passing with single-game school records of 557 yards and eight touchdowns. Christion was 13-of-14 for 332 yards, while backup Kanin Nelson finished 4-of-5 passing for 136 yards with touchdowns on screen passes of 66 yards to Pierre Strong Jr. and 37 yards to C.J. Wilson.
Third-string signal-caller Justin Roberts completed both of his passes for 89 yards, including a 76-yarder to Michael Wandmaker, who caught a pass on a quick out pattern, broke a tackle along the right sideline and rambled the rest of the way to paydirt.
The Jackrabbit running game also got in the act, headlined by Isaac Wallace’s 192 yards on only five carries. Wallace scored on runs of 58 and 79 yards, while Mikey Daniel plunged in twice on short runs and Blair Mulholland contributed a 14-yard touchdown run for his first collegiate touchdown.
SDSU tallied 369 rushing yards and a program-best 926 yards of total offense. The Jackrabbits’ 90 points also established a new school record, eclipsing the 85 points scored against Columbus College way back in 1922.
Johnson posted his second consecutive 100-yard receiving game with five catches for 162 yards. Anderson also eclipsed the century mark with four catches for 128 yards.
UAPB, which played without regular starting quarterback Shannon Patrick, went with Roger Totten II under center. He completed 9-of-21 passes for 131 yards and was intercepted twice — both in the end zone by Zy Mosley.
Eric Kleinschmit paced the Jackrabbit defense with seven tackles.
Taeyler Porter led the Golden Lion running game with 106 yards as UAPB finished with 310 yards of total offense. Josh Wilkes caught a team-high four passes for 80 yards and Nijul Canada notched a game-high nine tackles.
Courtesy: SDSU Athletics
