One week after losing to Lamar University 17–16, the Weber State University football team bounced back against another Southland Conference team, as they defeated the Northwestern State University Demons 39–0.
The game almost started poorly for the Wildcats, as the Demons’ wide receiver Myles Kitt-Denton returned the opening kickoff 91 yards for a touchdown. Fortunately for Weber State, it was called back after a holding penalty was committed by one of the Demon’s players.
The Demons were stopped on the first two downs, but on 3rd and 1, Wildcat safety Trevian Tribble stripped the ball out of NW State’s quarterback’s grasp, giving the Wildcats the ball.
After a three-and-out, WSU sent out the field goal unit led by senior kicker Kyle Thompson. However, Thompson’s first kick missed, keeping the score at 0–0.
After some back-to-back stops by both teams, Weber State quarterback Richie Munoz found freshman wide receiver Noah Kjar who got the ball down to the one-yard line. However, after a two-yard loss on a run from Damon Bankston, an incomplete pass from Munoz and a sack from Northwestern, the Wildcats elected to kick a field goal on 4th down. Thompson made the 29-yard field goal.
After another stop by the defense, the Wildcats got the ball at the 50-yard line. Munoz hit senior wide receiver Jacob Sharp in stride for a 35-yard touchdown pass, after a 15-yard run from Bankston.
As the Wildcats sent out the extra point team, there was a different kicker leading the unit. Junior kicker Sloan Calder replaced Thompson for the rest of the night. Calder, who had been dealing with a hip injury in the past, had mostly been used as the team’s kickoff specialist but was used as the team’s placekicker today.
After the defense forced another Demon three-and-out, Munoz found Sharp again for a 38-yard touchdown. However, Sharp did a little dance as he went into the end zone causing the referee to throw a flag for unsportsmanlike conduct, which nullified the touchdown. Fortunately for the Wildcats, Bankston ran in a seven-yard touchdown to increase the Wildcat lead to 17.
The game continued with more dominant play from the WSU defense, a field goal from Calder and a touchdown pass from Munoz to sophomore wide receiver Jaden Thrower. Ending the first half with a commanding 27–0 lead.
In the Wildcat’s first drive of the second half, Munoz threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Jayleen Record to make the game 34–0. The defense then responded by sacking the Demon’s quarterback in their own endzone, causing a two-point safety.
After another field goal in the fourth quarter, the game ended with a 39–0 win for the Wildcats.
Munoz finished the game with 327 yards and three touchdowns passing, Bankston led the team in rushing with 56 yards and one touchdown and Sharp led in receiving with 119 yards and one touchdown. The defense was led by defensive end Kemari Munier-Bailey, a transfer from California State University, Fresno, who had eight tackles, six tackles for loss and three sacks.
The Wildcats are back at home this week to take on their third and final Southland conference opponent, the McNeese State University Cowboys. The game will be on Sept. 28 at 6 p.m. at Stewart Stadium.
