SURPRISE, Ariz. – The OUAZ football team returned to action for the first time in 21 days and showed little rust from the break as the Spirit defeated Wayland Baptist 75-14 in the final home game of the season on Saturday night at Spirit Field.
 
After punting on their first offensive possession, OUAZ (5-3, 4-3 SAC) scored a touchdown on its next eight offensive possessions while adding an interception return for a score along the way. The Spirit scored 41 points in the second quarter and led 68-0 at the end of three quarters.
 
OUAZ gained 610 yards of total offense and averaged 8.8 yards per play. They threw for 401 yards and six touchdowns. The Spirit gained 209 yards on the ground despite losing 30 yards on five sacks against.
 
Austin McCullough completed 16 of 20 passes for 341 yards and five touchdowns. He also scored on a 2-yard run to open the game's scoring.
 
Brandon Jones made six catches to lead the 11 different Spirit players with a reception in the game He scored two touchdowns and gained 72 yards. Rahmi Rountree turned his three grabs into 108 yards and a 72-yard score. Antonio Day, Brandon McLaughlin, and Kristopher Ewens all caught a touchdown in the win.
 
Joshua Vizcaya led the rushing attack with 95 yards while Shamar Moreland gained 90 yards rushing. Moreland and Marcelous Chester-Riley joined McCullough with scores on the ground.
 
The Spirit defense held Wayland Baptist (4-4, 3-4) without a touchdown until the fourth quarter and held the Pioneers to just 178 yards of offense. Wayland Baptist gained 96 of those yards on two passing plays for 53 yards and 43 yards.
 
Three plays after the 53-yard pass play by the Pioneers, Amare Burks returned an interception 91 yards for a score to halt a red zone chance in the second quarter. Da'Shawn Holcombe had a pair of interceptions for OUAZ.
 
De'Jon Wilson led the Spirit with six tackles. Maverick Bradford recorded two sacks and the team totaled five sacks and nine tackles-for-loss.
 
Saturday's win moves OUAZ into a tie for third-place in the Sooner Athletic Conference standings with one game remaining. The Spirit will close the regular season next Saturday, November 10, when they head to Fort Worth, Texas to face Texas Wesleyan.
 
NOTES
The 75 points are the most scored by the Spirit this season and the 41 points in the second quarter are the most they have scored in a quarter all year.
 
This is the third straight game the team has scored at least 60 points and the second time they have gone above 70.
 
The 610 yards of offense are the second-most gained by the Spirit this season, tailing the 638 against Arizona Christian on October 6.
 
The 178 yards allowed by the defense is the fewest the team has allowed in a game this season.
 
The three interceptions are the most by the Spirit defense in a game.
 
McCullough finished the game with a quarterback rating of 305.7.
 
McCullough has now gone 87 pass attempts with throwing an interception dating back to the first quarter of thr Arizona Christian game on October 6.
 
Tristan Graf made his first appearance of the season and finished 4 of 5 for 60 yards and a 30-yard touchdown pass to Rountree.
 
Antonio Day's 63-yard receiving touchdown was his first touchdown of the season.
 
Kenneth Steele Jr. recorded one sack to give him 13 on the season and extend his run to six straight games with at least one-half sack.
 
Holcombe became the first player in school history with multiple interceptions in the same game.
 
John Williams scored 15 points for the second straight game and had double figures in points for the fourth straight outing.
 
Williams was 2 for 2 on field goal attempts – including a season long 41-yard make – to extend his run to eight straight made field goals.
 
Austin Bohn averaged 52.5 yards per punt on two attempts to push his NAIA-leading average to 47.0 yards per punt this season.