Big First Half Leads No. 17 Baker to Home Blowout over Eagles

BALDWIN CITY – A week after putting up a season-high 67 points at William Woods, No. 17 Baker posted its third 60-point performance of the season and cruised to a 62-7 victory over Central Methodist at home on Saturday afternoon.

The Wildcats hung 52 points in an explosive first half that saw them score two consecutive defensive touchdowns, followed by five offensive scores with the BU rushing attack doing most of the heavy lifting.

Baker went over 200 yards rushing for the fourth time this year with five different runners accounting for the 205 yards in the game. Playing only the first half, Truman Juelsgaard finished 15-for-17 with 131 yards and two touchdowns through the air, while adding 43 yards and a touchdown with his legs. Gabe Martin was the leading rusher for BU with 15 carries for 61 yards and a touchdown.

The Baker defense scored two touchdowns in the game's opening minute with back-to-back pick-sixes. Zac Kramer picked off a pass on CMU's first play of the game and took it all the way back for a touchdown with just 12 seconds ticked off the clock, while defensive end Brian Lane jumped a swing pass on the Eagles' next possession and turned in a second straight touchdown to make it a 14-0 ballgame less than a minute into the game.

After thwarting a fake punt by CMU, it only took the BU offense two plays to reach the end zone in their first time with the ball. Chauncey Andrews took both carries in the opening series with his second one going for a short, three-yard touchdown.

Juelsgaard took care of the next two scores for BU with a slip screen to Noah Hastert going for a 19-yard touchdown before Juelsgaard scored from 14 yards out on the next trip to the red zone to give Baker a 35-0 lead in the first quarter.

Cole Fisher finished off a long 15-play drive for the Wildcats with his third touchdown of the fall, punching one in at the goal line for BU's third rushing touchdown of the opening half.

Austin Tabor hauled in Juelsgaard's other touchdown throw of the game after working his way toward the back corner of the end zone while Juelsgaard bought some time before firing a strike to Tabor.

Baker kicker Seth Simpson, who was named Heart Special Teams Player of the Week for the second straight week on Monday, capped the huge first half for BU with a 44-yard field goal as time expired to make it a 52-0 halftime lead.

In the second half, the Wildcats burned clock with their ground game and were able to get a heavy rotation of players in as the third quarter went by with the only scoring coming from Simpson's second field goal of the day.

Central Methodist avoided the shutout with a touchdown in the fourth quarter, but BU had the final say in the game with Martin closing out the high-scoring affair on the fourth and final rushing touchdown for the Wildcats.

A year after leading the NAIA in interceptions (25) and defensive touchdowns (6), the Wildcats are once again atop the national rankings this season with seven defensive touchdowns and 15 interceptions.

For Kramer, it was his third interception of the season, but the first defensive touchdown of his career. The junior from Seneca, Kan. is the leading tackler for BU this year with 57 total tackles, while adding a sack and a fumble recovery to go along with his three picks.

With the win, the Wildcats stay perfect at home with a 4-0 record in Liston Stadium where they are outscoring opponents, 201-30. BU has scored at least 52 points in three of its four home games with blowouts over St. Ambrose (52-0) and Culver-Stockton (61-7) preceding today's landslide victory.

Up next, Baker will head out for back-to-back road contests, beginning with a matchup at Clarke on Saturday, Nov. 2 at 1 p.m. in Dubuque, Iowa.

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