Surprise, AZ - The Nelson University football team hit the road Saturday evening for a matchup against Ottawa University Arizona at Spirit Field, falling 31-17 despite a strong second-half offensive push.
The Lions struck first on the scoreboard after Cade Whitehead connected on a 47-yard field goal midway through the opening quarter to cut the OUAZ lead to 7-3.
Ottawa Arizona extended its advantage throughout the second quarter and carried a 24-3 lead into halftime. The Spirit added another score early in the third quarter to push the lead to 31-3.
Nelson continued to battle and found its offensive rhythm late in the third quarter behind quarterback Judah Holtzclaw and wide receiver Jermaine Jones. Holtzclaw connected with Jones for an 80-yard touchdown pass to cap a quick 95-yard drive and put the Lions back on the board.
The duo connected again less than two minutes later, this time on a four-yard touchdown pass, as Nelson scored 14 points in the final minutes of the third quarter to cut the deficit to 31-17.
Holtzclaw finished the night completing 27-of-42 passes for 303 yards and two touchdowns. Jones led the Lions' receiving corps with seven catches for 124 yards and two touchdowns, including the 80-yard scoring strike. Justin Beaudion added three receptions for 71 yards, while James Spivey hauled in seven catches.
Defensively, Xavier Garcia led Nelson with 17 total tackles, while Ryan Lynch added 11 tackles and Landry Leggett recorded 10.
Nelson finished with 303 passing yards and 291 yards of total offense while holding possession for nearly 30 minutes.
Up Next
The Lions will return home on Saturday, September 19 for their match up against Arkansas Baptist at Lumpkins Stadium. Kick off is set for 6:00 PM.
Nelson University (formerly SAGU) is a private Christian university, established in 1927 by P.C. Nelson. The University is located 30 minutes south of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in Waxahachie, Texas, and offers more than 70 associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees on campus or online. For more information, visit www.nelson.edu or by calling 1-888-YES-NELSON.
