Weber State: Wildcats earn week of rest afte..

College football • After bye, Weber gets two straight games at home.

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Ogden • And now, they rest.

The Weber State Wildcats, fresh off their first victory of the season, a 24-22 decision at Southern Utah, are taking the week off. After the bye, WSU is home for the next two games, including a Nov. 3 match against struggling Montana at Stewart Stadium.

"It was a long time coming," said Weber State coach Jody Sears, who couldn't wait to get to practice Monday. "[The players] showed up and have done everything we've asked them to do."

Although WSU (1-7, 1-4 Big Sky) built a 21-6 lead, it needed a career-tying 46-yard field goal from Shaun McClain and a stubborn stand to prevent a Southern Utah two-point conversion with 54 seconds left.

Wildcats quarterback Mike Hoke threw for 206 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for a score, while C.J. Tuckett gained 90 yards on the ground and a touchdown.

Receiver Xavian Johnson caught six passes for 123 yards, but the biggest catch was a sideline pattern that he turned into a 75-yard touchdown sprint early in the third quarter to give WSU a 21-6 advantage.

"All week, we had confidence," Hoke said. "Once you start practicing, all of your confidence comes back. That shows. We didn't play like we were 0-7."

SUU quarterback Brad Sorensen responded by throwing 155 of his 320 passing yards in the fourth quarter. Yet the Thunderbird quarterback was sacked by several Wildcats on the potentially game-tying 2-point conversion. Then, WSU recovered an onside kick to secure the victory.

Big foot

Weber State punter Tyler McNannay kicked five times for an average of 51.6 yards, the fourth-best single-game effort in the school's history.

Another record falls

North Dakota quarterback Braden Hanson set a Big Sky single-game record when he threw for 660 yards — 410 by haltime — in a 40-34 win over Montana in Grand Forks. It was the second-most ever in an FCS game. Hanson completed 42-of-61 passes with five touchdowns. The record previously belonged to former WSU quarterback Jamie Martin, who threw for 624 yards in 1991 against Idaho State.

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Weber State: Wildcats earn week of rest after first victory