Bulldogs near perfect at Nyssa

The purple and gold Bulldogs amassed 504 yards in the contest to run their season record to 3-0.

Baker quarterback Jesse Brown finished 21-of-22 passing for 333 yards and four touchdowns. He also ran for another score. Brown missed his opening pass before completing 21 straight.

The Bulldogs completed 22 straight passes (reserve quarterback Sam Averett completed his first pass) during the middle of the game.

“Our big guys up front did an outstanding job of pass protection,” said Baker coach Dave Johnson.

“Jesse threw the ball extremely well, and all of our gus caught the ball well.”

Trace Richardson was Brown’s favorite taget, hauling in nine balls for 163 yards and two touchdowns.

Baker set the tone for the evening on the opening drive, marching 68 yards in about eight minutes.

Brown did the honors, scoring on a 1-yard run. Brown completed two fourth-down passes, both to Richardson, to keep the drive alive.

“That 8-minute drive, that was fun,” Johnson said. “We just kept chipping away down the field. We made the plays when we needed to. It was a very business-like effort.”

Then, leading 7-0, the Bulldogs forced Nyssa to punt. Stephen Talbot took the kick on the Baker 30 and raced 70 yards for Baker’s second touchdown and a 14-0 lead with 2:02 left in the first quarter.

Two plays following the ensuing kickoff, Baker forced Nyssa to cough the ball up on its own 39. Joe Black recovered the fumble for the Baker.

Baker needed just one play to incrase its lead to 20-0. Brown connected with Richardson, who laid out for the catch, for the TD.

In the second quarter, Baker mounted another 80-yard scoring drive that culminated in a 12-yard tochdown pass from Brown to Ty Everson.

Nyssa finally broke Baker’s scoring streak with a touchdown of its own with 2:03 left in the first half.

That’s when the scoring really heated up. The two teams combined to score three more times — twice by Baker — before halftime.

Talbot returned the kickoff to th eNyssa 48, and a personal foul penalty advanced the ball to the Nyssa 32.

Two Brown completions moved th eball to the Nyssa 2 where Talbot, who finished with 104 yards rushing for his third straight 100-plus-yard rushing game, then scored.

Nyssa quickly answered with a 70-yard scoring pass on its next offensive play to cut Baker’s lead to 33-12.

Baker answered right back two plays later, when Brown hit Talbot with a pass in the flat and Talbot scooted 57 yards to paydirt and a 40-12 Baker halftime lead.

Brown and Richardson hooked up on their second TD connection, and Talbot added another touchdown run to increase Baker’s lead to 53-12 after three periods.

Johnson then started bringing in the reserves. They too almost were to much for Nyssa.

Baker drove to the Nyssa 13 before losing the ball on downs with 8:54 left in the game. It was the first time in the game that Baker had not scored on a possession.

“We got to play a bunch of guys and most of them played well,” Johnson said.

The Baker coach was especially pleased with the offense and special teams play.

“We’re always pleased when we hit the 400-yard mark on offense, so 500 yards was great,” he said.

“And, this might have been the best special teams effort I’ve ever had, between their blocking, returning and defending.”

 Baker (3-0) hosts Vale (1-2) Friday at 7 p.m. at Bulldog Memorial Stadium.

Baker    20    20    13    0    — 53

Nyssa    0    12    0    8    — 20

B — Brown 1 run (Smith kick)

B — Talbot 70 punt return (Smith kick)

B — Richardson 39 pass from Brown (Kick failed)

B — Everson 12 pass from Brown (Pass failed)

N — Stratton 22 run (Pass failed)

B — Talbot 2 run (Smith kick)

N — Esplin 70 pass from Jensen (Run failed)

B — Talbot 57 pass from Brown (Smith kick)

B — Richardson 37 pass from Brown (Kick failed)

B — Talbot 20 run (Smith kick)

N — Stratton 23 run (Jensen run)

Individual statistics

Rushing — Baker: Talbot 13-104, Richards 11-38, Brown 3-10, Austin 2-5, Averett 2-0, Ritch 1-(-4). Nyssa: Stratton 13-124, Glenn 4-58, Jensen 6-18, Martinez 1-6, Ramos 3-4, Sipe 1-0.

Passing — Baker: Brown 21-22-0-333, Averett 2-5-0-18. Nyssa: Jensen 4-11-1-97.

Receiving — Baker: Richardson 9-163, Talbot 3-79, Smith 3-28, Everson 2-25, Barr 2-15, Flynn 1-14, Austin 1-11, Mespelt 1-10, Parry 1-6. Nyssa: Esplin 2-83, Glenn 1-11, Martinez 1-3.