EL PASO, Texas – Brandon Dawkins accounted for six touchdowns as the Arizona Wildcats routed UTEP 63-16 at the Sun Bowl on Friday night.
Dawkins completed 18 of 22 passes — a career-best 81.8 percent — for 155 yards and three touchdowns. He rushed for 143 yards and three scores on 13 carries.
Dawkins and Arizona (2-1) rebounded from a frustrating loss to Houston last week. The UA hosts Utah in the Pac-12 opener next Friday.
UTEP, a 25-5-point underdog, fell to 0-3.
Shun Brown had a 36-yard TD reception for Arizona, as well as a 63-yard punt return for a score. It was the junior’s second punt-return TD of the season.
Freshman linebacker Colin Schooler forced a fumble and intercepted a pass, which he returned 63 yards to set up an Arizona TD.
Freshmen Bryce Wolma and Nathan Tilford each scored their first career touchdowns. Tilford finished with two scores.
THIRD-QUARTER UPDATE:
With quarterback Brandon Dawkins paving the way, the Arizona Wildcats expanded their lead over UTEP through three quarters of their game at the Sun Bowl on Friday night.
Dawkins has accounted for six touchdowns – three rushing and three passing – to spark the Cats to a 49-16 advantage over the winless Miners.
Arizona is one quarter away from improving to 2-1. The UA hosts Utah in the Pac-12 opener next Friday.
Dawkins has rushed for 130 yards on 12 carries. He has completed 18 of 22 passes for 155 yards.
Arizona has outgained UTEP 404-207.
HALFTIME UPDATE:
EL PASO, Texas – After a night full of boos and a week full of calls to remove him from the lineup, Arizona Wildcats quarterback Brandon Dawkins is making a statement.
The quarterback accounted for four touchdowns as Arizona took a commanding 35-9 lead over UTEP at halftime of their game at the Sun Bowl on Friday night.
Dawkins has completed 12 of 13 passes for 91 yards and two TDs. He has rushed for 76 yards and two scores.
The Wildcats have outgained the Miners 210-103. They also scored on a punt return.
After a scoreless first quarter, Arizona struck first. The Wildcats didn’t have very far to go.
Facing fourth-and-goal from the 2 on the first play of the second quarter, Dawkins faked a handoff to Nick Wilson. J.J. Taylor slipped out of the backfield, and Dawkins found him for an easy touchdown.
After forcing a three-and-out, Arizona drove 86 yards for another score. Dawkins hit Shun Brown for a 36-yard touchdown on a play that mirrored the seam-route pass they couldn’t complete at the end of the Houston game last week.
On the next play from scrimmage, freshman linebacker Colin Schooler forced UTEP’s Kavika Johnson to fumble. Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles recovered the ball at the Miners’ 27.
Five plays later, Dawkins ran the ball in from the 5 to make it 21-0.
Brown then turned in the highlight play of the night – a 63-yard punt return for a touchdown. Brown started up the middle, then veered left. A killer spin move sent near the left sideline sent two pursuing Miners stumbling to the turf. It was Brown’s second punt-return TD of the season.
After a UTEP touchdown, Schooler recorded his second takeaway of the night, an interception he returned 63 yards to the Miners’ 5. Dawkins scored from the 3 this time, reversing field and diving over the left pylon.
FIRST-QUARTER UPDATE:
EL PASO, Texas – The Arizona Wildcats were tied with UTEP 0-0 through one quarter of their game at the Sun Bowl on Friday night.
Arizona advanced to the UTEP 2-yard line on the final play of the period and faced fourth-and-goal to start the second. The Wildcats began the drive at their 22. The big play: a 35-yard scramble by quarterback Brandon Dawkins.
Dawkins is 6 of 7 for 39 yards, with the passes going to six receivers. He has 54 rushing yards on four carries.
Arizona – a 25.5-point favorite – has outgained UTEP 107-49.
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— The Wildcaster (@TheWildcaster) September 16, 2017
