BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. ? The one question the Sam Houston State Bearkats had going into Saturday night's game against Gardner-Webb was how they would play against an FCS opponent. After opening the season with games against teams from other divisions, it didn't take the Kats long to answer the question.
Rhett Bomar passed for 323 yards in the first half and five touchdowns on his way to match a season high of 340 yards in a 49-33 win over the Bulldogs. He finished the game passing for 22-of-29 and had six total touchdowns.
“They came out and pressured us early, and that allowed us to move the ball against them,” Bomar said. “We had some openings in the secondary and we were able to take advantage of it.
“I think it was good for us to come out and play like this early, especially playing here on the road,” he said.
On the opening drive of the game, the Kats used just six plays to get to the end zone when Bomar hooked up with Jason Madkins for the first score. Gardner-Webb answered right back also scoring in six plays to tie the game up. But Bomar and James Aston connected on the next two drives for touchdowns.
In all, the Bearkats scored touchdowns on their first five drives of the game. They added one more with 17 seconds left in the half on a pass from Bomar to Madkins. He also completed a touchdown to Justin Wells in the opening 30 minutes of play.
“I have never thrown for five touchdowns in a game, much less in one half,” Bomar said. “That was really something else to go out there and be able to do that.”
The five touchdowns in a game ties the Sam Houston State record for passing touchdowns in a game. It had previously been done by Chris Chaloupka (three times), Josh McCown and Dustin Long (four times).
Bomar added a rushing touchdown to start the second half before coming out of the game.
“That was tough. I really wanted to be able to stay in the game just to get some more playing in,” Bomar said. “I only played half of that first game and then the one against Kansas. So I have really only played a little more than two games.
“With a bye next week and then the conference opener after that, you would ideally like to have a little more playing time going into a big game like that,” he said.
When Bomar left the game in the third quarter, the Kats were leading 49-10.
Aston had a big game for the Kats out of the back field. He finished the night with three total touchdowns and had 46 yards on the ground and 40 more through the air.
Reserve running back Tymagic Robinson did not play in Saturday night's game. He was suspended for a violation of the athletic department's discipline policy.
The Bearkats will be off next week and will open Southland Conference play Oct. 11 at Central Arkansas.
