Standings


No. 2-ranked Mary Hardin-Baylor – led by senior linebacker Javicz Jones’ record-setting performance – clinched at least a share of their eighth straight American Southwest Conference football title and earned the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division III playoff with a road win over East Texas Baptist to highlight Week 10 of ASC football on Saturday (Nov. 3) Louisiana College cruised by Mississippi College and Hardin-Simmons outlasted Texas Lutheran in double overtime to set up a regular season finale clash next week. Sul Ross State had to wait out lightning delays before topping Howard Payne.
 
(Game recaps courtesy of sports information departments)
 
 
No. 2/2 Mary Hardin-Baylor 54, East Texas Baptist 20
 
Box Score
 
MARSHALL, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor football team built an early lead and rode a record-setting performance from linebacker Javicz Jones to post a 54-20 victory over East Texas Baptist University on Saturday.
 
The 2nd-ranked Cru improves to 9-0 overall and 6-0 in American Southwest Conference play with the victory. UMHB also clinches at least a share of the ASC title and locks up the league's automatic berth in the NCAA Division III National Championships with the win. The loss drops the Tigers to 3-6 overall and 2-4 in ASC play on the season.

The Cru opened the scoring with LiDarral Bailey's six-yard touchdown run on the game's opening possession. Jones stepped in front of a Seth Hubbard pass on ETBU's first drive and returned it 24 yards for a score to give UMHB a 14-0 lead with 10:25 to go in the first quarter. The Cru offense struggled from there, putting up Chad Peevey field goals of 48 and 43 yards to make it 20-0 before putting together an 11-play, 78-yard drive capped by Bailey's 15-yard scoring strike to Geoff Myles with 12 seconds left in the first half to make it 27-0 Cru at the half.

ETBU scored on Khadafi Davis' four-yard run late in the third to end the shutout bid, but Bailey answered with a three-yard scoring run to give UMHB a 33-6 edge entering the fourth quarter. The Tigers would be driving again before Jones provided the dagger. He stepped in front of an ETBU swing pass at the eight-yard line and returned it 92 yards for a TD to put the Cru on top 40-6. Jake Sims would hit Kamray Runnels with a 27-yard TD pass between two ETBU scores before Brian Gallagher closed out the scoring with a four-yard touchdown run with 1:37 left to play.

Jones finished with 13 tackles in the game and became the ASC's all-time leading tackler by pushing his career total to 416. Jones entered the game tied with Jared Sanderson of Hardin-Simmons for the conference record. The 92-yard interception return is the longest in Cru football history and Jones is the first player in school history to return two interceptions for touchdowns in the same game.

UMHB rolled up 484 yards in total offense with 262 of those coming on the ground. The Cru held ETBU to just 42 rushing yards in the victory. Bailey was 13-22 passing for 162 yards and a touchdown and he added 43 yards rushing and two more TD's on the ground. Darius Wilson ran for 122 yards on 20 carries and Myles caught six passes for 65 yards.

Hubbard was 28-49 passing for ETBU for 308 yards, but he also threw those two costly picks. Roy Butler caught seven passes for 104 yards and Davis ran for 31 yards on nine carries. Dylan Bethea had a game-high 14 tackles to lead the ETBU defensive effort.

UMHB will now return home to close out the regular season with a 1:00 PM kickoff against Mississippi College next Saturday. A win would give UMHB the outright ASC title and should lock-up a #1 seed in the playoffs. The Choctaws will bring a 2-7 overall record and a 1-5 mark in ASC play into that contest. The Cru will then find out its first-round postseason opponent and game site when the 32-team field for the NCAA Division III National Championships is announced on Sunday, November 11th.
The Cru has now won at least a share of eight straight ASC titles. UMHB will advance to the playoffs for the ninth straight season and the 11th time in the past 12 years. 
 
Louisiana College 70, Mississippi College 28
 
Box Score
 
CLINTON, Miss. – The Mississippi College football team dropped their final home game of the 2012 season with a 70-28 loss to Louisiana College on Saturday afternoon at Robinson-Hale Stadium.

Prior to the game, the Choctaws (2-7, 1-5 ASC) honored eight seniors playing the final home games of their career.  Senior Blake Rome had the best game of his career in the game, recording a career-high 13 tackles and picking off a pass.

Senior Fred Williams also had three catches for 38 yards, while fellow senior Justin McClinton had three tackles in the game.  The Choctaws also honored Chris Campbell, who made all four extra point opportunities in the game.

Also being recognized prior to the game were seniors Brennan Herrmann, Dominick Puckett, Cody Saxton and Stephen Smith.

Junior Keith Villafranco also had a great game for MC, making thirteen tackles with two for a loss.  The Kenner, La. native also got the Choctaws their first score when he forced a fumble and ran it back 56 yards for a touchdown.  Villafranco also had his fourth interception of the season in the contest.

The Wildcats (7-2, 5-1 ASC) jumped out to a 35-0 lead at the beginning of the second quarter when Ira Jewitt recovered a fumble and returned it 41 yards for a touchdown.  Jewitt also returned an interception 97 yards for a score in the fourth quarter.

Quarterback Jamie Bunting threw for 425 yards and four touchdowns, including tossing three scores to D'Mario Parker, who finished the day with 261 receiving yards, an LC single-game record.

Freshman tight end Justin Sones caught his first career touchdown in the second quarter.  Junior Les Lemons also had his first rushing touchdown of the year in the third quarter.

Running back Joshua James carried the ball 14 times for 98 yards and two touchdowns.

MC quarterback Stacey Dillard led the Choctaws with 79 yards rushing and a touchdown.  Dillard also threw for 94 yards and a score in the contest.

Cole Leflett led the Wildcats with eight tackles, including one for a loss.  Shaq Lewis had six tackles and one interception.

The Choctaws will wrap up their regular season next Saturday when they travel to #2 Mary Hardin-Baylor.
 
Hardin-Simmons 65, Texas Lutheran 58 (2 OT)
 
Box Score
 
SEGUIN, Texas – Hardin-Simmons' football team won a double overtime thriller over Texas Lutheran 65-58 in American Southwest Conference action on Saturday afternoon.
 
The Cowboys again exploded offensively gaining 728 yards of offense and Logan Turner completed 38-of-53 passes for 559 yards and seven touchdowns. Texas Lutheran had 635 yards of offense in the game.
 
Scott Newberry sent the game to overtime with a 36-yard field goal with :26 to play. TLU had the ball first and scored on a Jo Jo Epps 1-yard run and HSU sent it to a second overtime on a 24-yard TD pass from Turner to Corey Jones.
 
Devin Carver scored on a 25-yard run on the Cowboys first play of the second overtime and the defense held for the win.
 
HSU scored first on a 15-yard TD pass from Logan Turner to Trei Lewis in the first quarter. TLU answered two plays later on a 63-yard touchdown pass and then scored less than two minutes later on a Brent Peavey 10-yard run.
 
Corey Jones scored on a 50-yard pass from Turner and Jessie Ramos scored on a 66 yard run to make it 20-14 and Peavey scored on an eight yard run and the PAT made it 21-20 with :13 to play in the first quarter.
 
TLU scored on a safety to start the second quarter and then Turner hit Lewis from four yards out and TLU scored on a 46 yard run. HSU scored two plays later on a 67-yard pass to Ramos from Turner and HSU scored again before halftime on a 8-yard pass from Turner to Jimmie Simpson to make it 41-30 at halftime.
 
HSU scored the only points of the third quarter on a 40-yard pass to Ramos and led 48-30 heading to the fourth quarter.
 
Peavey scored on a 5-yard run, Peavey hit Dustin Hannon on a 33-yard TD and Epps scored from 1-yard out to give TLU a 51-48 lead with 8:53 to play.
 
HSU drove 61 yards in 13 plays to setup Newberry's tying field goal.
 
Ramos had five catches for 147 yards and two scores and ran two times for 66 yards. Lewis had 10 catches for 113 yards and Jones had eight catches for 136 yards. Lewis and Jones had two TDs each. Carver ran for 117 yards for HSU.
 
Steven Lugo led the Cowboys with nine tackles and Undra Hendrix had three tackles for loss and two sacks to give him 16.5 tackles for loss and nine sacks on the year, both which lead the ASC. Ty Johnson had 14 tackles for Texas Lutheran.
 
Turner now has thrown 38 touchdown passes on the season to set a new HSU school record, passing Brad Boyd's mark of 35. He has completed 62-of-92 passes for 1244 yards and 15 touchdowns in the last two games. 
 
With the win the Cowboys improved to 6-3 overall and 5-1 in ASC play. The Cowboys pushed their consecutive winning season streak to 21 with the win. Texas Lutheran fell to 3-6 overall and 1-5 in league play. HSU will play at Louisiana College with outright possession of second place in the ASC on the line next week in Pineville.
 
Sul Ross State 58, Howard Payne 17
 
Box Score
 
ALPINE, Texas – Howard Payne was held scoreless in the second half as the Yellow Jackets fall to Sul Ross State University 58-17 Saturday afternoon in conference football action.

An hour and a half lightning delay to not slow down the Sul Ross State offense, as the Lobos outscored the Jackets 34-0 in the second half. After leading early in the game 14-3, HPU gave up three TDs to fall behind 24-17 at the half.

After Josh Eppler recovered a Sul Ross State fumble, the Yellow Jackets would score on a 2-yard run by Zarron Dove just three minutes into the first quarter. Sul Ross answered with a 37 yard field goal on their next drive but the Jackets put together an eleven play 69 yard drive that ended in a Thomas Head one-yard TD run. 14-3 HPU with 3:12 left in the first.

Sul Ross then scored three consecutive TDs to make the score 24-14 SRSU with 44 seconds left in the first half.

A good kickoff return by the Jackets and a personal foul by Sul Ross gave HPU an opportunity to score before the half.  Josh Martinez would hit a 45 yard field goal, the longest of his career, to finish out the first half. Sul Ross led 24-17 at the half.

Both teams committed turnovers to start the third quarter but then Sul Ross was able to find the endzone with 5:01 left in the third to go up 31-17.
Sul Ross added another TD before lightning delays slowed down the game. It did not slow down the SRSU offense as the Lobos added three addition TDs to round out their 34 point second half.

Thomas Head was the leading rusher for the Jackets with 71 yards on 16 carries. Head was 9 of 22 passing for 45 yards.

Victor Gonzales led the HPU defense with nine tackles followed by JD King with nine. Josh Eppler had three punts for a 49.0 yard average. Eppler also had six tackles playing free safety.

Howard Payne is now 1-8 overall and 1-5 in conference. Sul Ross State stands at 4-5 overall and 3-3 in the ASC.

The Jackets will finish out the regular season next Saturday at home versus Texas Lutheran University at 2:00 pm. The Howard Payne senior football players will be recognized before the game.
 
 
 
 
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