Box Score
 
No. 2/3 Mary Hardin-Baylor 65, East Texas Baptist 10
BELTON, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor football team stormed out to a 35-0 halftime lead and went on to a 65-10 victory over East Texas Baptist University Saturday afternoon in Belton. UMHB improves to 9-0 overall and 5-0 in American Southwest Conference play with the victory. The Cru also clinches the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III National Championships with the win. The loss drops the Tigers to 2-7 overall and 0-5 in ASC play on the season.

The Cru took a 7-0 lead when Zach Anderson dashed 48 yards for a touchdown on UMHB's opening possession. Derek Williamson intercepted a pass and returned it 45 yards for a score on the ensuing ETBU drive to make it 14-0 Cru with 11:43 left in the first quarter. Anderson threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Kamray Runnels early in the second quarter. Glen Gilliam scored on a one-yard run to make it 28-0 and Michael Carpenter took a screen pass from Anderson and raced 43 yards for a score to give UMHB a 35-0 edge at the half. Josh Warbington hit Tyler Bates with a 13-yard scoring strike to put ETBU on the board with 9:38 remaining in the third quarter. Tim Bower then blocked a Tiger punt for a UMHB safety to make it 37-7. Anderson added a 40-yard scoring strike to Eric Nelson and Marcus Wimby threw a 64-yard touchdown pass to Wykeyhe Walker after Cory McNeil's 31-yard field goal to make it 51-10 at the end of three quarters. Caleb Moore ran for an eight-yard score and Gilliam scored on a five-yard run in the fourth quarter to provide the final margin.

Anderson finished 20-25 passing for 246 yards and three touchdowns and he added 98 rushing yards and a score on 10 carries. Deshon Kinsey tied a UMHB single game record with 18 total tackles in the game and Williamson returned an interception for a score in the second straight game
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Silvio Diaz added 2.0 sacks in the game for UMHB and broke the ASC record for career sacks by pushing his total to 29.5. Diaz topped the previous mark of 28.0 set by ETBU's Chad Glover.

Warbington completed 20-of-31 passes for ETBU for 235 yards and a score. Bates caught seven passes for 107 yards and a touchdown. Toi Glover ran for 56 yards on 13 carries for the Tigers and Romeo Botelua posted a team-high 12 tackles in the game.

UMHB rolled up 578 yards of total offense with 310 of those coming through the air. The Cru defense held the Tigers to 53 yards rushing and 290 yards of total offense in the game. UMHB also forced two turnovers while not committing a turnover for the second straight game. The Cru has now won 43 consecutive regular season games and has a 31-game win streak in conference play.

The win, coupled with Louisiana College's victory over Mississippi College also clinches at least a share of the ASC title for UMHB. The Cru will now travel to Clinton, Miss.to face Mississippi College in a 1:00 p.m. kickoff next Saturday. That game closes out the regular season for UMHB. The Choctaws are 4-5 overall and 4-1 in ASC following Saturday's 42-28 loss to Louisiana College.

Box Score

Hardin-Simmons 73, No. 25 Texas Lutheran 44
ABILENE, Texas – Hardin-Simmons' football team knocked off No. 25 and previously unbeaten Texas Lutheran, 73-44 on Saturday afternoon at Shelton Stadium.

HSU took an early 25-6 lead and TLU eventually closed the game to 42-37, before HSU finished the game off with a 31-point fourth quarter.

TLU took the opening kickoff and drove to the HSU eight-yard line before the drive stalled and Tyler Brandenburg had to settle for a 25-yard field goal. HSU fumbled the ensuing kickoff and again the defense forced TLU into a field goal and Brandenberg was good from 30 yards out to make it 6-0.
The Cowboys then went 77 yards in eight plays to take the lead 7-6. Tevin Mitchell capped the drive with a five-yard touchdown run, the first of his four touchdowns on the day.

On TLU's next two possessions they both ended in the same fashion, with a snap over the punter out of the end zone for a safety. HSU led 11-6 with 5:11 to play in the first quarter. HSU took the next possession and Mitchell capped the drive with a 50-yard touchdown run to make it 18-6.

HSU forced another punt and HSU went 43 yards in six plays and Josh Christian hit Ty Fisher for a 23-yard touchdown on the final play of the first quarter.

TLU drove 52 yards in 10 plays the next series but had to settle for another Brandenburg field goal, this time from 40 yards out. HSU went 62 yards in four plays and Mitchell scored from 27 yards out to make it 32-9.

The Bulldogs scored on a Dominique Hardaway’s 75-yard touchdown run and Jessie Ramos returned the following kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown. It was his fifth career kickoff return for a touchdown, setting a new school record. It was his third kickoff return for a score this season.

TLU answered with a 1-yard TD run by Hardaway to make the score 39-23 at halftime.

HSU opened the second half with a 14-play 74-yard drive to start the second half and Mike Hursh capped it with a 25-yard field goal.

TLU answered with a 12-play 68-yard drive and Brent Peavy scored from one yard out. Christian then was intercepted by Ty Johnson and he returned it 37 yards for a score and it was 42-37 with 4:48 to play in the third.

After that it was all Cowboys.

Christian hit Trei Lewis on a 74-yard touchdown and then Ryne Lewis intercepted a Peavy pass and returned it to the TLU six yard line. Mitchell scored on the next play. On the next series Jonathan Petty forced a fumble that Lewis recovered. HSU turned it into a 32-yard field goal by Hursh to make it 59-37.

Bryce Johnson scored on a 20-yard run after a TLU punt and then the Bulldogs scored on a 62-yard pass from Peavy to his twin brother Brent. HSU closed the scoring on a 2-yard TD run by Stehl Ratliff.

HSU had 584 yards of total offense in the game and rushed for 297. Josh Christian threw for 287 yards and two touchdowns. Mitchell rushed for 197 yards and four scores.

The Cowboy defense forced three turnovers and sacked Peavy eight times.

Jonathan Wilder had 10 tackles including two tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks and went over the 100 tackle mark for the season. Lewis had seven tackles, 2.5 sacks, forced a fumble, recovered another fumble and intercepted a pass. Korey Zavala and JW Barnes each had two sacks for HSU.

Hardaway rushed for 130 yards and A.J. Saucedo had 103 rushing for TLU. Peavy had 250 yards passing. Cameron Peavy had seven catches for 128 yards.

HSU is now 4-5 on the year and TLU fell to 7-1. HSU will close the season next week against Louisiana College.

Box Score
 
Howard Payne 32, Sul Ross State 21
BROWNWOOD, Texas – Howard Payne quarterback Zachary Alvarado passed for 221 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Yellow Jackets to a 32-21 conference victory over Sul Ross State Saturday afternoon at Gordon Wood Stadium.

The Yellow Jackets jumped out to a 13-0 lead after scoring on their first two possessions, a 21-yard Zarron Dove run, Joshua Martinez kick good, and a five-yard touchdown reception by Tristian Fuentes from Alvarado. The extra point was blocked.

Alvarado then extended the Jacket lead to 19-0 connecting with Fuentes again this time a 27-yard touchdown reception with 12:51 left in the second. Sul Ross would block and return the extra point for two-points to finally get on the scoreboard, 19-2 HPU.

Sul Ross then made the score 19-15 HPU at the half after scoring on a two-yard pass, extra point failed, and 45-yard pass.

Martinez scored all six of the Yellow Jackets points in the third quarter hitting field goals from 40 and 42 yards. It was 25-15 HPU heading into the fourth quarter.

Alvarado would give the Jackets a cushion when he rushed in from one yard out to bring the Howard Payne lead to 32-15. The TD capped a four play 46 yard drive taking 2:24 off the clock.

Sul Ross would score with just four seconds remaining in the game, extra point was blocked, to round out the scoring 32-21 Yellow Jackets.

Alvarado, in his first start of the season, was 18-for-26 passing for 221 yards and two scores. Alvarado also ran for one on 10 carries for 51 yards. Dove led the HPU ground attack with 101 yards on 23 carries and a touchdown. It was his second 100+ yard game this season.

Fuentes would catch both of Alvarado's touchdown passes to finish with 122 yards receiving on eight catches.

The HPU defense was led by Jason Disney with 13 tackles, five for loss, one sack, two forced fumbles, two pass breakups and one interception. Victor Gonzales followed with 12 tackles, three for loss and one sack. Josh Eppler led a HPU secondary that totaled 10 pass breakups on the day with four.

Howard Payne improves to 4-5 overall and 2-4 in conference play. Sul Ross State falls to 1-8 overall and 1-4 in ASC action. The Yellow Jackets will travel to Seguin, Texas next Saturday to play former ASC opponent Texas Lutheran University at 1:00 pm.

Box Score

Louisiana College 42, Mississippi College 28
PINEVILLE, La. - In almost every college football season, there is a defining victory that marks a team's true character. For the Louisiana College Wildcats, that defining victory came Saturday in its 42-28 triumph over Mississippi College.
 
Despite being dominated in two major categories – time of possession (39:11 to 20:49) and total plays (91 to 53), the Wildcats made the most of their opportunities and fought for the win that gave them their first undefeated home schedule since the return of football in 2000 along with an overall record of 6-3 and a conference record of 4-1 with one game remaining.
 
"Just a great, great win for Louisiana College football," LC head coach Dennis Dunn said. "We faced a lot of adversity during the week. Coming off a tough loss to TLU, I really feel like this was a pivotal game, not just to get the home win for our seniors, but for the advancement of our football program."
 
In the week between the loss to Texas Lutheran and the game with MC (4-5/4-1), the Wildcats had taken a hard look at where their program was heading. It resulted in some players not suiting up for Saturday's game and some stirring speeches from the 15 LC seniors Friday night - just hours before that group would take the field for their final home game.
 
"We had to realize you're playing for the person beside you," senior center Hunter Feibel said. "If you play for the person beside you, you can't be beat."
 
Feibel and his offensive line teammates embodied that sentiment on LC's final drive of the game. Up 35-28 with 1:30 left, the Wildcats drove 45 yards in just six plays – all on the legs of senior running back Ryan Montague. The final two yards resulted in Montague's second touchdown run of the game to give LC its final margin of victory.
 
Montague finished with 109 yards on 24 carries. His two touchdowns rushing and one receiving set a new career mark at LC. Montague now has 37 career scores with one game left. The previous record of 34 had been held by Jordan Rideaux.
 
"It was find a way – find a way to spark your team and get your team back from that loss we had last week," Montague said. "I can't thank those guys enough for the way we came out and played today."
 
While Montague set a record in the win over LC, it was another senior, linebacker Dominic Graham, who set the tone for the win. With MC's offense running play after play, it was Graham leading the Wildcats defense in another "bend-but-don't-break" performance that yielded just one touchdown in all four quarters. Graham finished with 18 tackles – giving him 35 over the last two games.
 
"I always just get after the ball," Graham said. "It's that dog in me and the dog in my defense that we're going to step up and make plays. I just have to lead by example and my team will follow."
 
On offense, that leader for LC proved again to be freshman quarterback Easton Melancon. Coming off what might have been his worst outing of the season at TLU, Melancon rebounded with an amazing 18-for-24 effort against MC for 299 yards and four touchdowns.
 
The biggest of those four touchdowns came midway through the fourth quarter, ironically, after a Melancon interception had set up MC's game-tying score (28-28) with 4:20 to play. But, the freshman showed the determination of a senior on LC's next series – Melancon needing just three plays and 23 seconds to connect with another freshman, Farron Jones, for a 75-yard touchdown that gave LC the lead for good, 35-28 with 3:57 to play.
 
"I didn't even see the pass," Melancon said. "Right when I threw it, I got knocked down, and I just heard screams. When I looked up, I saw Farron running. I was excited.  I really just wanted to come out here and win it for the seniors. We've got one more left for them."
 
Prior to the game, LC honored all 15 seniors with a ceremony that included their parents. The team's traditional entrance – a run over the hill behind the south end zone was led by Graham and Montague's son, "Little Ryan."
 
Riding that high, LC started fast in the first quarter. Junior return man Ira Jewitt started things with a 56-yard kickoff return to the MC 44. Four plays later, the Wildcats ran the flea-flicker with Montague pitching back to Melancon who then hit sophomore Ladarius Gardner for a 36-yard touchdown pass play to put LC up 7-0.
 
The Choctaws responded immediately, however, as their quarterback, junior Jonathan Redd led a 13-play, 62-yard drive capped by Redd's two-yard run to make the score 7-7.
 
In the second quarter, Melancon's first of three interceptions set up MC for its second score. With LC at its own 36, Melancon was picked off by Brandon Glass who returned the ball to the LC 27. Five plays later, Redd found Keith Williams for a five-yard touchdown pass to give MC its first lead, 14-7.
 
The Wildcats responded with their most impressive drive of the first half, 11 plays and 75 yards capped by Montague's 24-yard touchdown on third and one. It was that touchdown that set the new LC touchdown record – but a touchdown that was overshadowed somewhat by Montague drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
 
"I was trying to find a way to spark my team, and that's what I did. I wasn't proud of myself getting that penalty – Coach Dunn chewed me out, but I was just trying to spark my team," Montague said. "I told Coach one thing, I ain't gonna get out of my game. I'm gonna do whatever I got to do for us to win, and I think it showed today."
 
In the third quarter, the teams traded possessions before MC regained the lead on a five-play, 42-yard drive capped by a Redd to Alex Archer 20-yard strike to give MC the 21-14 advantage.
 
Whatever momentum that score provided quickly reversed, however, when Jewitt broke another big kickoff return – this for 51 yards to the MC 48. A penalty on MC gave LC at first down at the Choctaw's 33, and it would take LC just one play to score when Melancon found Montague flowing out of the backfield for touchdown to tie the game at 21.
 
As the fourth quarter got underway, it was again the LC defense that set up the go-ahead score. The Wildcat offense had put the defense in a bit of a hole to start the fourth when Reggie Sims fumbled at the LC 31. But, with the Choctaws poised to take the lead, junior linebacker Grayson Pylant drilled MC quarterback Jonathan Redd on a rush attempt to cause a fumble that was recovered by LC defensive lineman Joey Jarreau at the LC 17.
 
Melancon then marched the Wildcats 75 yards in just five plays – four of which were passes to sophomore receiver Ladarius Gardner – including a final 52-yarder to put the Wildcats up again, 28-21. Gardner would finish as LC's leading receiver after catching eight passes for 125 yards and two scores.
 
For MC, Redd finished 29-of-45 for 248 yards, three touchdowns and one interception (Eugene Jackson for LC). Zach Favre was the leading rusher for MC with 54 yards on 15 carries.
 
In addition to Grahams' impressive tackle total of 18, LC got strong efforts from Pylant, Beau Brewer and Jarreau who each had nine tackles for the game.
 
"I told them to play fast and encouraged them all to just stay humble to themselves and go out there and make plays," Graham said. "We stepped up, came together and finally played that 100-percent Wildcat LC football."
 
LC will have one final opportunity to play for their seniors as well as a chance to finish no worse than runner-up in the American Southwest Conference when they travel to Abilene, Texas and Hardin-Simmons University next Saturday, Nov. 16 for a season-ending matchup with the Cowboys at 1 p.m.