Cru, Cowboys Stay Undefeated, Improve to 6-0
10/18/2015 10:44:14 AM
No. 2/3 Mary Hardin-Baylor 54, Louisiana College 6 – Box Score
PINVEVILLE, La. – Mary Hardin-Baylor took the lead on the opening possession and never looked back as the Cru rolled to a 54-6 victory over Louisiana College Saturday afternoon in Pineville, La.
UMHB improves to 6-0 overall and 2-0 in American Southwest Conference play with the victory. The loss drops the Wildcats to 2-4 overall and 1-2 in the ASC on the year.
Jacob O'Neill hit field goals of 20 and 34 yards on two of the first three UMHB drives to give the Cru a 6-0 lead. Matt Cody's interception set up a short field and Zach Anderson hit DeNerian Thomas with a 19-yard touchdown pass on the next play to make it 13-0 UMHB after the first quarter. Anderson added a 36-yard touchdown run and hit Wykeyhe Walker with a 13-yard scoring strike to put UMHB up 27-0 at halftime. Duane Thompson's one–yard scoring run, Malcolm Miller's 30-yard TD dash and Blake Jackson's 16-yard scamper stretched the lead to 48-0 at the end of the third quarter. LC running back Brett Sylve scored on a 55-yard run on the opening play of the fourth quarter to cut it to 48-6, but Sterling Scott answered with a 74-yard scoring run of his own to provide the final margin.
UMHB rolled up 566 yards of total offense with 247 of those coming on the ground. The Cru defense held LC to 231 total yards and forced three turnovers. UMHB allowed the Wildcats just 66 rushing yards.
Anderson was 14-of-22 passing for 273 yards and two scores and he added 37 rushing yards and another score. Scott had 90 yards rushing and Marcus Wimby caught five passes for 122 yards for the Cru. Jon Isom set a new ASC record with 5.0 quarterback sacks in the game and he added 6.0 tackles for loss in the win.
UMHB extended its regular season winning streak to 60 straight games and the team has won 39 straight ASC contests. The Cru will now return home to host Texas Lutheran University in a crucial nonconference game next Saturday at Crusader Stadium. That game will kick off at 1:00 p.m.
No. 13/15 Hardin-Simmons 41, Sul Ross State 13 – Box Score
ALPINE, Texas – Hardin-Simmons got off to a quick start and never looked back in a 41-13 win over Sul Ross State on Saturday night in American Southwest Conference action at Jackson Field in Alpine.
HSU took the opening kickoff and went 56 yards in eight plays and Kerry Sloan capped the drive with a one-yard touchdown run. Jaelon Collier then intercepted a pass on the first Sul Ross State possession and returned it to the 14-yard line.
Garrett Martin scored on a 15-yard pass from Ryan Breton two plays later. Breton got the start in place of an injured Weston Garner at quarterback. HSU then forced another quick punt and on the first play Breton hit Jessie Ramos on a 68-yard pass on the first play.
Sul Ross State then went 53 yards in four plays and James Davis hit Calvon Henderson on a 16-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the second quarter.
HSU capped a 35-point first half when Ramos took a punt and returned it 83 yards for a touchdown with 14 seconds to play in the half.
The Cowboys scored a touchdown with 33 seconds to play when Jeremy Harris capped a 54-yard drive that was all his runs. He scored from 10 yards out.
HSU had a season-best 303 yards rushing and had 487 yards on the night. Ryan Breton was 11-of-20 for 184 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions in his first career start.
Kerry Sloan had 117 yards on 20 carries and scored twice. Reese Childress had 98 yards rushing and Harris added 82.
Tyler Ryan and Matthew Hawkins led the defense with 13 tackles each.
James Davis completed 14-of-19 passes for 130 yards and a score with 57 yards rushing. Williton Grear had 104 yards on the ground.
The Cowboys will next be in action on Saturday when they host Howard Payne in the homecoming game at 1:30. Sul Ross State fell to 1-5 overall and 0-3 in ASC play.
East Texas Baptist 51, Howard Payne 13 – Box Score
BROWNWOOD, Texas – East Texas Baptist set the offensive tone early on the first play from scrimmage when Kendall Roberson jolted 65-yards for a touchdown taking a 51-13 American Southwest Conference win over Howard Payne. ETBU put up a program best 694 yards of total offense and moved to 2-0 in ASC play for the first time since 2009.
Roberson finished the day with four total touchdowns rushing for three and catching another tying his career-high for rushing touchdowns. It was the sixth time in his career he has rushed for over 100 yards finishing with 164 yards. He had touchdown runs of 65, three, and four yards along with a 16-yard reception.
Tyler Bates came away with 158 yards receiving and one touchdown. It was his 11th time that Bates has had 100 yards or more receiving in his career. He also caught a 38-yard pass for his 10th touchdown of the year. Jourdan McNeill added a touchdown and 56 yards. Derek Ledet also had a career-game with 94 yards receiving. Josh Warbington went 22-of-24 for 378 yards and two passing touchdowns.
Kiounis Williams led the team with seven tackles while Verry Jackson and Jarrell had their first career interceptions at ETBU.
After taking a quick 7-0 lead, HPU kicked a 40-yard field goal to come within four (7-3). ETBU then scored 41 straight points for a 48-3 lead. ETBU only had seven points in the first quarter and HPU made it a game until they allowed 24 unanswered points in the second quarter ending the half at 28-3. Bates, Roberson, and McNeill all scored touchdowns and Ryan Travis had a 36-yard field goal.
ETBU scored 17 more points in the third quarter on a Roberson pass and run and then an 18-yard field goal by Travis. Roberson caught a 16-yard pass first from Warbington and then rushed for this fourth overall touchdown of the day for a 45-3 lead. Travis finished out the scoring in the quarter with his second made field goal of the day from 18-yards.
Howard Payne put 10 points on the board in the fourth quarter and Travis nailed a 30-yard field goal finishing out ETBU’s scoring.
Overall, ETBU had 266 yards rushing and 428 yards passing for 694 yards of total offense. ETBU held Howard Payne to just 346 yards of total offense and 13 points.
East Texas Baptist will host Belhaven at 6:00 p.m. on October 24 in the homecoming match next week.
Belhaven 42, Warner 33 – Box Score
JACKSON, Miss. – Belhaven picked up its first win of the 2015 season Saturday, coming from behind to defeat Warner 42-33.
The Blazers outscored Warner 28-9 in the second half to overcome a 10-point deficit after 30 minutes.
Clayton Webb came into the game after the halftime break and threw four touchdowns to lead the comeback.
After forcing a stop deep in Warner territory, followed by a short punt, Webb connected with Kevin Sheif on a 29-yard touchdown pass early in the third quarter on the first play of the drive to start the Blazers comeback.
Less than four minutes later, Webb and Shaquan Holmes connected for a 22-yard touchdown pass that capped a 62-yard drive, nine-play drive. The score gave the Blazers a 28-24 lead.
The Blazers couldn't hold the lead though, as Warner answered back on their next drive to take the lead back with a 75-yard drive that ended with a one-yard touchdown run.
A few drives later, Belhaven retook the lead for good, as Nate Williams caught his second touchdown pass of the game with a 10-yard catch that came two plays after Alvin Vaughn's interception.
Vaughn led the team with 11 tackles in the game and he also forced a fumble. His interception was one of three in the game for Belhaven.
Isaiah Swopes picked up two interceptions in the contest for the second-straight week. Swopes has five interceptions on the season, one shy of the Belhaven season record.
Williams' first touchdown came on a nine-yard pass play from Tristan Hibbeler in the first half that gave Belhaven a 14-10 lead at the time. He finished with 56 yards on five catches.
With five minutes to go in the game, Belhaven extended its lead with a 17-yard pass connection from Webb to Jaquay Daniels. Belhaven went up 42-31 with the score.
Warner gained two points late in the game as Webb stepped out of the back of the end zone as the Blazers attempted to run the clock out.
Hibbeler connected with Marquis Hedge on a 33-yard touchdown pass to give Belhaven its first score of the game late in the first quarter.
Hedge led all receivers with 65 yards on four receptions.
Hibbeler was 14-of-29 in the game for 147 yards and the two touchdowns. He also had two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown and the other came at the end of the first half on a hail mary attempt.
Webb finished 12-of-30 for 164 yards and four touchdown passes.
Belhaven will head back on the road next week with a trip to take on East Texas Baptist at 6:00 p.m. Saturday in Marshall, Texas.
Oklahoma Panhandle State 36, McMurry 35 (OT) – Box Score
ABILENE, Texas – McMurry battled back from a 20-point halftime deficit versus Oklahoma Panhandle State only to fall in overtime, 36-35, at Wilford Moore Stadium. The War Hawks fell to 3-4 on the year, while the NCAA Division II Aggies improved to 4-2.
It was the fourth-straight victory for OPSU and the second-consecutive setback for McMurry. It was the first overtime game for the War Hawks since 2008, when they lost a 21-14 decision to Austin College.
The first half belonged to the Aggies. Not only did OPSU put a three-score lead on the scoreboard, but dominated the statistics in the opening half as well. OPSU had 10 first downs to three for the War Hawks, as well as a 248-to-52 yards margin for total offense. Minus starting running back Paxton Grayer for the game, as well as starting quarterback Matt McHugh sidelined the opening half nursing a sore wrist, the War Hawks' offense was at a standstill.
Early in the third quarter, it was actually the defense which finally put McMurry on the board. And for the second time this season, it was linebacker Jacob Ferguson coming through big for McMurry. After OPSU quarterback Brandon Ramon made an errant option pitch at the McMurry 37-yard line, Ferguson scooped up the ball and galloped 63 yards for touchdown and a school-record fumble return (previously 56 yards by Josh Fisher vs. Texas A&M-Commerce in 2013).
Joey Silva's extra point kick at the 11:02 mark of the period made it 20-7.
Less than four minutes later, it was McMurry defensive back J.R. Arroyo setting up his team's next tally by picking off Ramon on OPSU's own 27-yard line. On the very first play McHugh was inserted into the game for the second half connecting with Charles Agugua for the 27-yard touchdown pass, cutting the deficit to 20-14.
Charles Smith was the next defender to provide some third-quarter heroics by intercepting a pass by the Aggies second quarterback Shane Truelove deep in McMurry territory. However, a dead ball penalty pushed McMurry back to its own five to start the drive. McHugh was sacked at the one on the first play, threw an incompletion and then sacked again, this time for a safety that made the score 22-14 with 3:56 remaining in the third.
McMurry knotted the game at 22-22 at the 8:20 mark of the fourth period, thanks to an 82-yard catch-and-run by Agugua from McHugh. The War Hawks then converted the two-point conversion, with McHugh passing to his twin brother David McHugh to forge the 22-22 tie score.
With just 3:00 showing on the game clock, OPSU helped out McMurry with an errant punt snap. The ball was eventually recovered and advanced 14 yards by War Hawks' defensive lineman Calvin Middlebrooks, before he too fumbled. Fortunately for McMurry, linebacker Chase Franklin was able to fall on the ball at the Aggies' 45 yard line.
McMurry used up the clock and after seven plays it was Dontrell Dock capping the series by diving in from five yards out to put McMurry ahead for the first time. Silva's PAT kick with 58 seconds on the game clock made it 29-22 in favor of the War Hawks.
OPSU's Zacari Lavender returned the ensuing kickoff 55 yards to put OPSU in great field position inside the final minute.
Facing a fourth-and-goal from the McMurry nine-yard line and with seven seconds remaining, Truelove hit William McKinnis in the far corner of the end zone. McKinnis made a sliding catch as the clock expired. Nikolas Clarkson added the PAT to even things at 29-29 and send the contest into overtime.
OPSU went first in the OT, starting from the McMurry 25. The Aggies scored on their fourth play on a six-yard dive by Chris McClendon. The extra point was good, 36-29.
Turning things around for their turn, the War Hawks opened with a seven-yard hook-up from McHugh to Derrick Johnson down to the OPSU seven-yard line. That was followed by three successive rushes by Dock, the last of which was a one-yarder for the score.
Silva came on for the PAT attempt, only to have OPSU call a timeout to try to ice McMurry's kicker. Unfortunately for the War Hawks, the technique worked as Silva's attempt went wide right and the Aggies escaped with the win.
McHugh finished the game completing 11-of-17 passes for 186 yards and the two touchdowns to Agugua. Agugua caught four balls for 128 yards to lead all receivers. OPSU out-gained McMurry in total offense, 468 to 306 yards for the game.
Defensively, McMurry picked off four Aggies' passes. Arroyo had two interceptions, with Smith and Ryan McBeth with one each.
Linebacker Marlon Jackson had 13 total tackles, leading a quartet of War Hawks with double-digit tackle totals. Franklin had 11 stops, while Ryan Williams and Arroyo recorded 10 each. Arroyo also had three pass break-ups.
McMurry will travel to Sul Ross State next Saturday.