Cowboys Rally To Second Half Rout Of Whitworth

Boxscore

ABILENE, Texas — It was a tale of two halves for the fifth-ranked Hardin-Simmons football team, as HSU overcame a 24-13 halftime deficit to win its season opener 48-31 over Whitworth, Saturday afternoon at Shelton Stadium in Abilene.

The Cowboys’ special teams had a regrettable first half and it cost the Cowboys on the scoreboard. WU returned the opening kickoff 48 yards to the HSU 35. The Pirates went 35 yards on nine plays and All-American running back Adam Anderson plunged it end from one yard out to give WU a 7-0 lead with 10:40 to play in the first quarter.

HSU came right back and marched 75 yards in 12 plays and Justin Feaster capped the drive with a quarterback sneak and freshman kicker Alex Wymore nailed the first PAT of his career to make it 7-7 with 6:31 to play in the first. The Pirates then returned the ensuing kickoff 46 yards and an off=side penalty on the Cowboys made put the ball again on the 35-yard line. Anderson capped a 5-play drive with a 13-yard touchdown run to make it 14-7.

After two punts by the Cowboys and a stop on fourth down by the Cowboy defense, Whitworth took over at their own 15 and drove it down the field to the HSU five when the Cowboys looked like they had forced the Pirates into a field goal. Anderson had set it up with a highlight reel 64-yard screen pass, where he hurdled a defender and was off to the races before being caught by Anthony McKnight.

However, there was confusion by the Cowboys and HSU left Justin Wimberly totally uncovered and quarterback Andrew Durant, who was the holder took the snap and threw it to Wimberly who was wide open for the touchdown to make it 21-7 with 6:00 to play in the first half.

The Cowboys went right down the field and scored again with Feaster finding ZaVious Robbins on a 25-yard touchdown pass, a high snap led to the PAT being blocked and it was 21-13 with 2:02 to play. Whitworth then took advantage of another blown coverage on the ensuing possession and Durant found Dale Entel for 36 yards to push the ball to the HSU eight. After a run to the three, Andy Largent hit a 20-yard field to make it 24-13 at halftime.

It was all different in the second half for the Cowboys. Feaster, who came out of the locker room with over eight minutes left in halftime was the first Cowboy on the field and chomping at the bit to get the ball. He took HSU right down the field going 70 yards in 10 plays and he found Thomas Labian for a touchdown from five yards out. The two-point conversion attempt was knocked away.

The Cowboys forced a punt on the ensuing possession and HSU went 97 yards in six plays to take the lead. With the Pirates laying off the Cowboys receivers, HSU went to the fly sweep game. Robbins ran for 22 yards, Labian ran for 11 yards, Rockwell then went for six yards. Feaster then hit Robbins on consecutive passes for 20 and nine yards and then Feaster took off on a scramble and ran 29 yards for a touchdown. A fade to Daniel Lofton for the two-point conversion made it 27-24.

On the next Whitworth possession, the Pirates appeared to be looking for a trick play, but fumbled the pitch behind the line and the Cowboys’ Shelton Rainey recovered. HSU went 22 yards in five plays and Feaster found Robbins on a 7-yard touchdown and it was 34-24 and the Cowboys had control of the game.

After the Cowboys were driving again, a shotgun snap from freshman center Travis Sugar hit his own leg and the Pirates recovered, but HSU forced a quick three and out. Labian returned the punt 32 yards to the Whitworth 26 and Labian scored two plays later on a 14-yard touchdown pass from Feaster. Jayce Boyd added a 39 yards touchdown run with 2:11 to play after Whitworth had scored on a 22 yard touchdown pass from Cub Jansen to Andy Largent.

HSU rolled up 517 yards of total offense and held the Pirates to 338, including only 122 yards on the ground. The Pirates, who pride themselves on the running game, averaged just 2.7 yards per carry. HSU recorded four sacks in the game.

Feaster started off his senior year in style as he completed 26-of-32 passes for 282 yards and four touchdowns and he ran 10 times for 64 yards and two more scores. ZaVious Robbins had 11 catches for 140 yards and two touchdowns.

HSU’s defensive front had a big day as all three starters, James Morgan Hadnot, Garrison Hardin and Hank Hornsby each had nine tackles to lead the Cowboys. Hornsby had 1.5 sacks and Hardin had one sack and two tackles for loss. Paul Wehane had 14 tackles for the Pirates.

The Cowboys will return to action on Saturday when they travel to Linfield for a 3:30 (CST) game with the Wildcats.


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