Boxscore
BELTON, Texas - Everyone knew that the
Hardin-Simmons football team was better than a year ago, the
question was how much better.
HSU answered that question as they went toe-to-toe with
third-ranked Mary Hardin-Baylor before falling 20-18, Saturday
afternoon at Tiger Field in Belton.
UMHB forced a Cowboy on the first series of the game and then
took the ball 61-yards in 13 plays in a methodical drive that was
capped by a Josh Saenz 1-yard touchdown run. Alan Munoz's PAT made
it 7-0 with 5:51 to play in the first quarter.
On the next Cowboy possession, Justin Feaster was intercepted by
Derrick Williams and the game had a feeling like the rout might be
on. But the Cowboys stopped the Cru and they had to settle for a
26-yard field goal by Munoz to make it 10- with 12:04 to play in
the first half.
The Cowboys came right back with their own time consuming drive
for a score. HSU went 48 yards in 13 plays that took 6:39 off the
clock. Feaster found Grisham on a 16-yard touchdown pass on third
and 11. Matt Fields PAT went off the upright and it was 10-6 with
5:43 to play in the half.
UMHB again drove it down the field and made it to the HSU 1, but
Hank Hornsby and Adam Rogers stuffed Saenz from the one and Shelton
Rainey stuffed Saenz again at the goal line on third down. UMHB was
going to go for it on fourth down, but a false start forced them to
take a 22-yard Munoz field goal to make it 13-6 with :19 to play in
the half.
HSU was not done as ZaVious Robbins returned the kickoff 30
yards to the 41 and Feaster found Robbins for 30 yards down the
sideline to give them one last play at the end zone. Feaster's pass
was just out of the reach of Grisham and it was 13-6 at halftime.
UMHB drove to the Cowboys 16 but Munoz kicked a field goal. HSU
had a quick three and out and then UMHB went back down and tried
another field goal that Matt Warnasch blocked. HSU could not move
the ball again and a short punt gave the Cru a short field. The Cru
punched it in on a Saenz 10-yard run to make it 20-6.
The Cowboys came right back on the first play when Mychal
Carrillo took a lateral and then threw to a wide open ZaVious
Robbins for a 68-yard touchdown to make it 20-12, but Fields PAT
was wide right.
The teams exchanged punts and then the Cowboys went 92 yards in
11 plays to score a touchdown. Josh Stephens capped the drive with
a 3-yard run. HSU, after missing a pair of extra points earlier,
was forced to go for a two-point conversion to tie the game that
was not successful.
After UMHB recovered an on-sides kick the Cru picked up a first
down on fourth-and-1 by a matter of inches to seal the game.
Saenz had 31 carries for 162 yards and two scores for the Cru,
who ran for 358 yards on 73 rushing attempts. Feaster was 17-for-28
for 203 yards for the Cowboys. Robbins had four catches for 134
yards and a touchdown and Grisham had four catches for 73 yards and
a score.
Matt Warnasch had 23 tackles for the Cowboys, including 14 solo
stops and he blocked a kick. Michael Tracy added 15 tackles and
Shelton Rainey had 14.
The Cowboys are 4-1 on the year and 1-1 in ASC action and UMHB
improved to 4-0 overall and 3-0 in league play. HSU will play East
Texas Baptist for Homecoming on Saturday. The Tigers are 3-1
overall and 3-0 in league play.
