Box Score ABILENE, Texas – Hardin-Simmons'
14th-ranked football team started a stretch of three
straight games against ranked teams with a 33-21 win over No. 13
Willamette, in front of a crowd of 3,622 fans at the home opener at
Shelton Stadium in Abilene.
In a game that featured hard-hitting and aggressive defenses
from both sides, the Cowboys were able to fight off the Bearcats
with a 46-yard touchdown pass from Justin Feaster to Travis Tatsch
with 8:20 to play.
"That was a great football game," said head coach Jimmie
Keeling. "I tell you what both teams layed it on the line and we
were fortunate to make a few more plays. They are talented, are
well-coached and are a very good team. I am proud of our guys and
theirs too that is what college football is supposed to be
about.
The Bearcats are known for their fly offense that is usually one
of the top running attacks in the nation. However, WU used an over
the top passing attack to stay with the Cowboys for most of the
night. Scott Schoettgen was a one-man wrecking crew for the
Bearcats as he had eight catches for 222 yards and three
touchdowns. He had touchdowns of 78, 71 and 34 yards. HSU limited
the Bearcats to 96 yards on 32 rushing attempts.
Trailing 17-9, Willamette struck first in the second half when
Schoettgen scored on a 34-yard pass from Brian Widing. Willamette
went for two, but the pass was overthrown and HSU remained in the
lead at 17-15 with 12:43 to play.
Justin Feaster then capped a 12-play, 70-yard drive that took
5:18 off the clock with a 9-yard run at the 7:25 mark of the third.
Schoettgen's 78-yard touchdown on a perfectly thrown pass
between two defenders from Widing made the score 24-22 with 12:42
to play in the game.
HSU then had a quick three-and-out and Whitworth went for it on
fourth down from their own 43 with 9:03 to play. Caleb Christian
knocked down the pass and HSU took over. Steven Rockwell was
stopped for a three-yard loss on the first play, but Feaster hit
Travis Tatsch over the top for a 46-yard touchdown to make it
31-22. HSU's defense shut the door the rest of the way.
HSU took a lead it would never relinquish in the first quarter
on a 2-yard Derrick Grant run to cap a nine-play, 63-yard drive
with 5:11 to play in the first. WU received a 36-yard field goal
from Mitchell Rowan to make it 7-3 with 11:03 to play in the
half.
HSU then got a 17-yard interception return for a touchdown to
make it 14-3 with 2:05 to play in the half. However, Kevin Ramay
hit Schoettgen over the top to make it 14-9 and the Cowboys blocked
the PAT. HSU came back and Scott Newberry hit a 28-yard field to
make it 17-9 at the halftime buzzer.
Feaster shook off two first-half interceptions to go 24-of-33
for 288 yards and a touchdown. ZaVious Robbins had nine catches for
79 yards and Steven Rockwell had 54 yards rushing and Derrick Grant
had 33 against a punishing Bearcat defense.
HSU's defense was pretty solid on its own. They limited
the fly offense to three yards a carry. Caleb Christian led the way
with nine tackles and Bronson Buzzard added eight. HSU broke up 10
passes on the night, with Jay Wise having four and Christian
three.
The Cowboys now have back-to-back games with the ASC
co-champions from a year ago starting with a home date with
Mississippi College on Saturday at 2 p.m. HSU is 2-0 on the year
and Willamette is now 1-1.
--- HSU ---
