ABILENE, Texas -- Hardin-Simmons' football team beat Sul Ross State 19-12 on Homecoming Saturday afternoon at Shelton Stadium.

HSU improved to 4-1 on the year and 1-0 in American Southwest Conference action with the win. It is the Cowboys' fourth straight win.

The Cowboy defense had a stellar performance limiting the Lobos to 165 yards of total offense and neither score came against the defense.

HSU jumped to a 13-0 first-quarter lead on a pair of Bryce Johnson touchdown runs. Johnson scored on a 8-yard run with 5:20 to play in the quarter and after a missed PAT it was 6-0. Johnson scored on a 2-yard run after the Lobos had fumbled a punt at the six-yard line.

The Lobos scored with :20 to go in the half when the Cowboys were driving and Shane Alexander stepped in front of a Weston Garner pass and returned it 99 yards for a score. The PAT was blocked by Ryne Lewis and HSU led 13-6 at halftime.

It stayed that way until Kerry Sloan scored on a 5-yard run with 3:37 to play in the game and again the PAT was no good, giving HSU a 19-6 lead. Uriah Mosley returned the kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown to make it 19-12 with 3:08 to play.

HSU then fumbled the ensuing kickoff, but the Cowboy defense stopped the Lobos on fourth down to preserve the win.

Garner completed 26-of-37 passes for 224 yards for the Cowboys and Jessie Ramos and Jimmie Simpson had eight catches each. James Davis was just 8-for-14 for 61 yards for SRSU.

Defensively, Corey Ward had eight tackles and Korey Zavala added seven with a sack for HSU.

Sul Ross State fell to 1-6 on the year and 0-2 in league play. HSU will play at Howard Payne next week.

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