BELTON, Texas -- Hardin-Simmons' football team put up a good effort against No. 2 Mary Hardin-Baylor but came up short 41-28 in an American Southwest Conference showdown on Saturday afternoon in Belton.

HSU's defense set the tone for the game on its first possession when James Place intercepted Zach Anderson. The Cowboys drove 31 yards in four plays and scored on a Kerry Sloan 2-yard run.

HSU forced a punt on the next UMHB possession and HSU drive 41 yards but Nico Francino's field goal of 34 yards was wide left.

The Cru then tried a fake punt on fourth down of the next possession and HSU sniffed it out. Eric Allen then picked off Weston Garner and Jacob O'Neill added a field goal.

HSU drove 51 yards on the next possession and Francino just missed a 37-yard field goal. HSU forced a punt, but the Cru's Baylor Mullins intercepted Garner on the next possession and Anderson made the Cowboys pay with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Kamray Runnels to make it 10-7.

The Cowboys answered back immediately with a 78-yard touchdown pass from Garner to Trei Lewis on the first play of the next drive to take a 14-10 lead they would take into the halftime locker room.

On the first play of the second half for the Cru, Anderson hit Wykeyhe Walker who slipped a tackle and went 86 yards for a touchdown. HSU then had a drive stall and punted to the Cru and they went 80 yards in 10 plays and got the break of the game when Anderson's pass on third and 16 was deflected up in the air and Hunter Schmidt took the deflection and raced 40 yards for a 24-14 Cru lead.

UMHB made it 31-14 on the next possession when Dana Taylor intercepted Garner and ran it back 28 yards for a touchdown. The Cru made it 38-14 with :22 to play in the third quarter when Eric Nelson went 40 yards for a touchdown from Anderson.

The Cowboys answered back with a 63-yard touchdown pass from Garner to Jessie Ramos and the Cowboys forced a quick punt. Ramos broke open again and was held up on another deep ball when he beat his man. It would have probably been another touchdown if he had not been interfered with but Ramos caught the ball and settled for a 36-yard gain.

Garner was picked by Allen on the next play and returned it 87 yards to the HSU 11 and O'Neill added a 24-yard field goal.  

HSU added a late touchdown on a 18-yard fumble return.

The Cowboys limited the high-powered Cru to 348 yards of offense and just 79 yards on the ground on 47 carries. HSU had 386 yards in the game.

Sloan had 26 carries for 106 yards. Garner was 14-for-26 for 255 yards and two TDs, but was intercepted and sacked five teams each. Ramos had nine catches for 139 yards and a touchdown.

Anderson completed 16-of-19 passes with four touchdowns.

HSU's defense had 15 tackles for loss and Corey Ward had nine tackles. Ryne Lewis had 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack. Trent Walker had three tackles for loss. 

HSU is 5-2 overall and 2-1 in ASC play. UMHB improved to 8-0 and 3-0 in league play. HSU will host East Texas Baptist in the home finale and Veterans Appreciation Day next Saturday at 1 p.m.