BELTON, Texas – Hardin-Simmons' football team dropped a 34-28 game to top-ranked Mary Hardin-Baylor on Saturday night in a wild atmosphere at Crusader Stadium.

The Cru outscored the Cowboys 27-0 in the second half to rally from a 28-7 halftime deficit.

HSU took the opening kickoff and drove 74 yards in eight plays and Gaylon Glynn gave the Cowboys an early lead with a 7-yard touchdown run. The Cru answered back with a touchdown of their own when Kyle King hit Romello Cook on a 27-yard touchdown pass.

The Cowboys had to punt and the Cru was driving again when Terrell Franklin forced a fumble on King and the Cowboys recovered. HSU then drove 91 yards in 11 plays and Kolby Youngblood scored on a 33-yard touchdown run on the first play of the second quarter.

Nathaniel Finch forced another fumble on the next Cru drive and the Cowboys struck right back as Kyle Jones hit Kevi Evans on a 24-yard touchdown pass. The defense forced another Cru punt and Myles Featherston raced 65 yards for a touchdown to take a 28-7 lead with 10:57 to play in the second quarter and the game stayed the same score through the half.

UMHB came out strong in the third quarter and went 64 yards in six plays and King hit Brandon Jones for a 9-yard touchdown. HSU went three and out on the next drive and Jefferson Fritz' 20-yard punt return set the Cru up in Cowboy territory. King hit Connor Mullins on a 5-yard touchdown pass. To make it 28-21.

After another Cowboy three-and-out, UMHB drove 65 yards in six plays and King hit Cook for a 7-yard touchdown pass to tie the game.

After HSU had to punt to start the fourth quarter, the Cowboy defense stopped King on a fourth-down run and took over at their own 36 and gained a couple of first downs before punting back to the Cru.

UMHB went 80 yards in five plays and King hit Jordan again in the corner of the end zone to take a 34-28 lead. Anthony Avilia's PAT hit the upright and fell out giving the Cowboys the ball with 5:58 to play.

The Cowboys converted on a third-down to get the drive going and then picked up another first down. Jones scrambled for a 13-yard gain on fourth-and-13 to extend the drive and Jones hit Cade Bell on a third-and-14 for 19 yards to give the Cowboys the ball at the Cru 22 with just over a minute to play.

On second-and-10 Jayden Smith came over and intercepted a pass at the 2-yard line to give the Cru the ball back with :38 to play. Aphonso Thomas broke off a 33-yard run on second down sealing another close win for the Cru in the series.

The Cowboys had 371 yards of total offense in the contest and the Cru had 435. Both teams went over 200 yards rushing with the Cowboys running for 220 and the Cru 227.

HSU is now 3-1 on the year and 2-1 in ASC play. The Cru improved to 4-0 and 3-0 in league play, The Cowboys return home next week to host McMurry in the Wilford Moore Trophy game.

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