Jesse Burleson Show - https://youtu.be/0euCVNIC1fU
Bode Walters Player Spotlight - https://youtu.be/1SpXHJyTs_s
 
The Opening Kickoff
Hardin-Simmons will have its final non-conference game of the season when it hosts Nelson University at 1 p.m. on Saturday. The Cowboys are 4-0 at home this season and have won 18 straight non-conference games at home. HSU has also won 23 straight regular-season games. HSU is also playing a scholarship school for the 20th time since joining Division III and is looking for its 14th straight win against schools that offer athletic scholarships. After this week, the Cowboys return to the second trip through the American Southwest Conference looking for a third straight ASC title. HSU plays at Howard Payne and Mary Hardin-Baylor before returning home for senior day on Nov. 15 against East Texas Baptist. HSU has led for all but 8:37 of the 240 minutes played so far this season. HSU has led for the last 227:55 over the last four games.
 
Up Next
HSU will be on the road the next two weeks, starting Nov. 1 at Howard Payne and the following week at Mary Hardin-Baylor. Both games are slated for 1 p.m. kickoffs.
 
In The Polls
Hardin-Simmons moved up to No. 5 in the American Football Coaches Association and is No. 6 in the D3football.com poll. The Cowboys are also No. 5 in this week's NPI ranking with the NCAA. HSU has been ranked for 109 straight weeks and in the top 10 for 71 of those weeks.
 
A Cowboy Win Would
? Be the 526th in school history.
? Be the 14th straight win against a scholarship program.
? Would mark just the 10th time in school history to start 7-0.
? Would be the 18th straight regular-season win at home.
? Be the 114th in the Jesse Burleson era.
 
About Nelson
Nelson is in its second season as Nelson University. It was previously Southwest Assemblies of God University and is in Waxahachie. They play in the NAIA Sooner Athletic Conference. The Lions come into the game at 1-5 on the year. They lost 38-6 to Louisiana Christian last week. Judah Holtzclaw is a dual-threat quarterback, as he has 191 yards rushing on the year in 101 attempts. That total counts his losses on sacks, but he has gained 345 yards and scored three touchdowns. Running back Quinton Jones averages 8.9 yards per carry and leads the team with 301 yards rushing. Holtzclaw has completed 98-of-187 passes for 1,202 yards and eight touchdowns with eight interceptions. Zach Fuller is his top target with 25 catches for 400 yards and five TDs. Ronnie Murphy leads the team with 38 tackles and Koby Geter leads with three sacks. They are averaging 19.8 points per game and allow 35.7 per contest.  
 
The Series With Nelson
While this will be the first meeting as Nelson, the two teams did play one other time when they were Southwest Assemblies and the Cowboys won the game 61-24 in Waxahachie in 2016.
 
Last Time Out
Hardin-Simmons went on the road for the first time in 42 days and came away with a 34-16 win in a weird game at East Texas Baptist. Trailing 14-7 right before halftime, ETBU was driving inside Cowboy territory when Harrison Forster stepped in front of a pass and raced 97 yards for a touchdown to put HSU up 20-7, but the Tigers blocked the PAT and returned it for two points. In the second half, the Cowboys were driving and Ty Thompson extended towards the goaline for a TD that would have put the Cowboys up 41-9, but ETBU punched the ball out and after a lateral ended up returning it 99 yards for a touchdown. 
 
Model of Consistency
The Cowboys have been one of the most consistent winning programs in the country, posting a winning record in 33 of the last 34 seasons. The Cowboys have a winning record in 12 straight. The only time HSU did not have a winning record they went 4-6 in 2013. The Cowboys also have the fourth-longest regular-season winning streak in the country in all levels of the NCAA.
 
Longest Active  Regular-Season Winning Streak
80           Mount Union                     DIII
52           North Central                    DIII
24           Kutztown                           DII
23           Hardin-Simmons               DIII
 
HSU Vs. Scholarship Schools
The Cowboys transitioned to non-scholarship Division III for the 1996-97 school year and have since played 20 scholarship schools. They are 19-1 over that time frame and have won 14 straight games. Saturday's game will be the latest in the season the Cowboys have played a scholarship school. The games haven't been particularly close. Only five of the games have been less than one score. The average score has been 46.2-16.8.   
 
They Don't Listen - Stop Testing That Man
Senior safety Harrison Forster was at it again on Saturday as he stepped in front of a pass and raced a school-record 97 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter. It was his second straight game with an interception for a touchdown.
 
Living In the Backfield
With his fellow senior end Mark Champion out for the season with a knee injury, senior Hayden Hays helped fill the absence with a big game on Saturday at East Texas Baptist as he had 2.5 sacks. He leads the team with 8.5 tackles for loss on the season.
 
Bag of Tricks
Offensive coordinator Jeff Whitehead went to his bag of tricks on the first play of the game on Saturday and Kyle Brown hit Kris Sims on a flea-flicker and raced 80 yards for a score. Sims has a 76 and 80-yard touchdown so far this season. It was the third straight game that the offense has taken the opening drive of the game for a touchdown.
 
Touchdown Ty
Freshman quarterback Ty Thompson has been a weapon as a short-yardage quarterback. He scored two more touchdowns on Saturday and missed a third by a few inches. He has five rushing touchdowns and has also thrown for two scores. He has made positive yardage on all but one of his 31 rushes. He has either scored a touchdown or gained a first down (or both) on 18 of his 31 rushes this season.
 
Block That Kick
Keyon House got his second blocked field goal of the season. He came off the edge to block a 35-yard attempt in the second quarter on Saturday.
 
Continuing To Build
The defense has been playing lights out this year. In four of their six games, they have given up less than 300 yards including three straight. They have also given up less than 200 yards of passing in four of their six games. Including two performances with 100 yards or less through the air. In their last two games, they have given up 100 yards or less on the ground as well. HSU held the Tigers to just 1-10 on third conversions and forced three turnover on downs as well. Teams are down to 32.9 percent conversions on third down (30-of-91) and just 35.3 on fourth down (6-of-17)
 
To The House
Through six games, HSU has forced six interceptions on the year. Four of those six have been returned for touchdowns.
 
HSU Defensive Scores This Year
McMurry             Mike Akinbisola 15-yard interception return
HPU                   Kaiden Roden 30-yard interception return
UMHB                Harrison Foster 65-yard interception return
ETBU                 Harrison Foster 97-yard interception return
 
Steady As They Come
Senior quarterback Kyle Brown improved to 16-1 in his Cowboy career as a starter and threw two more touchdowns without an interception. He has 36 touchdowns in his career with just five interceptions. He had two first-half touchdown passes and also made plays with his feet, extending two drives with third-down conversions. He was named the ASC player of the week for the second time this year.
 
Noteables
HSU has completed its two longest trips of the year. Chapman was 2,476 miles round-trip, and East Texas Baptist was 668 miles round-trip...For the fourth time under Jesse Burleson and second-straight year, the Cowboys have started 6-0...This is the 14th time in school history the Cowboys have started 6-0...The defense has started the second half, not allowing anything to get going for the opponent. In all six games, the defense has not allowed a score of any kind on the opening drive of the second half. Five of those are forced punts with an interception against McMurry. The Cowboys have not allowed a score on the opening drive of the second half in 27 straight games.
 

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