ABILENE, Texas — Hardin-Simmons pounded out 284 rushing yards and scored nine touchdowns on the ground as the No. 12 Cowboys closed the regular season with a 63–14 rout of East Texas Baptist on Saturday at Shelton Stadium.

Senior running back Noah Garcia led the surge, running for 161 yards and three touchdowns on just 20 carries while also adding a 65-yard touchdown reception. Hardin-Simmons (9–1, 5–1 ASC) scored touchdowns on its first three drives and built a 35–14 halftime lead before outscoring ETBU 28–0 in the second half.

The Cowboys rolled up 504 total yards, averaging 7.1 yards per play, and scored on 7 of 8 red-zone trips. They attempted only 22 passes, leaning instead on a dominant offensive front that also sprung Braylon Henry for 84 yards and two scores and Rodney Hall and Ty Thompson for short touchdown runs.

Quarterback Kyle Brown went 11 of 22 for 220 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

Hardin-Simmons' defense forced five turnovers—three interceptions and two fumbles—and held ETBU (4–6, 0–6 ASC) scoreless over the final three quarters. Kaiden Roden collected a team-high 12 tackles, while Bruin Wright, Collin Hill, and Colyn Donnelly each nabbed interceptions.

ETBU struck early on an 82-yard catch-and-run by Kobe Chambers, then added a 31-yard touchdown pass to Eric Stovall, but managed just 92 rushing yards and committed three turnovers after halftime.

Hardin-Simmons finished with a 24–12 edge in first downs and controlled the ball for nearly 31 minutes.

The Cowboys won their third-straight American Southwest Conference title and are the automatic qualifier out of the ASC to the NCAA Playoffs. The pairings will be announced at 4 p.m. CST Sunday on NCAA.com
 
--- www.hsuathletics.com ---