15/16 Hardin-Simmons vs. Chapman
Saturday, Sept. 5 - Noon – Abilene, Texas - Shelton Stadium
Opening Kickoff
Hardin-Simmons opens the season for the second straight year against Chapman University, with kickoff set for noon Saturday at Shelton Stadium. The Cowboys defeated Chapman 37-30 last season in Orange, Calif. Both teams went on to win their respective conference championships and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs. Hardin-Simmons returns 57 players with varsity experience.
Hardin-Simmons Cowboys
| 2025 Record |
9-2 (ASC Champion NCAA Second Round) |
| Ranking |
15 D3football.com/16 AFCA |
| Head Coach |
Jesse Burleson |
| Alma Mater, year |
Hardin-Simmons, 1999 |
| Record at HSU |
116-36 (16th season) |
| Career Record |
Same |
Chapman Panthers
| 2025 Record |
9-3 (SCIAC Champions, NCAA Second Round) |
| Ranking |
RV D3football.com/RV AFCA |
| Head Coach |
Casey Shine (1st full year was interim in 25) |
| Alma Mater, year |
Nevada-Reno, 2001 |
| Record at HSU |
116-35 (15th season) |
| Career Record |
9-3 |
FloCollege
The American Southwest Conference has entered into an agreement with FloCollege to stream conference athletic contests. While this represents a change and will require a subscription, FloCollege has made a significant investment in its technology and production capabilities to provide fans with a first-class viewing experience. FloCollege is available through the web, mobile apps for iOS and Android, and smart TV platforms including Roku, Samsung, Fire TV, Google TV, Apple TV, LG and VIZIO. This partnership will also allow HSU Athletics to reach more viewers and provide our fans with greater access to Cowboy and Cowgirl contests.We encourage you to sign up for your subscription before the first games of the season.
Subscribe to FloCollege and follow HSU Athletics
On The Air
Hardin-Simmons' games will be broadcast on FloCollege this season. All home games and ASC conference road games will be on Flo. Al
Pickett is in his 22nd season in the Cowboys' play-by-play chair and 23rd overall on the broadcast team. Former Cowboy quarterback and basketball player Cody Coil, a veteran sports reporter, will be the color commentator for this season.
HSU Vs. Chapman
Saturday's game marks the fourth meeting between Hardin-Simmons and Chapman. The teams played a home-and-home series in 1997 and 1998, the first two seasons of NCAA Division III football for the Cowboys. Hardin-Simmons is 6-1 against teams from California during the Division III era.
Series
1997: HSU 19, Chapman 14 — Abilene
1998: HSU 48, Chapman 19 — Orange, Calif.
2025: HSU 37, Chapman 30 — Orange, Calif.
In The Polls
Hardin-Simmons enters the season ranked No. 15 in the D3football.com poll and No. 16 in the American Football Coaches Association poll. The Cowboys have been ranked for 115 consecutive weeks, including 73 weeks in the top 10.
Team At A Glance
Hardin-Simmons will have a new look offensively, with nine new starters, including sophomore quarterback
Ty Thompson. The Cowboys return seven defensive starters, along with their punter and placekicker.
Up Next
The Cowboys will hit the road for a familiar destination, traveling to Wisconsin to face UW-La Crosse in a key national matchup. Hardin-Simmons has played teams from the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, widely regarded as one of the top conferences in Division III football, nine times and is 7-2 all-time against teams from the league. HSU defeated La Crosse 28-21 in 2023 in the team's most recent meeting. The Cowboys are 2-1 all-time against UW-La Crosse, with the lone loss coming in Abilene in 2007. HSU is 5-1 all-time in Wisconsin. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
A COWBOY WIN WOULD ...
Be the 529th victory in school history.
Be HSU's 12th consecutive season-opening victory.
Be the 117th victory of the
Jesse Burleson era.
Be the first victory for
Ty Thompson as the Cowboys' starting quarterback.
Lid Lifters
Hardin-Simmons enters its 89th season of football with an all-time record of 528-281-35. The Cowboys are 60-24-4 all-time in season openers. HSU is looking for its 12th consecutive season-opening victory. The Cowboys are 27-9 in season openers since football returned in 1990. Under head coach
Jesse Burleson, HSU is 12-3 in season openers. The Cowboys have not lost a season opener since falling to Texas Lutheran in 2014.
Non-Conference Success
Burleson began his career 5-5 in regular-season non-conference play, but the Cowboys have been dominant since then. HSU is 27-1 in regular-season non-conference play since 2014. The lone loss during that span came at Endicott in 2023. The Cowboys are 32-6 in regular-season nonconference play under Burleson and 18-3 at home and have won 15 straight.
Model of Consistency
Hardin-Simmons has won at least nine games in each of the last five seasons. The Cowboys are one of only six current Division III programs with at least nine wins in five consecutive seasons. The others are DePauw, Johns Hopkins, Mount Union, North Central and Susquehanna. HSU has advanced to the NCAA Division III playoffs in four consecutive seasons, the longest playoff streak in school history. HSU has posted a winning record in 33 of the last 34 seasons. The Cowboys have won at least eight games every season since 2015, excluding the COVID-shortened season. Only four teams in the nation have a longer streak than HSU's nine consecutive seasons with at least eight victories.
Oh Captain, My Captain
Hardin-Simmons will have three offensive captains, three defensive captains and one quick reaction forces captain. The captains were selected by a player vote following spring practice. Foster and Roden are serving as captains for the second time. The remaining captains are serving in the role for the first time.
Ty Time
Sophomore quarterback
Ty Thompson takes over as the Cowboys' starting quarterback. The athletic left-hander from Graham was a force in short-yardage situations last season. He recorded either a first down or touchdown on 28 of his 47 rushing attempts. He had 264 rushing yards
and six touchdowns on the ground. Through the air, he was 11-of-13 for 155 yards and two scores. Thompson brings an elusive running ability to go along with a strong arm. The backup slot is a three-way battle. Sophomore
Keagan Ables, senior transfer
Tucker Griffin and junior transfer
Luke Dodd all will be ready when needed. Freshman
Brett LaDuke also will be on the varsity.
Man In The Middle
Kaiden Roden returns for his third season in the middle of the Cowboys' defense. He is using a fifth year and has already earned his bachelor's degree. Roden enters the season as the preseason ASC Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team preseason All-American by D3football.com. He shared ASC Defensive Player of the Year honors last season and was named an All-American. He had 79 tackles and 10 tackles for loss last year and has 167 career tackles with 22 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. The linebacking corps was the strength of the Cowboys' defense a year ago and the group returns intact.
Kade Sink had 78 tackles, including nine for loss, and was a first-team All-ASC selection.
Matt Pascuzzi recorded 65 tackles and was named second-team All-ASC. Sophomore
Colyn Donnelly received first-team reps during spring practice while Roden recovered from offseason surgery. All four linebackers are expected to play in rotation.
Hunter Howard and
Brody McClure also return to provide additional depth at linebacker.
Go 'Wes", Young Man
Senior captain
Wes Douglas is the lone returning starter in the receiving corps. He had 42 receptions for 679 yards and seven touchdowns. Douglas will lead a talented group of transfer receivers. Sophomore
Harison Brockway, the grandson of legendary Hardin-Simmons coach Jimmie Keeling, has the most game experience among the remaining receivers. Brockway was a high school teammate of Thompson, giving the Cowboys an established connection between quarterback and receiver. HSU added several transfer receivers, including:
Jairdyn Anderson,
Dylan Hardin,
Reggie McNeal,
Austin Hailey,
Justin Herman and others.
Rodney Hall, who played a lot last season is out for the year with a knee injury suffered in spring practice.
Kickin' It With Pedro
Pedro Altamirano was one of the top kickers in the nation last season. He enters the year as a preseason D3football.com All-American and the preseason ASC Special Teams Player of the Year. He made 10-of-12 field goals last year with a long of 47 yards vs. McMurry. He went 58-of-60 on PATs and led the nation with 59 touchbacks.
'Man'ing The Back End
Harrison Foster returns for his third season and will lead the Cowboys' secondary at safety. Foster was a preseason All-American by the D3FBNetwork and was an All-American last season. He also was named the American Southwest Conference Man of the Year for the 2025-26 season. Foster has started all 22 games of his career. He had 81 tackles last year with four tackles for loss, broke up nine passes and returned both of his interceptions for touchdowns. He enters the season with 161 career tackles. Foster will be joined at safety by talented sophomores
Bruin Wright and
Jayden Moore. Wright saw significant action as a freshman last season. Moore started the 2025 scrimmage as a freshman before suffering an Achilles injury that sidelined him for the season.
Brody Bobo and
Phillip Meyers, who moved from linebacker, provide additional depth at safety. The Cowboys will have a different look at cornerback.
Rowdy Rowan returns after missing last season with an ACL injury.
Keyon House is back for a third season at corner. Sophomore
Zavyn Jenkins saw significant playing time down the stretch last season. Two speedy wide receivers moved to cornerback during the spring.
Ethan Williams-Wright and
Micah Evans will provide additional depth at the position.
Big Mike And The Boys
The offensive line will have a new look this season, with
Mike McAfee the lone returning starter. The Cowboys have traditionally utilized two offensive lines, and the other four projected starters all played quality snaps last season.
Mason Butchee and
Nate Rodriguez at guard,
Carter Chandler at center and
JoJo Reyes at tackle are expected to get the nod as the starters.
Stuck In The Middle
Senior
Caden Sampson-Stuckey was a first-team All-ASC and all-region selection last season and anchors the defensive line. He enters the season with 50 career tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. His ability to handle double teams helps free the Cowboys' speedy linebackers to make plays.
Lucas Ragsdale has added size after moving to defensive end from linebacker midway through last season.
Larry Smith-Bell returns at end and
Martins Aribisala provides additional size in the middle. The defensive front also features five transfers:
Chuks Ikwuemesi (All-SAA selection at Southwestern),
Jahmye Tyson (all-conference selection at Husson),
Kaden Fleming (transfer from Washburn),
Chase Medrano (transfer from Mary Hardin-Baylor) and
Nick Johnson (transfer from Texas State).
Turning It Over
Kaden Turner was a first-team All-ASC selection last season after averaging 42.5 yards per punt on 37 punts. He had five punts of at least 50 yards including a 68-yard punt against Mary Hardin-Baylor. He completed a fake punt pass for a first down against UMHB. He also recorded a 2-point conversion running and passing when he was the holder. Senior
Caleb Williams is back as the deep snapper as well and he was perfect on snaps a year ago.
New Look Tight End Room
HSU's tight end room will look a little different with
Christian Marshall's graduation.
Chris Woodley played a lot last year and
Brandt Patek made the move from linebacker to tight end in the spring.
Nick Chipper,
Nate Nunez and
Riley Dolgener have all played on Saturdays. Freshmen
Joey Bruhn earned a varsity spot as well.
Running Back By Committee
The Cowboys lost four-year starter
Noah Garcia and
Braylon Henry after last year. They combined for 1,552 yards and 19 touchdowns on the ground and another 785 yards and six scores receiving.
Guy Powell and
Aidan Rios have the only Saturday experience on the team.
J.T. Washington, a talented sophomore who led the Devo team last year, will get the nod as the starter. Eastern New Mexico transfer Caden Jones is a big physical back and freshman
Tank Scott will mix in as well. Like most of the offense heading into the season it will be a work in progress, but there is plenty of talent.
Head Coach Jesse Burleson
Jesse Burleson enters his 16th season as head coach of the Cowboys. HSU is coming off four consecutive NCAA Division III playoff appearances and three straight American Southwest Conference championships. Burleson enters the season with a 116-36 record at Hardin-Simmons. His 116 victories rank 16th among active Division III coaches. His .763 winning percentage ranks 15th among active Division III coaches.
Staff Changes
Matt Mitchell was promoted to defensive co-coordinator during the offseason and will call the defense. Mitchell moved from coaching the linebackers to coaching the safeties.
Matt Tyler is the lone new member of the coaching staff. He serves as co-defensive coordinator and coaches the linebackers. Former defensive coordinator Craig Neece moved on to UTEP.
Back For More
Jeff Whitehead enters his 16th season as the Cowboys' offensive coordinator. During Whitehead's tenure, HSU has averaged 40.7 points per game and 465.7 yards. Last season, the Cowboys averaged 43.3 points per game and 458.5 yards per game. HSU gained more than 500 yards in five games last season. The Cowboys surpassed 600 yards twice and 700 yards once last season. HSU scored more than 50 points four times and more than 60 points three times last season. The Cowboys produced 61 plays of at least 20 yards last season.
J.J. Elkins returns as the quick reaction forces coordinator. Under Elkins, the Cowboys have routinely been among the top special teams units in Division III.
About Chapman
The Panthers went 9-3 last season and won the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference and are picked to repeat. Chapman started the season with two close losses to HSU and Linfield, before running off nine straight wins. They beat Whitworth in the first round of the playoffs before falling to eventual national champion UW River Falls in the second round.
• The Panthers were 65 percent run last year with a pair of talented back and a running quarterback. They run multiple formations trying to exploit matchups. Defensively, they run a 3-4.
• Wide receiver Brandon Manzano, running back Fisher Huss center Luke Jones and right guard Teddy Bruettner are the returning starters for the Panthers on offense. Fisher ran for 815 yards and six touchdowns last year. His backup Andrew Latu, who also returns, ran for 648 yards and nine touchdowns. New quarterback Brady McKelheer was 13-of-34 for 124 yards as a reserve last season. He also ran for 76 yards on nine carries. Manzano is the leading returning receiver with 24 catches for 204 yards.
• Linebacker Andrew Buck, cornerback Miles Grossman, safety Caleb Padrid and defensive lineman Tyler Boynton are returning starters on defense. Buck led the team with 81 tackles last year and had nine tackles for loss. Boynton had three sacks.
• Carson Nichols handles the punting and placekicking duties. He averaged 38.8 yards on 39 punts and was 11-of-18 on field goals with a long of 39. Manzano was their top return man last year averaging 12.2 on punt returns and 25.5 on kick returns.
