Belton, TX – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor football team dominated from the opening kickoff and the Cru rolled to a 77-13 victory over Sul Ross State University Saturday afternoon in Belton. UMHB improves to 9-0 overall and 7-0 in American Southwest Conference play with the win. The loss drops the Lobos to 2-7 overall and 1-6 in the ASC on the season.
UMHB jumped out a 21-0 first quarter lead, scoring on three of its first four drives. LiDarral Bailey hit Damian Davis with a 37-yard touchdown pass 2:58 into the game to give the Cru a 7-0 lead. Bailey added a one-yard scoring plunge on the next drive and Darius Wilson darted 61 yards to pay dirt to put UMHB on top 21-0 with 1:17 to play in the first. Wilson added a pair of one-yard scoring runs early in the second quarter to put the lead at 35-0 before the Lobos would get on the scoreboard. Lee Carothers hauled in a 26-yard scoring pass from Scotty Walden to close the gap to 35-6, but Tariekus Ellis answered with a 91-yard touchdown return on the ensuing kickoff. Jacquoi Beauregard added a two-yard touchdown run with 54 seconds left in the first half to give the Cru a 49-6 lead at the break. Jake Sims added a 60-yard scoring run and Caleb Moore had a 68-yard scoring dash early in the third quarter before Walden found Kyle DeMoss with a seven-yard TD pass to make it 63-13. Moore and Beauregard had fourth quarter TD runs to provide the final margin for UMHB.
The Cru rolled up 569 yards of total offense and held the Lobos to just 274 yards of offense despite the UMHB starters taking the second half off. The Cru had 451 rushing yards and held the Lobos to 108 yards on the ground. Sul Ross State was also penalized 16 times for 136 yards.
Wilson finished with 138 yards rushing and three touchdowns on 18 carries. Moore added 110 yards and two scores on nine totes and Sims also topped the 100-yard mark with 105 yards on six carries. Bailey was 3-4 passing for 60 yards and a TD and Davis caught two passes for 52 yards and a score. UMHB used nine different ball carriers, three quarterbacks and six different receivers in the game. Javicz Jones had a team-high eight tackles despite limited playing time in the last three quarters of the game.
Walden was 10-20 passing for Sul Ross for 143 yards and two scores. Carothers caught three passes for 116 yards and a score and Dominique Carson ran for 54 yards on 19 carries for the Lobos. Robert Pyssen topped the Sul Ross defense with 13 total tackles.
UMHB now leads the all-time series with Sul Ross 14-0. The Cru has won 18 straight ASC games and has a 23-game regular season winning streak. UMHB stretched its regular season home winning streak to 26 straight games and the Cru has won 17 straight home games overall, dating back to the 2008 NCAA Division III National Semifinals.
The Cru clinches at least a share of the ASC title and earns the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III National Championships with the victory. UMHB can claim the outright ASC title and a second straight undefeated regular season with a win in the regular season finale next weekend. The Cru will close out the regular season with a 1:00 PM kickoff at Texas Lutheran University next Saturday in Seguin.