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SEGUIN, Texas – What a way to start the 2016 college football season in an exciting fashion as East Texas Baptist University upset #21 Texas Lutheran University giving the youngest head coach in all of NCAA Scotty Walden his first collegiate win. ETBU jumped out to a 30-0 lead at the half finishing up with a 44-20 victory. It was ETBU's second top 25 victory in the last year as they upset #8 Hardin-Simmons last November.
"It feels phenomenal to get this first win," says head coach Scotty Walden. "See all these guys hard work come to fruition after the spring and fall camps and see it pay off, this is what it is all about."
This is the first win for ETBU vs. TLU in seven tries last winning against the Bulldogs in 2009, 32-21. ETBU held a high potent offense that averaged 40 points per game last year to just 20 points. ETBU also held 2014 NCAA Division III rushing champion Marquis Barrolle to just 40 yards rushing.
Leading the potent ETBU defense were Zack Biles and Caleb Taylor. The defense picked off three passes by three different defenders in Verry Jackson, Biles, and Garret Gipson. Biles finished with 10 tackles while Taylor added eight. ETBU had nine tackles for loss, one sack, and three interceptions.
Jourdan McNeill and Chase Sojka both put in work leading the offense. McNeill found the end zone three times and rushed for 138 yards not losing any ground on 28 carries. Sojka also caught two touchdown passes and had seven receptions for a career-high 166 yards receiving. Dru Smith received the start and went 18-of-31 from 214 yards and two touchdowns. Tarek Beaugard also saw some time passing 6-of-12 for 92 yards and one touchdown. The offense finished with 494 yards yards as 306 came in the air.
Putting up 30 points in the first two quarters, ETBU dominated TLU's line and secondary. In the first half, ETBU scored three times in the air twice to Chase Sojka and once to Xavier Gray. Gray had a four-yard reception on the opening drive for the 8-0 lead as ETBU converted the two-point conversion. In the second quarter, ETBU added 22 points with 16 coming on Sojka touchdowns. His first was at the 6:30 mark on a 69-yard pass from Beaugard and then had a 21-yard reception from 21-yards out with four seconds left in the half. In between his two touchdowns McNeill saw his first touchdown from five-yards out as ETBU pushed ahead 30-0 at the half.
In the second half, TLU came within 24 points, 37-13, but was no closer than that. Barrolle was the only score for TLU in the third quarter and then McNeill hit pay dirt with 9:04 left in the game for the 37-7 lead. With 6:20 left, TLU scored their second touchdown but less than two minutes later ETBU scored their final touchdown on a McNeill 36-yard run for a 44-13 lead. TLU ended the game with a four-yard touchdown pass with 1:26 left to play.
ETBU will now host Southwestern Assemblies of God at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 10th, at Ornelas Stadium.