ABILENE, Texas — Hardin-Simmons put up 411 yards on the nation's fourth-ranked defense and won a 30-27 American Southwest Conference-deciding football game over Mary Hardin-Baylor, in front of 3,947 fans at Shelton Stadium.
The win gave the Cowboys an automatic berth into the NCAA playoffs, at least a tie for the conference championship and coach Jimmie Keeling his 100th win in 12 seasons with the Cowboys. HSU improved to 7-1 overall and 7-0 in ASC action. UMHB fell to 7-1, 6-1. It was the second season in a row the Cowboys have defeated the Crusaders for the title, and it's the Cowboys' fourth consecutive ASC title.
Dustin Proctor led the Cowboy offense, by completing 19 of 35 passes for 286 yards and three TDs, he also rushed for 75 yards against a Crusader defense that was leading the nation, by allowing only 15 yards per game on the ground.
HSU went up 30-20 with 6:10 to go in the game when Kirk Rogers made a spectacular circus catch in the end zone. But back came the Crusaders with a four-play 67-yard drive for a touchdown. Kevin Mitchell did the honors from 2 yards out to cut the score to 30-27 with 2:20 to go in the game.
After the Cowboys went three-and-out punter Richard Simpson, who had a minus-2 yard punt early in the game, came through with a 54-yard yarder to pin the Crusaders at the 11 yard-line with 1:03 to go in the game. Quarterback Cody Fredenburg hit three passes to move the Crusaders to the HSU 47-yard line with 11 seconds to go in the game. Fredenburg then scrambled on the final play of the game and got to the HSU 37 but did not get out of bounds as time ran out.
HSU scored the first points on UMHB in the first quarter all season, when Dusty Bigham hit a 22-yard field goal with 2:23 to go in the first quarter. However, the Crusaders' Shaun Rochon ran the ensuing kick back 98 yards for a touchdown. The extra point was wide right and the Crusaders led 6-3.
Joe Lemberg had a 31-yard touchdown reception for the second straight week and Paxton Hurst scored on a 3-yard run to give the Cowboys a 17-6 lead with 10:50 to go in the first half. Kevin Mitchell scored on an 8-yard run to cut the HSU lead to 17-13 with 7:44 left in the quarter and neither team could score again before halftime.
In the third quarter the Cowboys score on a 17-yard reception by freshman Lance Moore to go up 23-13. Moore, who went into last week's game third on the depth chart will now be the Cowboys' starter as Brandon Tibbetts (last week) and Josh McCasland after a laid-out catch (this week) have each broke collarbones.
Rochon got the Cru to 23-20 with a 27-yard pass from Fredenburg.
The Cowboy defense was led by Jared Sanderson, who had 17 tackles on the game.