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Belton, TX – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor football team broke open a close game early in the second half and the Cru rolled to a 54-20 victory over Louisiana College Saturday afternoon in Belton. UMHB stretches its American Southwest Conference winning streak to 33 straight games and the Cru, ranked 3
rd in the country in both major polls, improves to 5-0 overall and 4-0 in the ASC with the victory. The Wildcats lose for the third straight time to drop to 2-3 overall and 1-2 in the ASC on the season.
UMHB would lead 20-7 at halftime before breaking the game open with a pair of quick third-quarter touchdowns. Quincy Daniels scored on a three-yard run to cap an 11-play, 62-yard drive on the Cru's first possession of the second half. LC fumbled on its first offensive play after the touchdown and UMHB recovered at the Wildcat 26-yard line. Pi'Dadro Davis would score on a 26-yard run on the next play to stretch the Cru lead to 33-7. Ben McLaughlin would hit Jordan Rideaux with a seven-yard TD pass with 1:15 left in the third to cut the lead to 33-14, but the Cru got a three-yard TD run from Desmond Mays, a one-yard scoring run from Rickie Williams and a 43-yard TD pass from #3 quarterback Charles Hitchens to Brian Scott to open up a 54-13 lead. Chad Hindman would score on a two-yard run with 6:53 left to play, but it would be too little, too late for the Wildcats.
UMHB built a 20-0 lead in the first half. LiDarral Bailey hit Tariekus Ellis with a 35-yard touchdown pass on the game's opening possession to make it 7-0 Cru. Daniels would add a three-yard TD run and Bailey would score on a 20-yard scamper midway through the second quarter. McLaughlin hit Rideaux with an 18-yard TD pass with 3:37 left in the first half to cut it to 20-7 at the break/
UMHB rolled up 411 yards of total offense and held the prolific Wildcat offense to 272 total yards. The Cru also posted six sacks and forced a pair of turnovers. UMHB had 263 rushing yards and added 148 through the air. LC threw for 209 and ran for 63 more.
Daniels finished with 89 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 20 carries. Bailey ran for 84 yards and a score and went 4-6 through the air for 47 more and another score. Scott caught two passes for 58 yards and a score and Ellis added two grabs for 41 yards and a TD in his first action of the season. Ten different players carried the ball for the Cru, five different receivers caught passes and three quarterbacks threw passes for UMHB. McLaughlin went 23-39 passing for 203 yards and a pair of scores. Rideaux had a huge game, catching 12 passes for 150 yards and two TD's. Hindman ran for 83 yards and a TD on 15 carries. Jeremy Salinas had a team-high nine tackles to lead the UMHB defense and Brett Parker and Ben Beckworth added eight stops apiece. Six different players had a sack for the UMHB defense. Donovan Williams had nine tackles to lead the Wildcat defense.
The Cru will now travel to Clinton, Mississippi for a crucial ASC showdown at Mississippi College next Saturday. The Cru and Choctaws are the only two unbeatens remaining in ASC play. Mississippi College had an open week this week after topping Louisiana College 54-44 last Saturday. The two teams will kick off at 1:00 PM at MC's Robinson-Hale Stadium next Saturday.
