JACKSON, Mississippi – In a season of change, one thing remained the same for the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor football team in its season opener at Belhaven Saturday in Jackson, Mississippi, the result. The Cru defense dominated and the offense came up big despite starting six new faces as UMHB rolled to a 41-0 victory to open the year. The Cru is now 1-0 overall and in American Southwest Conference play on the season. Belhaven is 0-1 overall and in ASC play now on the year.
 
Tommy Bowden gave the Cru an early lead when he scampered 37 yards for a touchdown on a quarterback keeper on UMHB's second possession. Bowden appeared to be down on the play, but rolled over the top of a defender, kept his balance and out ran the rest of the defense to open the scoring. The defense came up big on the next score as Glenn Thornton fell on a Belhaven fumble in the end zone to stretch the Cru lead to 14-0 with 1:51 left in the opening period. It would stay that way into the second quarter as the two teams traded fumbles. Bowden hit Kadarius Daniels with a 21-yard touchdown strike with 10:28 remaining in the half. The extra point was blocked so UMHB's lead was 20-0. Jefferson Fritz's 20^th career interception set up a short field and Daniels capped that drive with a 15-yard score on a reverse pass from Bowden as the Cru opened up a 27-0 lead with 2:24 left in the half. UMHB stopped the Blazers on an untimed down from the Cru two-yard line on the final play of the first half to keep it a 27-0 game at the break.
 
Bowden escaped for a 42-yard touchdown run with 4:43 left on the third quarter clock to open the second-half scoring and stretch the lead to 34-0. Kyle King found Brenton Martin streaking into the end zone for a 35-yard touchdown pass with 9:06 to go in the game as the Cru pushed the lead to 41-0. The UMHB defense did the job from there as that ended up being the final score.
 
Bowden accounted for four total touchdowns in his first collegiate start, finishing with 87 yards rushing and two scores on the ground and throwing for 104 yards and two more scores. Daniels added two scores in his first game since December of 2018. Daniels missed the 2019 season with a knee injury. K.J. Miller had a team-high six catches and he added 84 return yards.

The Cru defense held the Blazers to just 20 yards rushing and 71 yards of total offense in the game. UMHB only allowed Belhaven to cross midfield one time and forced three turnovers. The Cru only managed 269 yards of total offense and also gave the ball away three times. UMHB also hurt itself with 11 penalties for 78 yards on the day. Mikkah Hackett had a team-high 10 tackles and Khevon Shepard added 2.5 tackles for loss.
 
In addition to all the new faces as nine total players drew their first collegiate start for the Cru, UMHB is playing a spring schedule for the first time in program history and also has to deal with new health and safety protocols. The pandemic forced the rescheduling of the fall season and the cancellation of fall and winter championships by NCAA Division III.
 
The Cru will now have an open week next Saturday before returning to action with the home opener. UMHB will host Louisiana College for a noon kickoff at Crusader Stadium on February 20^th.