BELTON, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor football team opened the 2022 season with a 62-13 win over No. 11 Muhlenberg Saturday evening in Belton.
 
Kyle King and Jamaal Hamilton connected for a 54-yard touchdown less than a minute into action. Muhlenberg responded with a score at 10:35 left in the first but the Cru answered with a one-yard touchdown punch from Aphonso Thomas. Will McClintock closed the first quarter with an end-zone grab for a 20-7 UMHB lead after the first 15 minutes of action.
 
Brandon Jordan caught a 46-yard pass from King for his first score of the night with 9:08 left in the second quarter. Muhlenburg added one more score at the 4:10 mark before the Cru tacked on two more scores on a 55-yard reverse from K.J. Miller and a 15-yard touchdown grab from Brandon Jordan.
 
The Crusader defense shut out the Mules in the second half and added three more scores for the 62-13 win. K.J. Miller caught an eight-yard pass from King before Kenneth Cormier, Jr. capped a 56-yard drive with a one-yard punch for another score. Jerry Cephus was the final Crusader to score, catching a 45-yard pass then a 12-yard grab for the score.
 
UMHB totaled 295 yards rushing, led by Thomas with 87. King completed 19 of 28 passes for six scores, tying his record for touchdown passes in a game with six. Brandon Jordan had a 100+ yard night with 120 yards and two touchdown grabs while four other Crusaders caught touchdown passes from King.
 
Defensively, Trashawn Adams led the Cru with nine tackles while Durand Hill added eight. Tommy Bowden and Johnny Smith-Rider both forced fumbles while Trey Witcher had a fumble recovery and Diarva Brown added an interception.
 
UMHB returns to action at No. 4 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater on Saturday, September 10^th at noon. The win also marked the first for new head coach Larry Harmon.