BELTON, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor football team dropped a 44-21 decision to No. 6 Hardin-Simmons University Saturday afternoon in Belton. The loss dropped the Cru to 2-2 on the season and 1-1 in American Southwest Conference play while the Cowboys improved to 5-0 overall and 2-0 in league play.
 
Hardin-Simmons came out firing on all cylinders, opening the game with a 39-yard kickoff return from Dameon Gomes and following that with a 37-yard completion from Kyle Brown to Kris Sims. The Cowboys made it to the red zone on the next play but UMHB held them on the following six plays to force a field goal.
 
The Cru drove just under 20 yards on the next series but an interception quickly ended the drive. Both teams traded three-and-outs before Brown found Wes Douglas for 38 yards and a touchdown on the Cowboys' next possession. Dillan Botts blocked the kick to keep the deficit at nine after the first quarter. Micah Henderson added an interception on the Cru's next drive and returned it 20 yards, extending the Cowboy lead to 15.
 
UMHB went 24 yards on its next series but the Cowboys intercepted in the end zone to stop progress. Both teams went three-and-out their next time out before Ethan Rayfield intercepted a pass from Brown at 8:45 to stop the Cowboys again. Hardin-Simmons added scores at 3:17 off a 29-yard rush from Noah Garcia and 00:45 off a 28-yard pass from Brown to Dozie Ifeadi to go into halftime with a 30-point lead.
 
The Cowboys opened the second half with an 82-yard touchdown pass to Kris Sims at 10:53 to take a 37-point lead. Jake Wright marched the Cru down to the Cowboy 15 on the next drive but UMHB couldn't convert on fourth down and gave the ball back. HSU responded with an 83-yard drive, capped by a 12-yard touchdown pass to Ifeadi to go ahead 44-0 at 2:40 left in the third.
 
UMHB responded with 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. The Cru got on the board after a 15-play drive with Kamerin Ferguson rushing in two yards for the score. The Cru forced a punt on the Cowboys' next possession and marched back down the field. Jake Wright completed a trio of passes to get the Cru to the 25-yard line and handed off a pair of rushes to Cameron Bibins, including the four-yard touchdown punch.
 
The Cru converted an onside kick immediately after and drove another 44 yards for a score. Bibins chipped in a four-yard rush before Wright found Ranius Daramola for 41 yards and Cowboy territory. Wright completed a touchdown pass to Myller Royals on the next play with 24 seconds to play. The Cru attempted another onside kick but the Cowboys recovered and kneeled out for the win. UMHB's defense limited the Cowboys to -2 combined yards in fourth quarter. 
 
UMHB totaled 425 yards of offense in the contest, putting up 192 yards on the ground and 233 yards in the air. Jake Wright completed 12 passes for 226 yards and one touchdown in the contest while Ferguson added a team-high 70 yards on the ground.
 
Hardin-Simmons totaled 394 yards offensively as the Cru limited them to just 87 rushing yards. Durand Hill led the Cru defense with eight total tackles and one tackle for loss. Da'Marion Morris followed him with six tackles while Robert Williams and PJ Johnson each added four. T.J. Rone led the Cru's special teams, totaling 91 return yards.
 
UMHB returns to action on Saturday, October 19^th in a 2:30 p.m. contest at Howard Payne University in Brownwood.