BELTON, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor football team opened American Southwest Conference action with a 42-28 win over East Texas Baptist University Saturday afternoon in Belton. The win improved the Cru to 3-1 on the season and 1-0 in conference action while the Tigers fell to 3-1 overall and 0-1 in league play.
 
UMHB's defense opened with a forced fumble but the Tigers recovered to keep possession. A short rush and an incomplete pass gave UMHB the ball back at their 47-yard line. Isaac Phe found Jerry Cephus for 39 yards on the first play to put the Cru in the red zone. Another short completion and a trio of rushes from Kamerin Ferguson, including a one-yard touchdown punch, put the Cru ahead 7-0.
 
The Tigers responded with a 78-yard touchdown pass on the next play to even the game at seven. Both teams traded punts until the Tigers put together a seven-play, 78-yard scoring drive capped by a 50-yard touchdown pass from Kaden Brown to Zay Thomas. ETBU's lead was short lived with UMHB scoring at 11:52 in the second quarter off an 11-yard rush from Asa Osbourn. Osbourn's run ended a six-play drive in which the Cru rushed four times.
 
Durand Hill forced a fumble on the Tigers' next offensive play and UMHB took over at the Tiger 34-yard line after a recovery by Joey Johnson. That drive came up empty but Hill forced another fumble on the next Tiger possession, giving UMHB the ball back in the red zone off a recovery from Robert Williams. Kamerin Ferguson used just three touches to find the end zone after that, putting the Cru ahead 21-14. ETBU came up empty on their next drive and the Cru took over with 4:23 on the clock and the ball on their 26. Isaac Phe threw back-to-back completions to TJ Rone to give the Cru a first down before a pair of rushes put UMHB near midfield. Phe found Cephus for 20 yards up the middle, followed by a 14-yard rush from Daunte Blake and a 19-yard grab from Christopher Gacayan to put the Cru up by two scores after the first two quarters.
 
ETBU blanked the Cru in the third and cut the gap with a touchdown at 2:21 on the clock. The Tigers opened the fourth quarter with another score to take a one-point lead but the Cru pressed, responding with a 15-play, 86-yard scoring drive to get back on top. Daunte Blake was the workhorse late in the drive, rushing five times for 28 yards to put the Cru at the ETBU 25. Isaac Phe threw a pair of short completions to Tyler Woods to get in the red zone then capped the drive with a diving catch from A.J. Williams in the end zone for the lead. Phe also completed the two-point conversion with a rush up the middle for a 35-28 Crusader margin.
 
Defense sealed the UMHB win on the Tigers' next drive when Daniel Keith forced and recovered an ETBU fumble. Daunte Blake scored on the next play, running in from 12 yards out for the two-score margin. The Tiger offense threatened late but a botched lateral and fumble recovery from Hill officially put the Cru in the win column.
 
UMHB totaled 244 yards on the ground with Ferguson tallying 100 in the contest. Phe totaled 17 completions for 212 yards and a pair of scores while Cephus's 59 yards in the air led the receiving ranks.
 
Defensively, Hill anchored the Cru with 11 total tackles and three tackles for loss. He added one sack, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery in the win. Samuel Steffe added two more tackles for loss while James Wright and Dillan Botts both recorded sacks. Justin Hines-Moore and Daniel Keith forced fumbles as UMHB totaled four takeaways on the ground.
 
UMHB returns to action next week against American Southwest Conference rival Hardin-Simmons University in a 1 p.m. contest at Crusader Stadium in Belton.