SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor football team opened the 2024 NCAA Division III Football Playoffs with a 29-22 win at Trinity University Saturday in San Antonio.
 
Both teams came up empty on their opening drives with UMHB scoring on its second offensive possession. UMHB drove 37 yards on six plays, capped by a four-yard rush from Kamerin Ferguson for the game-opening score.
 
The Cru defense held on the next possession but an interception quickly gave the ball back to the Tigers. Trinity drove all the way down to the four-yard line and attempted a fake punt but UMHB caught on, stopping the Tigers two yards short of the end zone.
 
Trinity threatened again in the second quarter, moving down to the Cru's 29 but Da'Marion Morris forced a fumble recovered by Durand Hill to put the ball in UMHB's hands. UMHB answered with a touchdown, marching downfield off a rush from Asa Osbourn and a trio of completions from Jake Wright. Ranius Daramola caught the 32-yard touchdown pass, putting the Cru up 14-0.
 
The Tigers responded with 1:54 to play, going 81 yards and scoring off a one-yard touchdown run from Ryan Back. Trystin Brown blocked the point-after attempt to put the gap at eight. Trinity added another score with 48 seconds to play off a questionable 34-yard reception, sending the game into halftime with a 14-12 Cru margin.
 
UMHB opened the third quarter with another scoring drive, capping the series with a five-yard pass from Wright to Tyler Woods. Edwin Lopez kicked off to the Tigers then forced a fumble on the return. A recovery from Ty Legg gave UMHB the ball back on the Tiger 44 yard-line. UMHB drove but came up empty after a missed field goal.
 
Trinity opened the fourth quarter with another score cutting the gap to two with 14:13 to play. UMHB punted on its next series and the Tigers took their first lead of the game with a 39-yard drive, ending with a 43-yard field goal from Tyler Huettel.
 
The Cru took over with 6:47 to play. Asa Osbourn rushed for one yard before Wright completed a pass to Jerry Cephus for a first down. Osbourn and Tyler Woods combined for 10 yards and the next first down before Osbourn took off for 15 more yards, getting the Cru in Tiger territory. Wright found Osbourn again on the next play for a seven-yard gain before Kamerin Ferguson gave the Cru a new set of downs with a three-yard rush.
 
Wright found Tyler Woods again for an 11-yard completion, giving UMHB the ball on the Trinity 14 with 2:00 to play. Asa Osbourn used two rushes to score the go-ahead touchdown before Wright found A.J. Williams for the two-point conversion.
 
Trinity took over on their own 14-yard line down seven with 1:45 to play. The Tigers made it all the way down to the UMHB 43 before Dorien Hill intercepted a pass, sealing the win for the Cru.
 
Jake Wright finished the day with 13 completions for 170 yards and a pair of scores. Asa Osbourn was the Cru's leading weapon, rushing for 71 yards on 15 attempts and leading the Cru with two receptions for 58 yards.
 
Durand Hill and Dorien Hill led with 10 tackles each. Durand added one tackle for loss with 0.5 sacks and one fumble recovery, while Dorien had 0.5 tackles for loss and the game-ending interception. Samuel Steffe added eight tackles with two pass breakups while Joey Johnson had five tackles with 0.5 sacks, 0.5 tackles for loss, one pass breakup and one blocked kick.
 
UMHB returns to action in the NCAA Second Round on Saturday, November 30^th in a 12 p.m. kickoff at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene.