ABILENE, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor football team lined up against Hardin-Simmons University for the third time this season Saturday in Abilene, coming away victorious with a 17-13 win. The win marks the sixth time the Cru has ended the Cowboys' season in the NCAA Playoffs and second playoff win in Abilene. UMHB improved to 8-3 on the season and advances to the NCAA Third Round while the Cowboys end their 2024 campaign at 10-1.
UMHB's defense opened the game with a stop before Da'Marion Morris returned the ensuing punt 61 yards to give UMHB the ball on the Cowboys' three-yard line. Asa Osbourn punched it in on the next play to put the Cru up 7-0 with 12:22 to play in the first.
The Cowboys drove on the next series, gaining 33 yards before the Cru tallied back-to-back sacks, the second a forced fumble from Te'Ron Brown. Dorien Hill recovered for UMHB, giving the Cru the football with 7:56 to play in the frame. UMHB marched 40 yards downfield, scoring off a 26-yard completion from Jake Wright to Jerry Day, Jr. for a 14-0 lead.
Hardin-Simmons attempted a field goal three plays into the second quarter but the kick failed. The Cowboys forced a fumble on the Cru's next offensive play, recovering the ball in the red zone and scoring on the next play for a one-possession game. The Cru drove all the way down to the Cowboy seven-yard line but came up short on fourth-and-one, giving the Cowboys the ball back with 2:43 left in the first half. Da'Marion Morris eliminated the threat for the Cru, intercepting the ball with 2:37 to play as the Cru went into halftime with a 14-7 lead.
The Cowboys intercepted a pass on the Cru's first offensive play from scrimmage in the third quarter and returned it 23 yards before Day stopped progress at the six-yard line. UMHB's defense only allowed the Cowboys four yards on the next three plays, forcing HSU to settle for a field goal.
Durand Hill opened the fourth quarter with a seven-yard sack, forcing the Cowboys to kick another field goal after a fresh set of downs from the six yard-line came up empty. Both offenses stalled on the next several drives. Hardin-Simmons took over on their own nine yard-line with 3:33 to play in the game. The Cowboys gained six yards on a completion to Tailon Garrett before a holding call forced a second-and-11 from the eight. Kyle Brown completed another pass for just three yards before a false start call forced the Cowboys back to the six. James Wright pressured Brown on the next play, forcing an incompletion on third down. HSU attempted another pass on fourth-and-13 but the throw fell incomplete, giving UMHB the ball on the six. The Cru ran the ball twice and forced the Cowboys to use all three timeouts with Edwin Lopez kicking in a 29-yard field goal for the 17-13 lead.
Hardin-Simmons opened the next drive with a four-yard completion but a 17-yard sack from Mason Cavness put the Cowboys in a third-and-23 situation. Kyle Brown threw another incompletion on third down before Durand Hill recorded the game-ending interception, sealing the Cru's 17-13 win.
UMHB totaled 204 yards of offense in the contest with Jake Wright throwing for 109 and a score. Asa Osbourn led the ground game with 62 yards on 17 carries while T.J. Rone had a team-high five grabs with Jerry Day, Jr. catching four passes for 50 yards.
The Cru defense allowed Hardin-Simmons 200 yards of offense in the contest. Durand Hill led the Cru with 12 tackles, adding four tackles for 12 yards lost and two sacks for eight yards lost. Hill also had one interception and one pass breakup. Da'Marion Morris followed him with eight tackles, adding 0.5 tackles for loss and one interception. Ten different Crusaders contributed to the Cru's 12 tackles for loss while seven different Crusaders added to UMHB's seven sacks.
UMHB returns to action in the NCAA Third Round on Saturday, December 7th against Linfield University. The Cru is now 23-9 all-time against the Cowboys with a 6-0 record in the postseason.
