MARSHALL, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor football team used a strong second-half to earn a 42-28 win over East Texas Baptist University Saturday in Marshall. The win improved the Cru to 2-2 on the season and opened them at 1-0 in American Southwest Conference action while the Tigers fell to 4-1 overall and 0-1 in league play.
 
East Texas Baptist opened the game with a 13-play, 78-yard drive. UMHB forced the Tigers into a fourth-and-one but a punch from Keegan Davis gave the Tigers a 7-0 lead. UMHB answered on the next possession, driving down into Tiger territory. Kirkland Michaux hit B.J. Stewart for a 13-yard completion to get the Cru in the red zone before Kamerin Ferguson rushed eight yards up the middle for the equalizer.
 
UMHB forced a three-and-out on the Tigers' next possession and got back into ETBU territory, but a fumble gave the Tigers the ball back. Shai Markajani answered with a 54-yard scoring pass to Chase Walker to put ETBU back on top. The Tigers held the 14-7 lead into the second quarter as UMHB carried over a drive, going 62 yards on nine plays. Michaux found Luke Vidal for a 14-yard completion to get UMHB in the red zone before Asa Osbourn ended the drive with a six-yard touchdown run to knot the game back at 14.
 
ETBU answered, driving back down the field and scoring off a 38-yard touchdown pass to take a one-possession lead. The Cru responded again, going 75 yards on five plays to tie the game again. Osbourn rushed for nine yards before Michaux found Will McClintock for an 18-yard completion. Michaux connected with B.J. Stewart for a 46-yard score on the next play, evening the contest at 21. UMHB's defense forced a third-and-long on the Tigers' next drive but an ETBU interception ended the Cru's offensive threat. The Tigers again used one-play after the turnover to score, going back up 28-21 with 1:15 to play in the first half. The Cru drove again, moving all the way down to the eight-yard line with 10 seconds to go. Michaux connected with Vidal but a questionable out-of-bounds ruling allowed time to expire, ending the first half with a 28-21 ETBU lead.
 
The Tigers opened the second half with the ball, driving down to the Cru's 31 but a missed field goal kept them scoreless. Asa Osbourn and Kamerin Ferguson answered for the Cru, rushing for 56 yards before Seth Mouser connected with B.J. Stewart for a 13-yard touchdown pass to even the contest again. UMHB's defense held on fourth-and-one on the next drive, giving the Cru the ball back on the 21. Osbourn rushed for seven yards before Mouser hit Vidal for a 67-yard completion, followed by a five-yard punch from Osbourn for a 35-28 lead.
 
The Cru allowed just four yards on the Tigers' next drive and marched back down the field, ending the 25-yard drive with another Osbourn touchdown. UMHB forced another three-and-out and ate up more than five minutes of clock before an interception ended the next series. Samuel Steffe ended the Tigers' next drive with an interception as UMHB ate up five more minutes of clock. Logan Childs pinned the Tigers at the one yard-line with 1:02 to play and UMHB allowed them just five yards on two rushes, earning the 42-28 win.
 
Michaux finished the contest with 15 completions for 195 yards and a touchdown while Mouser had five completions for 93 yards and a score. Asa Osbourn ended his day with 130 yards and three touchdowns while Ferguson added 100 yards and a score. UMHB's running backs did not lose a single yard in the contest.
 
Luke Vidal led the Cru receivers with 101 yards while B.J. Stewart had 98 yards and two touchdowns. UMHB's offensive line limited the Tigers, who previously led the nation in sacks, to just one late in the game when Mouser gave himself up for the sake of time.
 
The Cru defense shutout the Tigers in the second half. Izeal Jones led the Cru with 13 tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss while Da'Marion Morris added eight tackles and Samuel Steffe added seven. UMHB totaled six tackles for loss in the contest, adding one interception and three quarterback hurries. The Cru allowed ETBU just 123 yards on the ground and only one rushing score.
 
UMHB returns to action on Saturday, October 11^th in another ASC showdown against Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene.