BELTON, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor football team earned a 21-17 win over No. 5 Hardin-Simmons Saturday in Belton. The win improved the Cru to 6-3 overall and 4-1 in American Southwest Conference action while the Cowboys dropped their first game of the season, moving to 8-1 overall and 4-1 in ASC play.
 
The Cru marched 75 yards downfield on 10 plays to open the contest, scoring off a seven-yard run from Kamerin Ferguson for a 7-0 lead. UMHB's defense stifled the Cowboys on their first drive. Ethan Rayfield dropped the runner for four yards on the first play before back-to-back sacks from Te'Ron Brown and Brandon McGruder forced the Cowboys to punt, totaling a 25-yard loss on the series.
 
Hardin-Simmons converted a fake-punt on fourth down to end the first quarter and drove all the way to the Cru 14 before a fumble recovered by Samuel Steffe ended the threat. The Cowboys got on the board with 4:57 to play when Kirkland Michaux fumbled the ball and the Cowboys returned it 73 yards for the equalizer. Neither team was able to score again, sending the contest into halftime at a 7-7 knot.
 
UMHB's defense forced a punt to end the Cowboys' next series but another fumble by the Cru ended that series as well. Hardin-Simmons drove down to the Cru's 36-yard line but another Cowboy fumble recovered by JJ Davis gave UMHB the ball. Kamerin Ferguson rushed for four yards before another fumble after a 26-yard reception gave the Cowboys the ball yet again. Hardin-Simmons drove to the Cru four yard-line but a false start penalty made them settle for a field goal, putting the Cowboys on top at 2:18 left in the third.
 
Gavin Brzezinski opened the fourth quarter with an interception returned 25 yards, setting Asa Osbourn up with a 10-yard rush into the end zone for a 14-10 UMHB lead. The Cru forced a punt on the next play and UMHB answered with a 47-yard touchdown pass from Michaux to BJ Stewart for a 21-10 lead with 11:38 to play.
 
Hardin-Simmons answered with a 76-yard drive, capped by a 25-yard touchdown pass to cut the gap to just four points with 7:44 to go. UMHB drove and wasn't able to convert but a punt from Logan Childs pinned the Cowboys at the three-yard line with 2:24 left in the contest.
 
The Cowboys drove to midfield but an incompletion on fourth-and-two ended the game with a Crusader win.
 
Kirkland Michaux completed 14 of 21 passes for 214 yards and a touchdown in the contest. Asa Osbourn rushed for 70 yards on 13 carries and a score while Kamerin Ferguson had 30 yards on 10 attempts and one touchdown. BJ Stewart led the Cru receivers with 131 yards on nine receptions with a score.
 
UMHB's defense limited the Cowboys to their lowest point-total on the season. Izeal Jones anchored the Cru with 15 tackles while Ethan Rayfield added seven. Gaige Sanders and Brandon McGruder recorded a team-high three tackles for loss each while Sanders and Aidan Ross both recorded 1.5 sacks. Ross also tallied one forced fumble with Gavin Brzezinski recording the Cru's lone interception.
 
UMHB returns to action on Saturday, November 15^th in a 1 p.m. contest against Howard Payne University in Brownwood.