There were plenty of great matchups in ASC play in Week 6, and we take a quick look back at how the action unfolded within the entire conference in this week’s ASC Week in Review presented by Duke Realty.
Sul Ross State at No. 10 Hardin-Simmons
An offensive shootout played out in Abilene, as the 10th-ranked Cowboys were challenged early, before coming away with a 70-35 victory.
SRSU received the ball to begin the game and promptly marched 77 yards in eight plays, scoring on a four-yard run from Jermius Johnson with 12:52 in the first quarter. HSU countered with an eight-play, 51-yard drive of its own, tying the score at seven apiece. The score was still tied when the first 15 minutes had elapsed, at 14-14.
The Cowboys took control midway through the second, as the Lobos opened the quarter with another touchdown drive, highlighted by a SportsCenter-worthy 70-yard touchdown pass from Trent Graves to Kendrick Jefferson, taking back the lead. It was the last time SRSU held the advantage, as the Cowboys stole all the momentum in the following minutes.
Kevi Evans’ 63-yard kickoff return set up a quick counter from HSU, and with the score once again tied, SRSU fumbled the kickoff at their own 15-yard line. For the second straight drive, HSU needed just three plays to reach the end zone. Then on the Lobos’ ensuing drive, the ball was fumbled on their own 34-yard line, with HSU recovering the ball and taking it upfield for another score, making it 35-21. In total, the Cowboys scored 28 points in the second quarter, and pulled away.
HSU was an incredible 78 percent on third-down plays, converting seven of nine third-downs. SRSU actually tallied more offensive yardage, with 545 yards to HSU’s 533. While HSU took to the ground as its main method of attack, tallying 298 rushing yards, the Lobos went to the air, with 438 passing yards.
HSU running back Colton Marshall was exceptional, with 110 rushing yards on 15 carries, and four touchdowns. For SRSU, receiver Austin Ogunmakin had 11 catches for 242 yards and two scores.
HSU will battle ETBU in Week 7 in Abilene, while SRSU will have the week off.
Texas Lutheran at Austin College
On the road, TLU started slow, and was shutout in the first quarter, while the ‘Roos took a 7-0 lead. But the Bulldogs found their rhythm when the second quarter began, scoring 23 points, while shutting out AC.
It gave TLU momentum going into the half, and the Bulldogs went on to score once in each of the next two quarters, earning their first conference victory of 2022. Austin College remains winless, at 0-5.
Keeping with its flexbone offensive attack, the ‘Roos threw the ball just five times in the contest, completing one for 59 yards, which is their longest passing play of the season. They added 203 rushing yards, averaging a respectable five yards per carry.
Led by quarterback Seth Cosme, TLU’s offense was balanced, with 200-plus yards on both the ground and through the air. Cosme was 23-for-39 passing, for 232 yards and a touchdown.
TLU hosts No. 4 UMHB in Seguin next Saturday, while AC hosts McMurry.
McMurry at Howard Payne
The high-powered offensive attack of HPU took some time to get going on Saturday afternoon, as McMurry’s defense held the Yellow Jackets to a single field goal in opening quarter. Fortunately, the HPU defense was also strong, shutting out McMurry over the game’s first three quarters. HPU took a 17-0 lead into halftime, after reaching the end zone twice in the second quarter, and held on for a 30-18 victory.
McMurry did score 18 points in the fourth quarter, in a late-game rally that had the makings of a comeback, cutting the margin to 23-12 with 3:10 left. But HPU’s offense tallied a fourth passing touchdown, enough to seal its fourth consecutive conference win of 2022. McMurry, meanwhile, drops to 0-6 overall, and 0-4 in conference play.
HPU quarterback Landon McKinney was 19-of-40 passing, for 254 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions. Otis Lanier was exceptional in the receiving game, with eight catches for 132 yards and three scores.
McMurry had possession for nearly 10 minutes longer than HPU, though the Warhawks, powered more by their rushing than passing, averaged 4.5 yards per play, compared to the Yellow Jackets’ 5.1.
McMurry travels to Austin College next Saturday, while HPU aims to stay perfect in ASC play, hosting Southwestern in its homecoming game.
UMHB at ETBU
Read more about that contest in our game story below:
