Cowboys' 9th 2022 win is 500th in HSU football history; HSU awaits playoff fate

SEGUIN - Hardin-Simmons notched the 500th victory in its football program Saturday but, more importantly, hoped its ninth win in 2022 was enough to land the Cowboys back in the NCAA Division III playoffs.

HSU took care of its end, defeating Texas Lutheran 45-16 to end the regular season at 9-1.

The Bulldogs ended the year at 4-6.

The Cowboys' only loss was to No. 3 Mary Hardin-Baylor, which also finished 9-1 but won the American Southwest Conference title with an unbeaten run in league play.

HSU in 2021 went 9-1, losing only to the Cru, but was left out of the playoffs despite a top-10 ranking.

The No. 8 Cowboys hoped to be named a playoff team when the NCAA announced its playoff field Sunday.

∎ Go to reporternews.com to see if HSU made the D-III playoffs.

The Cowboys, who piled up close to 600 yards in offense, trailed 6-3 in the first quarter before gradually taking control of the game.

Former Cooper running back Noah Garcia returned to the playing field and put HSU up for good at 10-6 with a 15-yard run late in the first quarter. The Cowboys put together a three-play, 63-yard drive after TLC had taken a 6-3 lead.

Hardin-Simmons led 24-13 at half when Texas Lutheran scored with 30 seconds to go to cap a 10-play, 73-yard drive.

The Cowboys allowed just a field goal after that and added to their lead in the second half.

Garcia also scored on a 48-yard run in the second quarter and Gatlin Martin, a senior from Wylie, caught a 28-yard TD pass from Gaylon Glynn in the quarter as HSU built a 24-6 lead before TLC last-minute TD.

Kolby Youngblood scored on a 2-yard run and caught a 24-yard pass from backup quarterback A.J. Hawkins with 2:01 to go for the final points. Hawkins also scored a 3-yard run.

Hardin-Simmons had 574 yards of offense and 27 first downs, and did not have to punt. The Cowboys totaled 336 yards on the ground as Garcia rushed for 142. Eight other players had carries.

Glynn threw for 214 yards with an interception. Kevi Evans had six catches and Martin five.

Three Cowboys on defense had six total tackles, including senior Terrell Franklin from Abilene High. HSU held Texas Lutheran to 58 rushing yards, 42 by Jacob Forton.

Quarterback Seth Cosme threw two TD passes and for 159 yards.

Hardin-Simmons 45, Texas Lutheran 16

FIRST QUARTER

HSU − Grayson Bearden 25 FG, 10:23

TLC − Cayleb Klostermann 1 pass from Seth Cosme (kick failed), 3:37

HSU − Noah Garcia 15 run (Bearden kick), 2:58

SECOND QUARTER

HSU − Garcia 48 run (Bearden kick), 4:48

TLC - Bryce Samuels 9 pass from Cosme (Joanquin Rodriguez kick), 0::30

THIRD QUARTER

HSU − A.J. Hawkins 3 run (Bearden kick), 7:52

TLC −Rodriguez 49 FG, 4:18

HSU − Colby Youngblood 2 run (Bearden kick), 1:03

FOURTH QUARTER

HSU − Youngblood 24 pass from Hawkins (Bearden kick), 2:01

TEAM STATISTICS

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING: HSU, Noah Garcia 11-142, Myles Featherston 11-66, A.J. Hawkins 9-59, Gaylon Glynn 4-29, Kolby Youngblood 3-19, Gatlin Martin 1-10, Brad Nunez 1-5, Kevi Evans 1-5, Earnest Davila 1-2 TLC, Jacob Forton 11-42, DaKory Willis 9-19, Chas Patek 2-3, Seth Cosme 7-2, Blake Lowry 1-minus 8.

PASSING: HSU, Glynn 19-27-1-214, Hawkins 1-2-0-24 TLC, Cosme 20-31-1-159, Lowry 0-1-0-0

RECEIVING: HSU, Evans 6-72, Maritn 5-63, Kai Brinkerhoff 4-36, Youngblood 1-24, Rae Milsap 1-6, K.J. Peoples 1-16, Jalen Crawford 1-11, Featherston 1-0. TLC, Aaron Sotelo 6-44, Bryce Samuels 5-43, Cayleb Klostermann 4-39, Forton 4-29, Trent Stefka 1-4.

RECORDS: Hardin-Simmons 9-1, 7-1, Texas Lutheran 4-6, 3-6

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: 9th 2022 win is 500th in HSU football history; HSU awaits playoff fate