Hardin-Simmons defense corrals Kangaroos in 8th win of the season
Hardin-Simmons, which played its first football game in 1897, moved to within one win of the 500th in program history and hopefully one more will be enough to gain the NCAA Division III playoffs with a 31-3 victory Saturday over Austin College.
The No. 8 Cowboys improved to 8-1 for the season, losing only to rival and No. 3 Mary Hardin-Baylor. The Crusaders escaped Brownwood with a 27-24 win over Howard Payne on Saturday, kicking a 44-yard field goal with no time left.
HSU is 6-1 and second in the American Southwest Conference.
It was the third game this season that the Cowboys have not allowed a touchdowns, surrendering only a 49-yard field goal in the first half to Austin College.
Previously, Hardin-Simmons blanked Wisconsin-Platteville 41-0 and Southwestern 68-0.
HSU got touchdowns from four players and a field goal its own.
Austin College, which was swept by Abilene teams (losing 24-21 to McMurry), is 1-8 and 1-6 in league play.
Saturday's win was No. 499 in program history. The Cowboys can finish the regular with an exclamation point with a win in Seguin against Texas Lutheran.
HSU took a 14-0 lead on a 5-yard run by Hawley grad Colton Marshall and a 30-yard run by Myles Featherston.
It was 21-3 at halftime after Gaylon Glynn's 19-yard scoring pass to Kai Brinkerhoff.
After a scoreless third quarter, HSU tacked on 10 more points on a 28-yard field goal by Wylie grad Grayson Bearden and Kolby Youngblood's 29-yard run.
HSU had 353 yards rushing on the day to go with 209 yards passing for 562 yards.
Meanwhile, Austin College totaled only 158 yards and could get only seven first downs. AC attempted only two passes, completing one for 15 yards.
HSU forced the Kangaroos to punt 10 times.
Matt Mitchell had two tackles for loss and a team-leading nine for HSU while Abilene High grad Terrell Franklin had seven total tackles.
Hardin-Simmons had 100-yard rushers in Youngblood (111) and Featherston (110).
Quarterback Ben Meraz led AC with 72 yards rushing.
Hardin-Simmons 31, Austin College 3
Austin College | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | − | 3 |
Hardin-Simmons | 7 | 14 | 0 | 10 | − | 31 |
FIRST QUARTER
HSU − Colton Marshall 5 run (Grayson Bearden kick), 1:00
SECOND QUARTER
HSU − Myles Featherston 30 run (Bearden kick), 12:45
AC − John Aldridge 49 FG, 6:26
HSU − Kai Brinkerhoff 19 pass from Gaylon Glynn (Bearden kick), 0:25
FOURTH QUARTER
HSU − Bearden 28 FG, 5:37
HSU − Kolby Youngblood 29 run (Bearden kick), 2:24
TEAM STATISTICS
Categories | AC | HSU |
First downs | 7 | 25 |
Rushes-Yards | 50-143 | 36-353 |
Passing | 15 | 209 |
Comp-Att-Int | 1-2-0 | 19-33-9-0 |
Punts | 10-42.9 | 4-43.5 |
Fumbles-Lost | 0-0 | 0-0 |
Penalties-Yards | 4-24 | 9-84 |
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING: Austin College, Ben Meraz 23-72, Kennon Magers 14-46, Kakkedah Brown 5-11, Dauvo McDonald 2-8, Tiger Dietz 2-4, Collin Mushinski 4-2. HSU, Kolby Youngblood 9-111, Myles Featherston 14-110, Gaylon Glynn 8-76, Colton Marshall 3-53, A.J. Hawkins 2-3.
PASSING: Austin College, Marez 1-2-0-15. HSU, Glynn 19-32-0-209, Hawkins 0-1-0-0.
RECEIVING: Austin College, Traelyn Marsh 1-15. HSU, Kevi Evans 6-59, Gatlin Martin 5-57, Featherston 4-43, Kai Brinkerhoff 2-30, Jayden Coleman 1-11, Jalen Crawford 1-9.
RECORDS: Austin College 1-8, 1-6; Hardin-Simmons 8-1, 6-1
This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Hardin-Simmons defense corrals Kangaroos in 8th win of the season
