Written by Jackson Keenan, Editor
The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor beat the Bethel University Wildcats in a close contest this past Saturday to start the season 1-0.
To start the game, both offenses faced adversity from the start as the Wildcats’ first offensive drive ended in a fumble recovered by senior defensive tackle Te’Ron Brown. However, the Cru would give it right back, as on the first offensive play of the game for the Cru, graduate transfer quarterback Kirkland Michaux threw a pick-six, putting the Cru in an early 0-7 deficit. The next drive was not much better, as the Cru drove down to Bethel’s 18-yard line when senior running back Asa Osborn fumbled the ball, giving the ball back to the Wildcats.
The Cru would go down another score as the Wildcats scored early in the second quarter, going up 13-0. But the Cru would cut the lead when the special teams unit blocked the extra point, taking the blocked kick back for a defensive two-point conversion, cutting the lead to 13-2. With momentum on their side, the offense marched down the field, culminating in a touchdown with Michaux running it in for his first as a Crusader.
UMHB’s defense would again come up big as they would take the lead after Brown recovered his second fumble of the night, this time taking it to the back of the end zone, giving the lead to the Cru 16-13. The lead was short-lived, however, as the Wildcats responded with a touchdown of their own, making the score 16-20.
Going into the half, the Crusader head coach Larry Harmon said, “There was no film exchange, so neither team saw each other before tonight. We knew the first half was going to be seeing what they do, and then getting in at halftime to make some changes and see who could win in the second half.
Coming out of halftime, the Cru made said changes because they came out firing, as on the first play of the half, senior running back Kamerin Ferguson took off for a 70-yard rushing touchdown, taking back the lead 23-20. The Cru would add to their lead soon after, as senior wide receiver BJ Stewart took a short pass from Michaux for another 70-yard touchdown, growing the lead to 30-20.
After the two scores, the offense would slow down, but the defense would continue to put pressure on the Wildcats, forcing five straight scoreless drives. Nearing the end of the game, the Wildcats tried to mount a comeback, cutting the lead to seven and getting the ball back with 1:38 on the scoreboard. The Crusader defense would put an end to that comeback after sophomore safety Dieon Drinkard secured the game-ending interception, as the Cru won their first game of the season 30-23.
On offense, the Cru were led by Ferguson, who ended the day with 148 rushing yards and a touchdown. Outside of some first-half mistakes, Michaux had a decent game, going 19-of-25 with 218 yards and two touchdowns. In the receiving group, Stewart led the team with 108 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, the Crusaders held down a fast-paced Wildcats offense. The front was led by Brown, who had both fumble recoveries and a touchdown. Sophomore defensive end Gaige Sanders led the team with two sacks, and sophomore Layden Roque led the team with five solo tackles, four assisted tackles and 0.5 sacks.
On the win, Harmon said, “You can find a mistake in any phase [of the game]. But they just kept grinding. They didn’t get down on themselves. They just kept looking to the next play. That’s what great teams do.
The Crusaders have an upcoming bye week but return on Sept. 20 against nonconference University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
