By Bradely Melchor
The UMHB Crusaders faced off against their arch-rivals Hardin-Simmons University on Saturday afternoon, with the winner taking sole custody of the number one spot in the ASC Standings.
After winning the coin toss and deferring on the opening kick, the Crusader defense made an early statement, forcing a quick three and out for the Cowboy offense.
The Cru offense, looking to build on this early momentum shift, drove 49 yards down the field in seven plays and got the ball deep into HSU territory. An untimely false start penalty on third down would stall the Crusaders’ drive however, and a missed 29-yard field goal would leave the game tied at 0-0.
The Cowboy offense would take over at their own 19 yard line after the missed field goal attempt, but the Crusader defense would stand strong again, holding HSU to just one yard in three plays, forcing another punt.
Taking over at their own 30 yard line, the Crusader offense came out strongly again, driving 65 yards in nine plays. On the tenth play of the drive, sophomore quarterback Isaac Phe broke the deadlock when he scrambled for a 5-yard touchdown run.
Hardin-Simmons would respond with an eight play, 48 yard drive of their own, with the Cowboys knocking through a 32 yard field goal to cut the Crusader lead to four.
Both offenses seemingly stalled for the remainder of the second quarter, with neither team able to find the endzone, and the Crusaders went into halftime with a 7-3 lead.
Both teams’ offensive struggles would continue to start the second half, as the Cru quickly went three and out on their opening possession, and the Cowboys would punt after picking up just 25 yards on their first drive of the half. The Cowboy offense would be right back on the field however, as a muffed punt by the Crusaders would set them up at the UMHB 10 yard line. HSU would not leave points off the board this time, as they capitalized on this turnover with a 1-yard rushing touchdown to take their first lead of the game.
The Crusader offense would once again fail to pick up a first down on the ensuing drive, punting the ball back to HSU after just three plays. With momentum now on their sideline, the Cowboys would drive 52 yards in six plays and run in a 5-yard touchdown to extend their lead to 10 going into the fourth quarter.
Now down two scores, the UMHB offense desperately needed a response, but were forced to punt yet again after picking up just one first down. The Cowboy offense would come back onto the field and score their third straight touchdown, with their lead swelling to 24-7.
The Cru would finally respond with points of their own, as the offense strung together a 75 yard, 10 play drive to cut the HSU lead to 24-14.
Unfortunately for the Cru, the score would not change again, as the Cowboys celebrated their first win over the Cru since 2015. With this result, the Cowboys have taken control of the number one spot in the ASC standings, and the Crusaders will need some outside help to retain their ASC title and a guaranteed National Tournament bid.
The Crusaders will be back in action on Saturday at 1 p.m when they host East Texas Baptist University for their final conference game of the season at Crusader Stadium.
