Box Score MARSHALL, Texas – Starting off slow in the first quarter the East Texas Baptist University football team had to play from behind from the beginning in a 49-22 loss to McMurry University. ETBU scored all 22 points in the second quarter.
Two ETBU turnovers in the first half ended in 14 points for McMurry as they had one-play drives for touchdowns. McMurry had passes of 26-yards and 39-yards for touchdowns in the first quarter taking a 21-0 advantage.
Overall, ETBU finished with just 226 yards of offense and five interceptions as 173 yards were on the ground. Kendall Roberson had 116 yards of the 173 yards on the ground and two touchdowns. Tyler Bates was the leading receiver with 18 yards. Taylor Therwhanger threw for only 46 yards and was sacked three times.
ETBU's first touchdown came in the second quarter on a Therwhanger seven-yard run with 14:26 on the clock. McMurry responded scoring on their next possession for a 28-7 lead. ETBU did not go away as they went on a 10-play 56-yard drive converting a two-point conversion to pull within 13 points, 28-13.
With 8:45 left in the half, ETBU's C.J. Johnson forced a fumble on the first play as Xavier Davis recovered it. ETBU took six plays to drive 15 yards to see a touchdown but with an unsportsmanlike conduct on the play the points came off the board. That would have put ETBU within a touchdown. Two possessions later ETBU did pull within six points, 28-22, on a Roberson run of nine yards for a touchdown. Roberson gained 36 yards on the series as the ball started on the 49 yard line. With just over a minute to play in the half, ETBU drove 71 yards in their two-minute offense to add another touchdown making it, 35-22, in favor of McMurry.
McMurry scored 14 points in the second half to seal the win, 49-22.
In his first game at ETBU, C.J. Johnson led the team in tackling with nine picking up 2.5 tackles for loss. David Jaynes sacked the quarterback 1.5 times and had seven tackles. The defense forced three fumbles and recovered all three, too.
ETBU travels to Tyler, Texas, to face NAIA Texas College at 2:00 p.m. in Rose Stadium on Saturday, September 12th.
