MARSHALL, Texas – Unable to overcome a tough start, the East Texas Baptist University (3-1, 2-1 ASC) football team suffered their first loss of the season to #6 Hardin-Simmons University (4-0, 3-0 ASC), 80-42, in American Southwest Conference play. Both teams combined for over 1,400 yards of total offense.
 
Offensively, Dru Smith threw for 475 yards on 29-of-46 passing and four touchdowns as the offense finished with 656 yards of total offense. Justin Ward was ETBU's top runner with 78 yards on 13 carries. Three players caught over 100 yards in Richard Johnson (134 yards), Jaquavian Dabbs (105 yards), and Tarek Beaugard (103 yards). Defensively, Ty Parsons and Caleb Taylor led the team with 14 tackles while Hardy Hill added 11 of his own.
 
For HSU, Ty Hooper threw for three touchdowns and 362 yards on 21-of-27 passing guiding his team to 806 yards of total offense. Jaquan Hemphill rushed for 293 yards on 26 carries and scored eight touchdowns while Reese Childress tallied 147 yards on 10 receptions. Chris Miller was the top defender with 12 total tackles.
 
HSU started the game with two early touchdowns in the first before ETBU finally broke through on the board with a pass from Smith to Johnson. Two more HSU touchdowns would follow before Xavier Grey would catch a 34-yard pass from Smith to cut it to 28-14. Smith would also add a touchdown run in the second quarter making it 35-21.
 
The second half saw ETBU cut the lead to 49-35 on two touchdown passes from Smith to Johnson (20 yards) and Jaquavian Dabbs (77 yards). But the Cowboys would take over and ETBU was left to score one touchdown in the fourth quarter on a pass from Brian Baca to Beaugard.
 
ETBU will head on the road next Saturday to Brownwood where they will take on Howard Payne University at 7:00 PM.