MARSHALL, Texas – Scoring 20 first-quarter points and never looking back, the East Texas Baptist University football team ran away with a 51-21 victory over Southwestern University in their American Southwest Conference opener for 2018. ETBU is now 1-1 overall and 1-0 in the ASC.

Offensively, ETBU outgained SU with 485 total yards, including 433 passing yards. Brian Baca completed 20-of-31 passes and was responsible for 391 of those yards, which also included three touchdown passes as two of them went to Richard Johnson (six receptions, 191 yards). Baca also caught a 23-yard touchdown pass from Tarek Beaugard while Jauque Kuykendall had one lone caubht a 48-yard touchdown. On defense, ETBU forced six turnovers, including five fumbles. Garrett Gibson (seven solo, four assisted) had eleven tackles while Khamron Thomas had two sacks. Grant LaPoint-Teate picked up an interception in the game while Zack Biles added a fumble return for a touchdown.

SU had 177 passing yards and 154 rushing yards for 331 yards. Frederick Hover (15-of-26) threw for 152 yards and ran for 76 yards on 23 carries while scoring two touchdowns. Kalon Heim ran for a team-leading 105 yards on 13 carries and scored the other touchdown. Joel Hietikko was the top tackler for the Pirates with 11 tackles while Hayden Smith picked up the lone sack for SU.

The Pirates won the toss and elected to receive to start the game. Five plays into the game, Biles forced the first fumble as ETBU recovered at their own 28-yard line. After ETBU stalled on their first drive, they punted it back to SU only to see them fumble it on the ensuing possession and ETBU recovered. This set up a 50-yard pass from Baca to Johnson for the first touchdown of the game and a 6-0 lead. SU took the ball and for the third straight drive, they fumbled. Biles recovered the ball and ran it back 56-yards for the score to go up 13-0. After holding SU to a three-and-out, the Tigers received the ball back and it would take one play as Baca connected with Jauque Kuykendall for 48 yards and a 20-0 lead after one quarter.

At the start of the second quarter, SU finally found the end zone as Hover rushed in from the one-yard cutting the lead to 13, 20-7. Later, the Pirates would find the end zone again when Heim rushed for 49 yards out pulling within six points, 20-14, with 3:10 left. But the Tigers would answer back as they would set up a pass Tarek Beaugard to Baca from 23-yards out making it 27-14, at the half.

Taking possession to start the second half, it was three plays in before ETBU scored again when Baca and Johnson connected for 64 yards and and their second touchdown of the night pushing the lead to 20, 34-14, at the 14:12 mark.  Each team then took turns with possessions resulting with no results on the scoreboard. The Tigers then drove down to the Pirates' 16-yard line before Drew Mackay converted a 33-yard field goal for a 37-14 lead. The Pirates then fumbled on their next possession and ETBU would strike again as Baca rushed in from six-yards out and a 44-14 lead after three quarters.

SU would score on their first possession of the fourth quarter only to trail 44-21.

After a missed ETBU field goal, SU took control hoping to score. But they were held to three-and-out and ETBU took over following a punt. Justin Ward scored ETBU's lone touchdown in the fourth quarter for a 51-21 lead. The rest of the game saw ETBU's defense hold the Pirates down until the final buzzer sounded.

ETBU will head out to Jackson, Miss., for their first road trip of the season as they face Belhaven University at 7:00 PM next Saturday.