MARSHALL, Texas – Traveling out west to Abilene, Texas, the East Texas Baptist University football team will be on the road for the second straight week as they face #7/#8 Hardin-Simmons University (3-0; 2-0). This will be ETBU's fourth night game this season with two at Ornelas Stadium and one at Belhaven University.

ETBU comes into the contest at 2-1 and 2-0 in the American Southwest Conference winning their last two games by a margin of 28 points. They won their first game of the year, 51-21, over Southwestern to open American Southwest Conference play and then defeated Belhaven University, 46-20, in Jackson, Miss. With a 2-0 ASC record, ETBU is tied with #2 Mary Hardin-Baylor and Hardin-Simmons.

Producing one of the top offensives in the nation, ETBU is currently ranked second in the NCAA Division III in passing yards per completion (22.2) and sixth in passing offense (370.3). Individually, Brian Baca is first in passing yards per completion (22.27), fifth in passing yards per game (356.3) and total offense (379), seventh in points responsible for per game (26.0), and ninth in points responsible for (78). Jauque Kuykendall is first in yards per reception at 44.0 and Dominic Haggerty is second in kickoff return average (43.2).

As a team, Baca has thrown for 1,069 yards completing 48-of-93 passes with two interceptions. He has also tossed nine touchdowns with four going to Richard Johnson, three to Tarek Beaugard, and one to Kane Johnson and Kuykendall. Johnson leads the team in receiving with 329 yards on 15 receptions averaging 109.7 yards per game while Kuykendall has 264 yards receiving and Beaugard 215 yards receiving. Jeremiah Robertson leads the ground game with 167 yards rushing and two touchdowns.

Defensively, ETBU leads the ASC in turnover margin at +7 and is seventh in NCAA Division III. They have forced 11 turnovers and the offense has only turned the ball over four times. They have six fumble recoveries and five interceptions on they. They have also produced one defensive touchdown on a fumble return by Zack Biles vs. Southwestern. Garrett Gibson leads the team in tackling with 28 (15 solo) and has 3.5 tackles for loss (-8 yards). Khamron Thomas has three sacks for -14 yards. Biles leads the team with two interceptions while Grant LaPoint-Teate has four break ups, an interception, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.

Saturday in Abilene, Texas, will feature a HSU team that is first in the ASC in total offense (648.7 yards per game) and rushing offense (417.3 per game). They are second in scoring offense at 54.7 points per game scoring 23 touchdowns. In NCAA Division III, HSU is second in rushing offense and fifth in scoring offense. Jaquan Hemphill, who was the ASC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, has gained 633 yards on 57 carries and is averaging 211 yards per game with nine touchdowns. Ty Hooper has been the main quarterback going 29-of-38- for 427 yards and two touchdowns averaging 213.5 yards per game passing. Reese Childress, who is also a special teams threat, has caught 16 passes for 153 yards and four touchdowns. Matt Sandoval is averaging 19.3 yards per catch and has 135 yards receiving.

HSU's defense is second in the ASC giving up just 268.7 yards per game and nine total touchdowns and pass defense at 197.7 per game while being third in scoring defense (22.7 ppg). Eriq Mitchell and Chris Miller lead the team with 18 tackles. Dedrick Strambler has two interceptions for 64 yards and both Hunter Creasey and Cole Northcutt have two sacks.

The series is led by Hardin-Simmons, 16-2, with ETBU's last win coming in 2015 in Marshall, Texas, claiming a tie for the ASC Championship. The last two meetings HSU has scored 146 points vs. ETBU. ETBU's other win vs. HSU came in 2011, 26-22, also in Marshall, Texas, as the Tigers have never defeated the Cowboys in Abilene.

Kickoff under the new lights at Shelton Stadium is at 6:00 p.m. for the right to stay undefeated in the ASC.

NOTES
SERIES vs. HSU
ETBU has won two games vs. Hardin-Simmons in 2015 (27-21) and 2011 (26-22). ETBU is 2-5 in the last seven meetings vs. HSU. The closest ETBU has come to winning a game in Abilene, Texas, came in 2003 when they fell, 20-14. That was the year that ETBU, HSU, and UMHB all tied for the ASC Championship and the Tigers received the NCAA Division III automatic berth to the playoffs through the tiebreaker.

RECORDS ON THE HORIZON
Richard Johnson needs just one touchdown reception to become the all-time career leader at ETBU. He is currently tied with Tyler Bates with 33. Johnson already holds the record for touchdowns in a season with 15 from last year. He currently has 2,426 career yards receiving and is second all-time at ETBU surpassing Jabori Jackson's 2,372 (2000-03) and needs 1,029 yards to become the all-time career leader.

UNDER PRESSURE
The ETBU defense has put a lot of pressure on offenses the past three games and is 7^th in NCAA Division III currently in turnover ratio (+7). They have 10 sacks, five interceptions, eight forced fumbles, six recovered fumbles, 18 quarterback hurries, and 27 tackles for loss (-142 yards).

3-0 ASC STARTS
The last time ETBU started 3-0 in the ASC was in 2015 when there were only five teams in the conference.  They defeated Louisiana College, 44-34, Howard Payne, 51-13, and Sul Ross State, 61-21. The following week they defeated  HSU, 27-21, to go 4-0 before falling to UMHB in Belton, 67-20, to end the season. There are now 10 teams in the ASC competing for a championship each year.