MARSHALL, Texas – Taking one of the top NCAA Division III programs in the nation down to the final minute of the game, East Texas Baptist University came up just short of upsetting the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, 30-28. It took UMHB to make a field goal with 2:12 left in the game to pull off the win. ETBU is now 2-2 and will see where they will play in three weeks in the final American Southwest Conference game of the spring 2021 season.
"I was really proud of our team today. We were really focused this week and I was proud of how the team responded. They got after it and fought for four quarter. We wanted to be in it in the fourth quarter and we were," says head coach
Brian Mayper.
ETBU finished with 384 yards of total offense as 354 yards came in the air from
Troy Yowman. He was 24-of-48 with three touchdown passes.
Cornelius Merchant led the team with two receptions for 73 yards and one touchdown.
Tariq Gray followed with 60 yards on four catches and one touchdown while
DeCarlos Frazier had 52 yards receiving on three catches for one touchdown.
The defense shined holding UMHB to just 30 points, who was averaging 47 points a game, forcing a fumble and picking off two passes. UMHB only had 240 yards of total offense with 101 rushing and 139 passing and missed four field goals and one extra point.
Justice Henson and
Chase Thompson led the way with eight tackles as
James Wright IV produced 1.5 tackles for loss (1.5 sacks) and three quarterback hurries. ETBU recorded four sacks on the day, too, as
De'Quallon Jenkins had 0.5 sacks and Josh Reed, and
Cameron Kaufert had one sack.
Both teams went three-and-out on their first series and then UMHB missed two field goals at the 12:40 mark (51-yards) and 6:05 mark (43-yards) as the defense stood strong. After the second missed field, it only took ETBU three plays to score when Yoman found Merchant on a 73-yard pass. Merchant made the most of that play breaking two tackles to put ETBU up, 7-0 (5:16). That is how the first quarter ended as ETBU shutout the Crusaders, 7-0.
The second quarter belonged to UMHB as they scored 13 points, although, they missed their third field goal of the game. With 10:29 left, a 29-yard attempt failed as ETBU kept the lead, 7-0, but on UMHB's next possession they scored on a 26-yard rush from Montana Miller. The extra point failed and ETBU kept their lead, 7-6. Just two plays into ETBU's next drive, they fumbled and UMHB recovered on the 18-yardline. It only took two plays for UMHB to take their first lead, 13-7, with 7:05 left in the half. ETBU did drive to UMHB's 28-yard line but an interception ended the threat. UMHB in return went to ETBU's 26-yard line only to see their fourth field goal attempt of the game be missed with 52 seconds left. ETBU then took over and ran out the clock trailing, 13-7 at the half.
UMHB scored twice in the third quarter to take a 27-7 lead. A 24-yard pass with 7:51 to go made it 20-7 and then an 11-yard run at the 5:47 mark pushed the lead to 20 points. Just as it looked like UMHB was going to take over, ETBU's offense broke out at the end of the third quarter. Yoman hit Frazier for a 27-yard touchdown pass to pull within 13, 27-14. Then, just three minutes into the fourth quarter, Gray was targeted by Yoman from four-yards out to make it 27-21. ETBU took the lead with 7:34 to go in the game with
Bailey Badeaux rushed in from one-yard out to make it 28-27. UMHB answered with a drive over five minutes for the game winning field from 37-yards to go back up, 30-28.
ETBU had a last chance for the win as they took over with 2:12 to go. They drove into UMHB territory to the 42-yard line but a penalty set them back to the 47-yardline. On the next snap, Yoman was sacked and two plays later they turned the ball over on downs as UMHB avoided a scare.
ETBU will now wait to see who they will play in the ASC playoffs in three weeks on the road.
