MARSHALL, Texas – Key defensive plays led to 21 second half points for East Texas Baptist University in their 24-10 homecoming victory over Sul Ross State University. ETBU is now 5-3 on the year and remain at 3-1 and tied for second place in the American Southwest Conference as this game was an in-region game with SRSU transitioning to NCAA Division II.
 
"I am extremely proud of our defense today as they fought all four quarters and that's what we have been preaching," said head coach Calvin Ruzicka. "They kept fighting getting sacks and making big tackles and stops and creating turnovers for us. They put the offense in great scoring position on the SRSU half of the field."
 
The defense produced three interceptions, seven sacks, 15 tackles-for-loss, a forced  fumble, and three pass break ups. Dominick Williams led the sack brigade with three for 24 yards finishing with a career-high 10 tackles as six were solo. Christian Booker followed with six tackles, one sack, and 2.5 tackles for loss and a quarterback hurry. Also on the defensive line adding pressure was Jahkamian Carr with two sacks, five tackles and four tackles for loss. Jared Lane also added a sack. In the secondary, Kenneth Bradley, Robert Williams III, and Daevien Willis all had interceptions.
 
"I'm happy for our guys winning three games in a row and getting the homecoming win with a great crowd in Ornelas Stadium," said Ruzicka.
 
ETBU finished with just 271 yards of total offense with 137 passing yards and 134 yards on the ground. Carlos Garibay was 14-of-33 for 137 yards and one passing touchdown to Zay Thomas who had 55 yards receiving. Kylin Jackson and Carldell Beard recorded the rushing touchdowns and Paul Woodard finished with 75 yards on 15 rushes.
 
Christian Piazza had seven punts on the day averaging 31 yards per punt with four inside the 20-yard line. Pedro Cavazos was three-of-three in extra points with a 25-yard field goal.
 
It a defensive battle in the first half as ETBU earned just three points on their second possession of the game. SRSU's first possession ended when Bradley picked off the Lobo's pass attempt at the ETBU 45-yard line. ETBU drove to the SRSU 43-yard and had to punt. The second possession for SRSU wasn't any better than the first starting on their 27-yard line and ending on their own 19-yard line with a sack by Williams in the series setting up a 4^th-and-36. The SRSU punt went only 31 yards as ETBU took over at midfield.
 
ETBU drove down to the 12-yard line with four rushes and had two more runs to the eight-yard line. Those rushes set up a 25-yard field goal by Cavazos for a 3-0 lead at 4:31. SRSU answered with their own drive right after ETBU's 3-0 lead ending with a 20-yard field tying the game as the first quarter ended tied, 3-3.
 
The second quarter was all defense as ETBU forced two SRSU punts and a failed field goal attempt. On that possession, SRSU started at their own 10-yard line and drove to ETBU's 16-yardline. On a 3^rd-and-8, Carr sacked the SRSU quarterback for a seven-yard loss setting up the 40-yard attempt that missed. ETBU's four possessions were two punts, an interception, and ending the half with the ball as the two teams went to the locker room tied, 3-3.
 
Almost 10 minutes went by in the third quarter before 14 combined points were scored in a 13-second span. On ETBU's fourth possession of the quarter, after two punts and a fumble, the defense put the Tigers in great position to take the lead. With just under six minutes to play in the third, Willis recorded ETBU's second interception of the day at the SRSU 22-yard line returning it to the one-yard line. Two plays later, Jackson rushed in to put ETBU up, 10-3, at 4:48. On the ensuing kickoff, SRSU decided to take the return from the two-yard line and went 98 yards down the sideline to tie the game at 10 at the 4:35 mark. ETBU ended the third quarter with the ball in SRSU territory but a sack to begin the fourth quarter sent the punting unit on pinning the Lobos at their 15-yard line. A three-and-out gave the ball back to ETBU but they only went 20-yards on eight plays turning it over on downs. Three plays later, ETBU's defense recorded their third interception of the day as Williams III picked off the pass at the SRSU 40-yard line finishing at the 24-yard line with 9:02 left in the game.
 
Tied at 10-10 and a chance to take the lead, ETBU scored in two plays as Garibay connected with Thomas from 22-yards out for the 17-10 lead with just over eight minutes left in the game. SRSU took the kickoff to their own 38-yard line but sputtered, again, going three-and-out to ETBU's defense as Williams had a sack on the first play. ETBU took over after a punt on their own 28-yard line and started with a 20-yard rush from Woodard. The drive would go down to the SRSU 34-yard line and take almost four minutes off the clock before punting it 32-yards to the Lobos two-yard line.
 
SRSU was pinned in their own end starting at the two-yard line. An eight-yard pass gave them some breathing room but an incomplete pass and one-yard loss set up a 4th-and-3 with just under two minutes left in the game. SRSU went for it and Williams recorded his third sack of the game giving ETBU the ball back on the three-yard line with 1:39 left in the game.
 
Beard came in as quarterback and rushed in from three-yards out as Cavazos hit the extra point making it 24-10. SRSU tried to put together a last second drive in the final minute but couldn't get past the 50-yardline as the game ended, 24-10.
 
ETBU will travel to Belton, Texas, next Saturday to face Mary Hardin-Baylor at 1:00 p.m. in ASC play.