MARSHALL, Texas – It was a combination of emotions for the final game of the year for East Texas Baptist University on Military Appreciation Senior Day hosting #19 Hardin-Simmons University. ETBU never gave up outscoring HSU, 20-7, in the second half but fell overall, 42-27. ETBU finishes the season at 5-5 and 3-3 in the American Southwest Conference as they honored 11 seniors at the beginning of the game.
It was ETBU's third best offensive production of the year with 357 total yards of offense passing for 244 yards and rushing for 113 yards.
Carlos Garibay went 24-of-34 for 244 yards and two touchdowns while
Jaden Thomas rushed for 92 yards and two touchdowns.
Trayjen Llanas-Wilcox collected his fourth 100-yard receiving game with 112 yards on six catches.
Zay Thomas had 67 yards receiving and
Jordan Jackson finished with 36 yards on five catches.
Keewan Grismore led the defense with 11 tackles as
Omar Huntington had nine tackles.
Davion Bouldwin forced a fumble while
Christian Booker recorded a sack. The defense had two sacks on the day with three quarterback hurries and pass break ups.
HSU controlled the first half offensively moving the ball as they pleased. They scored touchdowns on five of their first six possessions with three straight touchdowns. Up 28-0, ETBU finally found the endzone with 2:12 left in the half when Thomas bounced in from three-yards out. HSU responded with a 73-yard drive in 1:18 scoring before the half for a 35-7 lead.
ETBU forced a punt on HSU's first possession of the second half and took over at their own 45-yard line. Three straight passes from Garibay to Llanas-Wilcox (18-yards), Jackson (14-yards), and
Hayden Curry (6-yards) put the Tigers at the 17-yard line. After a two-yard
Jaden Thomas rush, Garibay found
Zay Thomas in the endzone from 15-yards out for a touchdown making it 35-14 (10:07). Taking almost five minutes off the clock, HSU went 75-yards for their sixth touchdown of the day and a 42-14 lead.
Not backing down, ETBU found their offensive groove at the end of the third quarter. Starting at their own 35-yard line, Thomas squeaked through a hole for a 40-yard game and then made it another 19-yard gain to the HSU 6-yard line to end the third quarter. He followed that with a third straight rush to the three-yard line and finished it off touching the ball a fourth time for a three-yard touchdown run with 14:34 left in the game. ETBU didn't strike again until there was 3:22 left in the game when
Zay Thomas caught a 10-yard pass from Garibay making it 42-27.
ETBU ends their year at 5-5 and ties for third place in the ASC at 3-3.
