MARSHALL, Texas – It was four, strong quarters of football from East Texas Baptist University on Family Day as they dominated Austin College, 35-7. The defense recorded six sacks holding AC to just 93-yards rushing with two interceptions while Cornelius Banks had a career-best four touchdown passes.
 
Head coach Calvin Ruzicka encouraged his team before the game saying, "I told them to go out and keep fighting like they did against Hendrix. I keep bringing up the second half of the Hendrix game and how they fought for one another and executed and how we became victorious. I tried to draw from that experience and remember what they had done and that we can go out and do it again and play for four quarters instead of two."
 
And four quarters of football is what both sides of the ball did. ETBU's offense finished with 348 yards as 240 yards came through the air. Banks found 10 different players to throw the ball to going 20-of-28 with his longest pass being 49 yards. Trayjen Llanas-Wilcox recorded two touchdowns and 77 yards receiving on four catches. Konan added four catches for 41 yards and his first collegiate touchdown. Devin Phillipas also caught his first collegiate touchdown and had three catches for 38 yards. Jaden Thomas was the top rusher with 59 yards on 10 attempts and Carldell Beard recorded the rushing touchdown.
 
Defensively, ETBU collected six sacks, two interceptions, six pass breakups, and one forced fumble. Jahkamian Carr recorded eight tackles as six were solo with one sack and two quarterback hurries. Keewan Grismore also had eight tackles and one break up. Christian Booker added five tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and one deflection that led to Coby Walker's interception. Keiuntray Hawkins led the tam with two sacks as Dominick Williams added 0.5 sacks and Conner Jones had one sack. Daevien Willis gave ETBU their second interception of the game.
 
"Our game plan was amazing," said defensive player Jahkamian Carr. "Shout out to all the coaches on that. We played as a team and it was great, team football."
 
It was a slow first quarter as Austin College's first two possessions ended in interceptions and ETBU punted on both of theirs. ETBU's third time touching the ball in the first quarter came after Walker intercepted AC's deflected pass by Booker at the 13-yard line. Two plays later, Beard rushed in from five-yards out for the 7-0 lead at 4:01 in the first. AC took the ensuing kickoff and went 66-yards on 13 plays to tie the game at seven at the 12:41 mark in the second quarter taking a combined seven minutes off the clock between the two quarters.
 
ETBU answered with two strong drives on their next two possessions with the first drive going 80-yards ending on Llanas-Wilcox first touchdown of the night from 11-yards out (7:50). On the ensuing kickoff, Ja'Cobi Williams forced a fumble at the AC 18-yard line as ETBU recovered. Just over a minute and half later, Banks found Llanas-Wilcox, again, on a five-yard touchdown pass (6:14) for a 21-7 lead.
 
AC drove to ETBU's 34-yard line after the kickoff but the defense denied a fourth-and-18 to turn the ball over. ETBU ran 1:30 off the clock and punted from mid-field to end the half with a 21-7 lead.
 
The third quarter was a bit like the first quarter moving slowly. AC went three-and-out on their first possession followed by a three-and-out by ETBU. AC took their next offensive drive to ETBU's 24-yard line but a fourth-and-six incomplete pass ended any thoughts of scoring. Taking over on downs, ETBU drove 76-yards extending their lead to 21-points on Banks' third passing touchdown of the night at 2:03. He found Stardoumire from 21-yards away to push the score to 28-7.
 
For the third time in the game, ETBU stopped an AC fourth-down attempt just a minute into the fourth quarter. The Tigers took over at their own 41-yard line and in a little over three minutes made it 35-7. Eight plays later, Banks found Phillips for a 12-yard touchdown pass putting the game away. AC only gamed 29 yards on their next two possessions as ETBU ran out the final 1:34 for their second win of the year.
 
Banks said after the game, "This was a great team win. We came out a little shaken in the first half so we wanted to come out the second half and finish off the game as we did. I have to give a shout out to my offensive linemen for giving me time to throw the ball. My playmakers and wide receivers, just give them the ball and they will make the plays."
 
ETBU will travel to Brownwood, Texas, next Saturday for a 1:00 p.m. game vs. Howard Payne in ASC play.