East Texas Baptist University Athletics

MARSHALL, Texas — In a shootout for Homecoming, East Texas Baptist University (3-5/1-2 ASC) couldn't keep up with McMurry University's (4-4/1-2 ASC) offense as they held off the Tigers, 59-38, on Saturday afternoon. ETBU held the ball for 34:21 but allowed 533 yards, including 347 passing.
 
Paul Woodard rushed 35 times for 173 yards and a touchdown. Jack Crawford completed 12 of 22 passes for 252 yards and three touchdowns. Eric Stovall caught four passes for 89 yards and a touchdown. Rayvon Sauls led the defense with 11 tackles.
 
The Tigers stayed within reach early through special teams, as Brandon Kennedy returned a kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown with McMurry ahead 21-14 late in the first quarter. The offense later put together a longer scoring possession before halftime, covering 60 yards in 12 plays and finishing with a field goal to make it 28-24. ETBU also kept drives alive on fourth down, with Game Beats marking conversions at the McMurry 17, 43 and 40 as part of a 4-for-5 full-game mark on fourth down. In the fourth quarter, the Tigers added a quick two-play touchdown drive that covered 44 seconds and moved the score to 52-38.
 
McMurry's offense provided the larger statistical challenge, finishing with 533 total yards, 8.6 yards per play and a 7-for-10 mark on third down. ETBU still produced 26 first downs, held the ball for 34:21, rushed for 193 yards and passed for 252.
 
ETBU's biggest answer came with 1:01 left in the first quarter, when Kennedy returned a kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown and Mitchell White's extra point tied McMurry 21-21. Earlier in the quarter, Crawford capped an 80-yard drive with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Kyler Paul after Woodard converted fourth-and-1 at the McMurry 17, then found David Red for a 14-yard score on the Tigers' next possession. The quarter ended tied 21-21 after ETBU posted two offensive touchdowns and Kennedy's kickoff-return score.
 
ETBU answered McMurry's opening touchdown with a 12-play, 60-yard drive, getting a 34-yard completion from Crawford to Dakarion Judge before Mitchell White's 39-yard field goal made it 28-24 with 4:55 left in the second quarter. McMurry scored on its next possession, and the Tigers' following drive ended on downs at the McMurry 40. A late fumble with one second left in the quarter set up McMurry's 47-yard field goal as ETBU went into halftime trailing 38-24.
 
The Tigers opened the third quarter with a nine-play, 85-yard scoring drive, capped by Woodard's 25-yard touchdown run and White's extra point to make it 38-31. The defense followed by forcing a turnover on downs, with Sauls and Jalen Wilridge combining for a third-down tackle for loss before Seyram Tamakloe broke up the fourth-down pass. McMurry later answered with a touchdown drive to make it 45-31, and ETBU ended the quarter at the McMurry 43 after rushing for 109 yards in the quarter.
 
ETBU's main fourth-quarter response came after Cameron Carr's 56-yard kickoff return, as Crawford hit Stovall for a 31-yard touchdown and the extra point made it 52-38. McMurry followed with another touchdown drive to push the score to 59-38. The Tigers converted a fourth down on their final possession and reached the McMurry 13 before an interception, and McMurry closed out the 59-38 final.
 
ETBU will host the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor next Saturday in their final regular season home game.