McMurry Uses Big Second Half to Top 'Roos

SHERMAN, Texas - The Austin College football team trailed preseason Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference-favorite McMurry University just 11-9 at halftime, but the War Hawks put 23 points on the board in the final two quarters to hand the 'Roos a 34-9 defeat on Saturday afternoon at Jerry E. Apple Stadium. The 'Roos are now 0-4 overall and 0-2 in SCAC play with the loss.

The War Hawks got on the board midway through the first quarter when Jess Hoel found Jonny Rhodes for a 15-yard touchdown strike to cap an eight play, 75-yard drive, and Hoel connected with Tristen Hall for the two-point conversion to make it 8-0. Austin College stepped up defensively over the next several possessions, forcing a turnover on downs the next time the War Hawks had the ball and holding McMurry to a long field goal try that missed to the left on the possession that followed. 

The 'Roos got their first points of the day early in the second quarter as Caleb Balderas drilled a 49-yard field goal attempt to make it 8-3. McMurry followed with a 65-yard drive, but the Austin College defense held up with a strong goal line stand to keep the War Hawks to a 21-yard field goal to make it 11-3 with 10:15 on the clock. Balderas hit his second field goal of the quarter at the 5:16 mark, this time from 44 yards out, and he'd add a 43 yarder with 35 seconds left in the half to trim the margin to 11-9 at the break.

Austin College's defense once again held strong early in the third, after a penalty gave the ball to the War Hawks on the 'Roo 20-yard line to start their drive. The 'Roos had another strong stand inside the five yard line, and Jax Rodriguez had to settle for a 19-yard field goal to make it 14-9 with 8:02 left in the period. However, a 68-yard punt return by Kason O'Shields got McMurry all the way down to the one, and Hoel scored from a yard out on the next play to make it 20-9 after the point after failed, and that's how things would stand heading into the fourth.

Hoel added his second rushing touchdown of the game with 9:47 left, this time from three yards out to make it 27-9, and the War Hawks tacked on one more score with just over four minutes left as Hoel found Thomas Chandler for a 20-yard touchdown to make it a 34-9 final.

Barrett Hudson paced the Austin College offense with 62 rushing yards on 18 carries, while Zyan Stewart added 11 rushes for 43 yards and Michael Cress caught three passes for 25 yards as the 'Roos were limited to 133 yards of total offense in the game. Colton Gerken and Ian Sharpshair each had eight tackles, and Sharpshair added 1.5 tackles-for-loss including a sack to lead the defense, while Brady Dygert came away with an interception to go with seven stops. Hoel finished the game completing 21-of-30 passes for 269 yards with two scores and an interception, and added 65 rushing yards on 11 carries with two more touchdowns. Kane Strohman led the McMurry defense with eight tackles, including 3.5 for loss and a sack.