Cowboys Drop Conference Opener

ABILENE, Texas — Hardin-Simmons’ beat up football team could not overcome a sluggish performance and lost its first game ever to Louisiana College, 28-7, in American Southwest Conference action on Saturday afternoon at Shelton Stadium.

The Cowboys played most of the game without All-American quarterback Justin Feaster, who suffered a sprained AC joint last weekend against Linfield. Feaster did come on late in the third quarter and with the Cowboys trailing 20-7, Feaster drove the Cowboys right down the field, but he had two touchdown passes dropped in the end zone and HSU turned the ball over on downs.

HSU’s defense, which played well, then forced a fumble on a Bronson Buzzard sack and the Cowboys got the ball right back, but Feaster was intercepted on the first play on a fade route to Daniel Lofton by DeMei Dumas of Louisiana College.

The defense then came right back and forced a quick three-and-out, but the Cowboys roughed the punter and LC ended up going 80 yards in 12 plays and took 5:51 off the clock for a score. Chad Hindman capped off the drive with a 9-yard touchdown run. LC converted a two-point conversion to make it 28-7.

In the first quarter neither team could muster much offense and LC finally got on the board with a John Michiels 29-yard field goal with 2:21 to go in the first quarter. LC had started the drive at the HSU 16 after a 27-yard punt return by Jordan Rideaux.

HSU looked like it would retake the lead on the next possession when Taylor Byrd, who was making his first career start, hit Justice Baker on what turned out to be a 51-yard pass play, but Baker was stripped of the ball at the LC three-yard line and it was recovered by Kendrick Thomas in the end zone for a touchback.

The Cowboys forced another three-and-out and HSU took over at their own 49 but after one first down, missed on four straight pass plays. LC then went 70 yards in four plays and Ben McLaughlin threw a perfect pass to Davonne Lumar over good coverage for a 22-yard touchdown to make it 10-0.

After each teams traded possessions HSU went 72 yards on eight plays. The big play was a Byrd 36-yard pass to Thomas Labian. Steven Rockwell punched it in from five yards out to make it 10-7 with 6:03 to play in the half.

LC came back with a touchdown right before halftime to make it 17-7. Linebacker Donovon Williams came in a goal-line situations and he scored from three yards out.

HSU outgained LC 349-319 in the game, but HSU quarterbacks went just 17-for-45 in the game for 232 yards. Feaster was 5-for-17 with an interception and Byrd was 12-for-28 for 167 yards. Justic Baker had five catches for 106 yards for the Cowboys.

The Cowboys fell to 1-2 overall and 0-1 in ASC play and LC improved to 2-0 overall and 1-0 in ASC play. HSU plays at Mississippi College on Saturday at 6 p.m.

The seven points were the fewest the Cowboys have scored in a game since a 38-7 loss to Mary Hardin-Baylor in 2005. HSU has never lost three games in a row in the same season under Jimmie Keeling. HSU will have to win a road game next weekend at Mississippi College to avoid that.