The Mary Hardin-Baylor quarterbacks were welcoming to the Hardin-Simmons defensive backs at homecoming in Belton on Saturday. A bit too welcoming for Crusader fans. The HSU defense intercepted four passes from two different quarterbacks in the first half of a 44-21 thrashing of their rival.

“We were flying around, trying to make plays left and right today,” HSU head coach Jesse Burleson said. “We’ve dropped a bunch in other games, so I hope we have that fixed. We had a great game plan on both sides of the ball, and our guys executed it exactly like we planned.”

The Cowboy defense was aided by multiple throws into double coverage by the Crusader quarterbacks. They wasted no time asserting themselves in the first quarter by intercepting an Isaac Phe (Pasadena, Calif.) pass on the Cru’s opening drive. Interceptions on consecutive drives in the second quarter, including one returned 20 yards by Micah Henderson (Waco University HS) for a touchdown, led to a change in quarterbacks. 

However, Jake Wright (St. Thomas/Pittsburg State) didn’t fare much better initially. After a miscommunication, his first throw went over the wide receiver’s head, and his second throw ended up in the hands of HSU defensive back Harrison Foster (Sweetwater HS/ACU). The UMHB quarterbacks combined to complete 1 of 13 passes for seven yards and four interceptions in the first half.

Burleson said defensive coordinator Craig Neece, in his first season at HSU, was outstanding at adjusting to what the Cru offense was trying to accomplish.

“Craig Neece had a great plan and was adjusting things throughout the week. He put our guys in the best position to succeed today,” Burleson said. “Our guys knew we’d have some opportunities against their passing game, but we had to take advantage of them. They did that today.”

The victory is the first for HSU inside Crusader Stadium, which opened in 2013. The 23-point margin of victory is the largest home defeat inside Crusader Stadium for UMHB, surpassing the previous mark set by Wisconsin-Whitewater in a 26-7 win in the 2019 NCAA Division III quarterfinals. This is only the second regular season and fifth total loss for UMHB inside Crusader Stadium.

This win is the largest road victory for HSU in the series since their first trip to Belton in 1998 when the Cowboys earned a 56-9 win at Tiger Field in the Crusader's first season as a football program.

This victory also helps to ease the bitter memory many HSU faithful share after the Cowboys blew a 21-point halftime lead in an eventual loss to UMHB in their last visit to Crusader Stadium in 2021.

“We’ve been here before,” Burleson said about his message to the team at halftime. “We’re a 60-minute team. We don’t want to be a first-half team, and we definitely took some steps toward being a 60-minute team today. 

For HSU, this is another step toward being their best in 2024, and Burleson said the team still has areas to correct after dropping two likely-pick sixes in the contest.

“We still have lots to work on, and we just remain focused on the Cowboys regardless of the opponent or where we play,” Burleson said. “We want to be able to go anywhere in the nation, play anyone, and expect to win. But that’s really hard to do. You have to get good players and put them in the right position. You have to get good coaches and make sure they’re able to do what they need to do to be successful. And I’m just the guy that tries to steer the ship in the right direction.”