SHERMAN, Texas – The Austin College football team could never get its offense going, and Southwestern used three fourth quarter touchdowns to blow open what had been a defensive battle in handing the 'Roos a 35-0 loss on Saturday afternoon. The 'Roos are now 2-6 overall and 0-4 in Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play.
Austin College was limited to just 163 yards of total offense on the day, while a big second half for Southwestern enabled the Pirates to pull away after leading just 7-0 at halftime. The only score of the first half came midway through the opening quarter, when Southwestern's Dylan Wilburn rumbled in from seven yards out to make it 7-0 with 8:29 on the clock.
That would remain the score heading into halftime, as the 'Roos held Southwestern to 46 yards in the first quarter and scoreless in the second, while Southwestern limited Austin College to 51 first quarter yards, and 62 in the second. Time of possession was split nearly down the middle in the game's first two quarters.
However, Southwestern would strike early in the second half, as the Pirates went almost exclusively to a rushing attack after the break. Southwestern piled up 248 rushing yards after halftime, and it was a 38 yard run by Frederick Hover on the first play of the second half for the Pirates that set up their second touchdown of the day with less than three minutes off the clock in the third quarter. Hover would score from three yards away to cap off a seven play, 75-yard drive, with all seven plays coming on the ground.
The score would remain 14-0 until the fourth quarter, when Hover scored from 15 yards out to make it a 21-0 game with 12:46 left to play. After an Austin College interception, returned 44 yards by Nik Kelly to the 'Roo 1-yard line, Southwestern would add a one yard touchdown run by Wilburn to make it 28-0 just over a minute later.
The Pirates tacked on their final touchdown on the team's next drive, going 58 yards in seven plays, capped off by a three yard touchdown run by Devin Shaw to make it 35-0 with 5:45 left in the game. The teams traded turnovers on the next two drives, and Southwestern would run the clock out after an Austin College punt with under a minute to play. Southwestern attempted just two passes in the second half.
Kyle Bohannon completed 4-of-8 passes for 71 yards and added 25 yards on the ground to lead the Austin College offense, while Kyle Mucerino caught all six completions from the three Kangaroo quarterbacks who saw action in the game. Mucerino finished with 104 receiving yards in the game. James Hemen had 11 tackles, including a sack and 2.0 tackles-for-loss, and Charles Eneh added nine tackles with a sack and 2.0 TFL. Jackson Townsend had eight stops and an interception.
Wilburn rushed 20 times for 143 yards and Hover carried 17 times for 105 yards for Southwestern. Bryan Hicks completed 7-of-11 passes for 62 yards, and Brandon Fleischmann had nine tackles, including a sack and 1.5 tackles-for-loss to pace the Pirates defensively.
Austin College heads on the road next week to take on Texas Lutheran in Seguin.
Austin College athletic teams participate as a member of the NCAA Division III and the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference.