SHERMAN, Texas - The Austin College football team rallied from a 21-point deficit, but the 'Roos would come up just short in a 24-21 loss to McMurry University on Saturday at Jerry Apple Stadium. The 'Roos are now 0-6 overall and 0-4 in American Southwest Conference play.
The 'Roos came out strong on their opening drive, with Kennon Magers taking the first play 28 yards to get the offense going. However, three plays later the War Hawks would recover an Austin College fumble and take it 58 yards the other way for a touchdown. After a failed 2-point conversion, that made the score 6-0 with 13:43 to play. McMurry was backed up all the way to the 1-yard line on their next possession, but the War Hawks managed to take it all the way down the field and get a 3-yard touchdown run from Rajan Cunningham to cap a 9-play, 94-yard drive. The 2-point conversion made it 14-0 midway through the opening quarter.
McMurry would add one more score in the opening half, with Jack Ishmael scoring from 12 yards out to finish off a 9-play, 88-yard drive to make it 21-0 with 8:07 left before halftime. The 'Roos would get on the board late in the second quarter, as Kennon Magers scored from a yard out at the end of a 15-play, 77-yard drive to make it 21-7 with 1:36 left before the break.
The McMurry lead grew to 24-7 early in the second half as Jared Mendoza hit a 45-yard field goal with 10:11 remaining in the third, but Peyton Keily scored his first career touchdown on a 2-yard plunge to cut it to a 24-14 game with 1:54 left in the quarter. The 'Roos would pull within three late in the fourth, putting together a 10-play, 90-yard drive with Seth Kerstetter finding the endzone from four yards out to make it 24-21 with 1:52 to go in the fourth. The 'Roos recovered the ensuing onside kick and had a chance ot tie it up late, but John Aldridge's 54-yard field goal attempt came up just short, allowing McMurry to hold on in the closing moments.
Keily completed 5-of-11 passes for 70 yards and added 65 yards on 10 carries with a touchdown, and Magers rushed 11 times for 66 yards and a score. Tiger Dietz chipped in 34 yards on five carries. Brady Dygert led the 'Roos defensively with nine tackles, including a tackle-for-loss, and Colton Gerken had five tackles and a sack. For McMurry, Dexter Wyble completed 14-of-22 passes for 218 yards and Cunningham ran it 10 times for 74 yards.