SHERMAN, Texas - The Austin College football team put up a strong fight on both sides of the ball against visiting Nebraska Wesleyan in the season opener for both teams on Saturday evening in the first football game to ever be played under the lights at Jerry Apple Stadium, but the 'Roos fell short in a 19-7 loss to the Prairie Wolves.
Nebraska Wesleyan took a 12-0 lead into halftime before Austin College started to turn up the heat in the third quarter, cutting it to 12-7 on a 1-yard touchdown run by Peyton Keily with 9:54 left in the period. The 'Roos would later march down inside the Nebraska Wesleyan 10-yard line on consecutive drives, but were denied both times. The Prairie Wolves added a touchdown with 7:44 left to play in the game, and Austin College was unable to battle back in their final possessions.
The Prairie Wolves went 3-and-out on the first possession of the game but would put together a nine play, 74-yard drive the next time they got the ball, capped off by a 34-yard touchdown pass from Carter Terry to Jaheim Felder on third and 23. The point after attempt was no good, keeping it a 6-0 game with 6:21 left in the opening quarter. NWU added another touchdown midway through the second, with Nathan Athouris scampering in from 14 yards away to make it 12-0 after another failed PAT, and the score would remain 12-0 heading into halftime.
A 36-yard pass from Keily to Colin Mushinski put the 'Roos in prime scoring position early in the third, and after a nine-yard run by Grayson Stacey to get the 'Roos down to the one, Keily faked the handoff and walked in untouched to get Austin College on the board with 9:54 on the clock. However, those would be the final points of the game for Austin College, as a field goal attempt went wide right on the team's next possession and then, the next time the team offense took the field, the team got a first-and-goal situation from the eight-yard line but were unable to punch it in on four tries to keep it a 12-7 game. The Prairie Wolves added a touchdown plunge by Kevin Starnes from a yard out to make it 19-7, and that's how things would end.
Keily completed 10-of-21 passes for 105 yards and added a team-best 52 yards on 15 carries, and Christian Johnson added 44 yards on 10 rushing attempts. Mushinski caught four passes for a team-high 51 yards, and Grant Yudizky added five grabs for 49 yards. Colton Gerken and Jeremiah Contreras had big games defensively, with Gerken making 10 stops and adding an interception while Contreras had six tackles and three pass breakups.
Terry completed 22-of-31 passes for 217 yards and a touchdown for Nebraska Wesleyan, and Trystin Myers rushed 15 times for 72 yards. Chevalier Curry led NWU with seven tackles.
Austin College will be looking to bounce back next week when they head to Memphis to take on Rhodes College.