Box Score

Game Highlights (video)

Legacy Sports Postgame Wrapup (video)

PLAINVIEW, Texas – After a back-and-forth first half that saw the score tied at the break, HBU scored 24 unanswered points and shut out Wayland Baptist in the second half for a 52-28 victory Saturday night at Greg Sherwood Memorial Bulldog Stadium. The win marks the first in this inaugural season for Huskies football.

B.J. Kelly had 26 carries for 182 yards and a touchdown as the Huskies (1-1) piled up 347 total yards on the ground. Craig Bell Jr. rushed 14 times for 87 yards and three touchdowns to help HBU average more than six yards per carry.

"(The win) was a blessing, it was fun," Kelly said. "We started out slow in the first half, but we picked it up in the second half. I was just telling the guys, 'it's not how we start, it's how we finish.' I prepare in practice, so I try not to surprise myself (with the production), because I put in the work and it's definitely because of the linemen and everyone doing their jobs."

Quarterback Ka'Darius Baker completed 16-of-23 passes for 262 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Running back Tanner Peavy also added a TD pass to Wesley Lewis on a trick play. Junior Darian Lazard had seven receptions for 118 yards and a touchdown, while Terrance Hawkins also caught a touchdown pass.

"It feels great to be a part of history and do it with these teammates," Hawkins said. "I really wasn't caring about my personal stats, I'm just happy to be out here playing again, and it felt good to make plays."

Kendall Roberson led the Pioneers (0-2) with 138 yards on 21 carries and two touchdowns, but was held to only 15 yards in the second half. Braden Hudson completed 8-of-16 passes for 61 yards and a touchdown. Brendan Pegg made four catches for 55 yards and a score.

HBU piled up 626 yards of total offense, dominating time of possession, 40:34-19:26. WBU had 274 yards of total offense.

"I think (the running backs) are one of the strengths of our program, we have 4-5 guys who can do certain things well," HBU head coach Vic Shealy said. "Obviously, B.J. Kelly is developing into a special guy and Craig Bell ran the ball extremely hard, and I thought our offensive coaching staff did a much better job of putting people in positions to where we had a schematic advantage."

After trading three-and-outs to start the game, the Pioneers got a 17-yard punt return from Chris Acosta to start their second drive at the HBU 47. Roberson had runs of 11 and eight yards, before getting WBU on the board first as he scored on a 13-yard run with 10:27 left.

Hawkins returned the ensuing kickoff 46 yards to the WBU 43 to give the Huskies great field position. On third-and-four, Baker found Lazard for a 15-yard connection and first-and-goal at the five. Three plays later, Bell powered into the endzone for a one-yard plunge and the first touchdown in HBU football history.

Before the end of the first quarter, WBU used a fake punt on fourth-and-seven from the HBU 45 as Josh Houghteling completed a 39-yard pass to Seth Eaton to set the Pioneers up at the six. Roberson ran up the middle and lept into the endzone from two yards out to give WBU a 14-7 lead.

The following drive took the game into the second quarter, and Baker hooked up with Hawkins for a 49-yard touchdown pass down the left side, with Hawkins dragging a defender with him the last eight yards to tie the game, 14-14, with 13:18 to go.

The Pioneers answered right back as Ashton Tillman scored on a 16-yard run to give WBU a 21-14 lead with 11:39 remaining.

Bell fumbled, setting up WBU in HBU territory at the 48, but the Huskies stopped the Pioneers on fourth-and-two to take over at their own 39 with 9:44 to go. On fourth-and-one, HBU punted, but an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on WBU kept the drive alive. Kelly ran for a 13-yard gain for a first down at the 23, then caught a pass for a 10-yard gain for another first down at the 11. Bell scored his second touchdown of the game on a three-yard run to tie the game 21-21 with 3:44 left.

HBU got the ball back with 2:56 to go in the first half after Jake Higgs' 51-yard field goal attempt for WBU had plenty of distance, but missed wide right.

Peavy started the drive with an 11-yard run for a first down, then Baker hit Kenneth Bibbins on the left sideline for a 32-yard gain. Peavy took a handoff from Baker, but dropped back and hit a wide open Lewis for a 17-yard touchdown to give the Huskies a 28-21 lead, their first of the season, with 57 seconds left.

WBU came right back and Hudson found Brendan Pegg for a 28-yard touchdown to tie the game, 28-28, with 21 seconds on the clock.

Baker completed 8-of-12 passes in the first half for 116 yards and a touchdown for the Huskies, while Hudson hit 7-of-12 for 72 yards and a score for the Pioneers. Kelly led HBU with 64 yards rushing, while Bell had the two scores in the opening half. Roberson rushed for 123 and a pair of touchdowns for WBU.

"I went in (at halftime) and I told the defensive coaches that what we brought in scheme-wise wasn't broken, it was more of an issue with fundamental breakdowns and poor execution," Shealy said. "I challenged our kids to improve on the mistakes we made, and I thought we played significantly faster."

HBU got the ball to open the second half, and Kelly piled up 40 yards on the drive, while Lazard caught a 20-yard pass to get the Huskies to the 15. The drive stalled out, and HBU settled for a Travis Shinn 32-yard field goal to take a 31-28 lead.

After the Huskies forced a WBU punt, Lazard caught a pass for a first down, then Kelly followed with a burst down the left sideline for a 49-yard gain to the Pioneers' 25. Baker completed a pass to Maxwell Brown, who looked as if he would score, but the Pioneers' jarred the ball loose and recovered in the end zone for a touchback.

The Huskies forced a three-and-out after Kafo Tuha batted a pass back to Hudson, which resulted in a seven-yard loss, but Higgs flipped the field with a 68-yard punt. After a short gain by Kelly, Baker found a wide-open Lazard down the right sideline for a 70-yard touchdown reception to put HBU ahead, 38-28, with 2:00 left in the third quarter.

HBU forced another three-and-out, then Hawkins forced a fumble on the punt, which the Huskies recovered at the WBU 20 with 36 seconds to go in the third. On third-and-15, Baker found Kwadré Wilson for a 21-yard gain to the WBU four. On the next play, Bell found the endzone for the third time to put HBU ahead, 45-28, with 13:37 remaining in the game.

Kelly capped the scoring and his huge day with a five-yard touchdown run with 3:31 to go.

The Huskies return to action when they host Oklahoma Baptist in the home opener Saturday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. at Strake Jesuit College Preparatory's Crusader Stadium.