HOUSTON – HBU outgained Sam Houston State, piling up more than 500 yards of offense, but the Bearkats capitalized on four Husky turnovers for 42-20 victory in the Southland Conference football finale Saturday afternoon at Husky Stadium.
Sophomore running backs
LaDarius Dickens and
Dreshawn Minnieweather became the first HBU duo to each top 100 yards rushing in the same game, with Dickens carrying 15 times for 121 yards and Minnieweather 16 times for 105 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore quarterback
Bailey Zappe completed 17-of-35 passes for 219 yards, was held without a touchdown pass for the first time this season and was intercepted twice. Sophomore
Corey Ceniceros made five catches for 40 yards and junior
Terry Tillmon made four catches for 59 yards, while freshman
Jerreth Sterns was held to two catches for 22 yards.
Freshman linebacker
Brennan Young, freshman safety
Jack Blanco and sophomore linebacker
Caleb Johnson each led the Huskies (1-10, 0-9 SLC) with 10 tackles, while sophomore linebacker
Langston Tunson made nine stops. Junior defensive end
Andre Walker had 1.5 sacks with Young adding a sack. Sophomore defensive back
Coi Miller and senior cornerback
Derek Broussard each came up with an interception. Freshman kicker
David Dominguez hit the first two field goals of his career with a 44-yarder and a 33-yarder.
Ty Brock completed 19-of-32 passes for 251 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions for the Bearkats (6-5, 5-4). Dee Bowens made six catches for 133 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while Nathan Stewart had seven catches for 100 yards and a score. Kyran Jackson rushed nine times for 57 yards, with Eric Schmid and Cale Jolivette rushing for touchdowns.
Ernest Harris made 12 tackles, forced and recovered a fumble, while Derick Roberson and Brail Franklin each had nine stops. Zyon Williamson made both interceptions for the Bearkats, returning one 17 yards for a touchdown. Roberson, Royce See and Scean Mustin each recorded a sack.
HBU posted 506 yards of total offense to SHSU's 415, with the Huskies outgaining the Bearkats, 287-119, on the ground. The Bearkats held only a slight edge in time of possession, but were plus-two in the turnover battle. Each team committed seven penalties.
SHSU opened the game with a 14-play, 74-yard drive, capped by Schmid's 9-yard TD run for a 7-0 lead. HBU looked poised to answer after Zappe completed a 55-yard pass to sophomore tight end
Coleman Robinson, but McCollum came up with his first interception to stop the drive at the SHSU 11.
The Huskies got on the board with Dominguez's 44-yard field goal, but the Bearkats answered with a 13-play, 86-yard drive, which ended on Jolivette's two-yard TD run, then Williamson picked off a pass and returned it for a touchdown and Ryan Humphries threw a 45-yard touchdown to Bowens for a 28-3 lead.
HBU scored on Minnieweather's 27-yard touchdown run just before halftime to make the score 28-10 at the break.
Bowens got free for a 50-yard touchdown reception for SHSU in the third and Dominguez hit a 33-yard field goal for HBU. Brock then hit Stewart for a 56-yard touchdown for the Bearkats' final score. The Huskies scored on the final possession of the game with sophomore receiver
Gamar Girdy Brito capping a 13-play, 57-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run.
The Huskies are set to open the 2019 season at UTEP on Saturday, Aug, 31 at the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas.
