HOUSTON - HBU junior
Dreshawn Minnieweather and sophomore
Ean Beek became the first Husky running back duo to each top 100 yards in the same game in a 48-21 victory over Northwestern State in the Southland Conference opener Saturday night at Husky Stadium.
HBU (3-1, 1-0 SLC) won its third-straight game for the first time in program history and marked the largest margin of victory ever over an FCS opponent.
Beek finished with 17 carries for 131 yards, the seventh-most in HBU history, and a touchdown while Minnieweather had 14 carries for 112 yards, his fourth career 100-yard game, and caught touchdown pass. Junior quarterback
Bailey Zappe completed 27-of-37 passes for 257 yards and four touchdowns. Junior
Ben Ratzlaff caught five passes for 117 yards and a pair of touchdown and sophomore
Jerreth Sterns laugh nine passes for 89 yards and a touchdown and added a passing touchdown.
Sophomore safety
Colton Manning and junior linebacker
Caleb Johnson each had 13 tackles, with Johnson adding a sack. Sophomore linebacker
Brennan Young had nine tackles and two interceptions. Freshman safety
Tra Fluellen chipped in with nine tackles.
Shelton Eppler was 26-for-42 for 287 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions for NSU (0-4, 0-1). Jared West rushed 17 times for 80 yards and a touchdown. Akile Davis caught three passes for 68 yards and a pair of touchdowns and Quan Shorts made seven catches for 47 yards.
Ja'Quay Pough led the Demons with 11 tackles and Kyle Moore had 10 tackles, a sack and an interception.
HBU racked up 532 yards of offense, 266 on the ground and 266 through the air, while NSU had 447 yards -- 301 passing and 146 rushing. The Huskies won the turnover battle with three interceptions to the Demons' one. Possession time was nearly split down the middle, with NSU holding for 30:36 and HBU 29:24. The game was relatively clean of yellow flags, with NSU penalized four times for 30 yards and HBU five times for 47 yards.
HBU forced a three-and-out on NSU's opening possession of the game and wasted no time cashing in on Zappe's 12-yard touchdown pass to Sterns. On the five-play, 64-yard drive, Minnieweather had runs of 15 and 37 yards to set up the score.
On the Huskies' next drive, Beek found a hole on the left side and went 52 yards untouched for a touchdown to make the score 14-0 with 8:28 remaining in the opening quarter. HBU got the ball back on its own 19, then went on an 11-play, 81-yard drive in only 2:13 to take a 21-0 lead. Minnieweather's 21-yard run set up his three-yard TD reception from Zappe.
The two teams traded interceptions and NSU looked as if it would capitalize, driving down to the HBU 10, but Eppler threw another pick, this time to Young, who returned it 48 yards out to midfield. The Huskies were again unable to take advantage and the Demons regained possession at their own 11 with just a tick under six minutes remaining in the half.
NSU went three-and-out and HBU took the ball back at its 49 with 4:19 to go. The Huskies rethought a 48-yard field goal attempt into the wind, then after a timeout, converted a fourth-and-four with a 22-yard completion to Sterns down to the 9-yard line. HBU settled for freshman kicker
Gino Garcia's 32-yard field goal with 48 second left to take a 24-0 lead into halftime.
Senior
Gamar Girdy Brito returned the opening kickoff in the second half out near midfield, then Zappe engineered a nine-play, 52-yard drive, which was capped by Sterns' nine-yard touchdown pass to Ratzlaff. Ratzlaff also had 20- and 11-yard receptions on the drive.
NSU responded with an 11-play, 75-yard drive, capped by West's seven-yard touchdown run to put the Demons on the board and make the score 31-7 with 8:36 left in the third.
HBU came right back with Zappe hitting Ratzlaff up the left sideline for a 66-yard touchdown and a 38-7 lead. NSU completed a long touchdown pass of its own, with Eppler finding Davis for a 32-yard strike to cut the Huskies' lead to 38-14.
Garcia drilled a 51-yard field goal into a slight breeze to put HBU ahead, 41-14, with 1:15 remaining in the third. Early in the final period, Eppler again hooked up with Davis, this time from 26 yards out to cut the Huskies' lead to 41-21.
Beek rushed for 40 yards on a nine-play, 61-yard drive that ended with Zappe finding junior tight end
Coleman Robinson for a 2-yard touchdown for a 48-21 lead with 9:57 to go.
The Huskies return to action when they host Texas Southern in a non-conference, crosstown matchup Saturday, Sept. 28 at 6 p.m. at Husky Stadium.
