SAN MARCOS, Texas – HCU could not get its offense going, as it was shut out for the first time since its inaugural 2014 season in a 34-0 loss to FBS opponent Texas State Saturday night at Bobcat Stadium. Houston Christian University (HCU), formerly Houston Baptist University (HBU), underwent a name change earlier in the week.
 
Sophomore quarterback Justin Fomby completed 23-of-36 passes for 103 yards and an interception for the Huskies (1-2). Junior Karl Reynolds and sophomore RJ Smith each made four catches and junior Vernon Harrell had two for 26 yards. Smith was the leading rusher with nine carries for 24 yards.
 
Sophomore linebacker Rodney Dansby led HCU with 13 tackles, while senior linebacker Brennan Young made 11. Junior linebacker Jalyx Hunt had eight stops, including a sack, and junior cornerback Jordan Oliver had an interception. Senior punter Brady Buell had nine punts for a 45.4-yard average, including two of 50 yards or more and five inside the 20.
 
Layne Hatcher was 27-of-41 for 362 yards, four touchdowns and interception for the Bobcats (2-2). Marcell Barbee had six catches for 112 yards and a touchdown, Ashtyn Hawkins made six for 52 yards and a touchdown and Julian Ortega-Jones and Donnovan Moorer each caught touchdowns. Lincoln Pare rushed 19 times for 84 yards and Calvin Hill carried 17 times for 61.
 
Sione Tupou, Jarron Morris and Jordan Revels each had seven tackles for TXST.
 
TXST totaled 28 first downs to HCU's eight. The Bobcats had 479 yards of total offense, 362 in the air, while holding the Huskies to 142 total yads and only 39 on the ground. HCU was penalized eight times for 75 yards and TXST had six penalties for 45 yards.
 
The Bobcats took the opening kickoff and converted a fourth and short in its own territory. Following Hatcher's 34-yard completion to Hawkins, Hatcher was picked off by junior cornerback Jordan Oliver at the HCU 1-yard line. TXST got on the scoreboard first on its third possession, with Hatcher finding Ortega-Jones for a 19-yard touchdown with 2:22 remaining in the first quarter.
 
Pare's 13-yard run setup Hatcher's three-yard touchdown pass to Hawkins to give TXST a 14-0 lead less than a minute into the second quarter. Kordell Rogers picked off Fomby and set up the Bobcats at the HCU 33. After a penalty moved them back, Hatcher hit Barbee for a 38-yard touchdown to extend the Bobcats' lead to 21-0 with 8:55 to go in the half. TXST got a 27-yard field goal from Seth Keller as time expired to take a 24-0 lead into halftime.
 
Keller made a 33-yard field goal to cap a 12-play, 51-yard drive that took 5:02 off the clock to give the Bobcats a 27-0 lead with just over a minute remaining in the third quarter. Late the in the game, TXST picked up a third-and-long with a 41-yard completion from Hatcher to Javen Banks, setting up a 10-yard touchdown to Donnovan Moorer for the game's final score.
 
The shutout breaks a streak of 73-straight games without being held scoreless for HCU, with the last time coming in a 76-0 loss to Sam Houston State in the season finale on Nov. 15, 2014.
 
The Huskies return to action when they hit the road for the Southland Conference opener against Lamar Saturday, Oct. 1 in Beaumont, Texas.