Box Score

ABILENE, Texas – Defense, special teams and the rushing game fueled McMurry University's first win over Hardin-Simmons since 1963 Saturday as the War Hawks took a 24-14 win in front of a standing-room only crowd at Wilford Moore Stadium Saturday.

The War Hawks, known for their powerful Air Raid offense, used five turnovers forced by the defense, an average of 43 yards on kickoff returns, and 201 yards rushing to snap a 23-game losing skid to their conference rival Cowboys.

Chris Simpson scored on a 9-yard pass from Jake Mullin with 13:54 to play in the second quarter to break a 7-7 tie and McMurry never looked back on its way to a 6-2 overall record and a 5-1 league record in American Southwest Conference play.

Justin Johnson had 128 yards on 22 carries, Mullin carried for 59 yards on 14 carries and Simpson had 16. Johnson was the star, however, earning 5.8 yards per carry with several broken tackles along the way.

McMurry head coach Hal Mumme who becomes the first head coach since Grant Teaff to beat Hardin-Simmons said the running game was a must for Saturday.

“We had to do that, and that was the thing in the past couple of years we hadn't been able to do against them,” said Mumme. “I thought Justin Johnson and Chris Simpson stepped up big time.”

Johnson's first carry went for 14 yards, and the junior running back said that he could feel it would be a good day.

“After that first play, Coach Mumme, he saw that I felt good, and he kept feeding me and I did what I was taught to do and run behind that big offensive line,” Johnson said.

The defense got interceptions from Austin Cleere, D.J. Baiza and Corey Hall while Will Morris and Kerry Gamble forced fumbles that were recovered by McMurry.

“We feed off the defense, they feed off of us. They did what they've done all year; played hard got three-and-outs getting the ball back on fumbles and picks,” said Johnson. “Our defense kept us in the game.”

McMurry limited Hardin-Simmons to 305 yards of total offense with 129 on the ground and 176 through the air, and the War Hawks continued their dominance of ASC offenses this season.

“They've done that all year; I think our kids have fought hard on defense all year long, they're a special group of kids,” said Mumme. “Coach [Joe Lee] Dunn and his staff do such a good job of scheming, and they're a hard group to move the ball on.”

Gamble, who finished the game with four tackles, forced fumble and a recovery, represented the 23 seniors on the field that finally got the chance to beat their cross-town rivals.

“It feels amazing after four years of dedication and work, and ever since Coach Mumme came in it seems like it's been a complete change,” Gamble said. “After four years for us to do it as seniors the last time we'll probably ever play them it feels amazing, great not just for the football team but the school.”

McMurry is making the jump to the NCAA Division II from Division III beginning in 2012-13, which will likely end the cross-town rivalry in most sports, and indefinitely for football.

McMurry defeated Hardin-Simmons in 1963 before the Cowboys dropped football until 1990. Since then, the two teams had played every season including twice in 1995 without McMurry ever getting back on the winning side.

The annual game adorned the winner with the Wilford Moore Trophy to pass back and forth throughout the rivalry, however, it had never made it to McMurry's campus until Saturday's win, and likely, won't be making a return any time soon.

“We'll take it any way we can get it against these guys because we've never had it before,” said Mumme. “It's an honor to be here at McMurry, and I'm so happy for these fans more than anything else.”

Mullin finished 27 of 43 for 232 passing yards, a touchdown and two interceptions to go along with two rushing scores and a 59 yards rushing. Jaret Smith had two kickoff returns for 82 yards and Greg Livingston had a 47-yard kickoff return.

Livingston's big return from the endzone set up Mullin's touchdown pass to Simpson while Smith's 62-yard kickoff return set up the War Hawks' final score, a Mullin 1-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter with 13:36 to play.

HSU knotted the score with 2:30 remaining in the first quarter when Travis Tatsch scored on a reverse from seven yards out. Simpson's touchdown gave McMurry a seven-point lead before Jesse Garcia's 28-yard field goal made the score 17-7, which remained the score heading into the locker room.

After a scoreless third quarter, HSU's Steven Rockwell broke several tackles on his way to a 30-yard score with 14:50 to play in the fourth before Mullin's second touchdown rush just 1:14 later would be all the game's scoring.

Rockwell finished with 134 yards on 17 carries while Cowboy quarterback Zach Stewart was intercepted three times and passed for 176 yards on 14 of 29 passing.

Cleere had 10 tackles and one tackle for a loss to go along with his interception. Jimmy Terrell and Will Morris had six tackles apiece. Jonathan Wilder and Caleb Christian had 13 and 12 tackles respectively in the losing effort for Hardin-Simmons.

The Cowboys fell to 5-4 overall and 3-4 in league play headed into their bye week.

McMurry will take on nationally-ranked Louisiana College in Pineville, La. Saturday at 1 p.m. to look to improve its chances at an at-large bid for the NCAA Division III playoffs. The War Hawks' sixth win ensures the team back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since the 1999 and 2000 seasons.