Box Score Box Score

ABILENE, Texas – In perhaps the strangest football experience for a McMurry University Homecoming, the War Hawks took an abbreviated 41-13 victory over Sul Ross State Saturday at Wilford Moore Stadium. The game was postponed five hours and 48 minutes from its original 2 p.m. kickoff, there was a 1 hour and 10-minute rain delay in the second quarter, and McMurry needed only 170 yards of offense to put 41 points on the board in the victory.

Needing to get the game in Saturday due to American Southwest Conference rules, both teams waited through several lightning delays and eventually were cleared for a window that allowed clear enough weather to get a full quarter in. The delay came early in the second quarter; when play resumed both coaches had agreed to a running clock for the remainder of the contest.

The War Hawks used a fumbled snap on a punt, a Sul Ross fumble and two blocked punts on the Lobos' first four possessions to build a 23-0 lead 11 minutes into the first quarter.

After starting drives from the Lobo 9, 24, 25 and 9 yard lines on the first four offensive possessions respectively, McMurry drove 80 yards in eight plays capped by Jake Mullin's touchdown pass to Justin Johnson from seven yards out to extend the lead to 29-0.

Sul Ross got on the board when a 51-yard punt from Norberto Contreras set up a War Hawks drive from their own 6-yard line. After three consecutive incomplete passes, McMurry dropped the punt attempt in the end zone and Trevor Priest recovered for the Lobos for six points with 4:02 remaining in the half.

Jeret Smith returned a kickoff 89 yards to begin the second half for McMurry to the Lobo 5-yard line setting up another Mullin touchdown pass to Johnson from two yards out three plays later.

The Lobos used a 67-yard pass from Scotty Walden to Thomas Sanders to set up Dominque Carson's 1-yard touchdown run with 8:20 left in the third quarter. On the ensuing kickoff, McMurry's Greg Livingston took back a kick 92 yards for a score for the final points of the contest.

After a three-and-out by the Sul Ross offense, McMurry completed one pass to start the fourth quarter before lightning struck again, and the game was called as complete.

McMurry improved to 4-2 overall and 3-1 in ASC competition while the Lobos fell to 1-4 overall and 0-4 in league play.

Mullin tossed four touchdown passes despite only 112 yards of offense on 12 of 21 passing. Johnson and R.J. Long caught two touchdowns apiece. Chris Simpson recorded a rushing touchdown for the War Hawks.

Defensively, Kyle Kelley led with five tackles and blocked one punt; Chris Williams blocked the other punt for McMrury. Jimmy Terrell had four tackles and two for a loss.

Sul Ross had 90 yards of total offense mostly by Carson who had 43 yards rushing a touchdown.

McMurry resumes play Saturday in Seguin facing Texas Lutheran.