JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – McMurry University built up a 21-0 lead after one quarter versus NCAA Division II Lincoln University and never looked back, scoring a 34-14 road win. The War Hawks' (3-2) victory over the Blue Tigers (1-4) came despite facing some long odds.
 
In addition to playing up a division, McM had to journey 12-plus hours to play its first football game in the state of Missouri in 22 years and did so without the services of its top offensive threat, senior running back Paxton Grayer. Grayer has not played since injuring his shoulder in first half of last week's loss at Langston.
 
"I thought the offense played much better than we have the past couple of weeks," McM head coach Lance Hinson reflected. "We came out in the first half and moved the ball really well. The defense played an outstanding game. We gave up one long drive at the end of the game where they got nearly a hundred yards. Other than that, I was really pleased with both sides of the ball."
 
The McMurry defense gave their offensive counterparts some early help when cornerback Ryan Williams picked off LU quarterback Owen Jordan at the Blue Tigers' 23 yard line and returned the pilfered pass for a "pick six" touchdown at the 10:41 juncture of the opening period. Joey Silva's extra point kick made it 7-0.
 
It was Williams' team-leading fourth interception of the season.
 
"It was awesome," Hinson recounted. "Credit Ryan: he had a fantastic read; a fantastic play on it. But I'll tell you what, we knew that play was coming, so you've got to also give credit to Coach Rob (defensive coordinator Kendall Roberson) and the other defensive coaches. We had their number all day today."
 
After a two "three-and-outs" and a series that stalled on its own 44, the Grayer-less McMurry offense finally began to gel with a "running-back-by-committee" mentality.
 
With 7:29 left in the first period, a nifty 78-yard punt return by Decorian Johnson was nullified by an illegal block, placing the ball on McM's own 37. 12 plays later, Derrick Johnson powered into the end zone from four yards out to make it 14-0 with 3:02 left in the stanza.
 
LU penetrated deep in War Hawk territory with less than two minutes remaining in the period, only to have the drive stall at McMurry's 24. Dontrell Dock carried out to the 30 on McM's first play after taking over on downs. Then, War Hawk quarterback Matthew McHugh uncorked a deep aerial to Charles Agugua, who hauled in the pass and raced to the end zone for the 70-yard catch-and-run TD that put McMurry ahead, 21-0 after the PAT.
 
Another lengthy drive midway through the second quarter helped McM to extend its advantage to 28-0.  Dock's five-yard dive with 7:44 left until halftime capped a 15-play, 86-yard set that chewed up better than seven minutes off of the game clock.
 
The Blue Tigers finally got on the board after intercepting McM reserve signal-caller Xavier Alexander deep in McM's end. With a first-and-10 from the War Hawks' 13, LU needed just three plays to convert and make the score 28-7 with 3:12 left until the intermission.
 
Neither team was able to add to its score before the half.
 
McMurry's final tally of the afternoon also came via the air when McHugh targeted Emmanuel Mulumba on a 30-yard dart. The APT was blocked that made it 34-7 at 10:17 of the third quarter.
 
McMurry looked like it would add another score late in the game, driving all the way down to the LU 1-yard line before turning the ball over on downs with 5:34 left to play. An ensuing 12-play, 99-yard series by Lincoln made it the final 34-14 score.
 
Despite missing Grayer's 160-plus yard per game rushing average, a committee of seven War Hawk backs capably made up the difference by carrying 45 times for 198 yards. The group was led by the quartet of McHugh (51 yards), Derrick Johnson (46 yards), Orrin Peterman (42 yards) and Dock (37 yards).
 
McHugh finished off the passing attack by completing 18-of-29 passes for 237 yards and the two TD's. He was not sacked, but was intercepted twice.
 
McHugh's favorite targets during the day were Agugua and Mulumba, who had 89 and 78 yards, respectively, through the air. Derrick Johnson also caught two balls for 56 receiving yards.
 
Defensively, Chase Franklin had nine total tackles, with Williams registering eight (four solo). Linebacker Marlon Jackson added seven tackles, while J.R. Arroyo, Charles Smith III and Jamir Bowser each chipped in five stops.
 
The McMurry team out-gained the Blue Tigers in total offense by a comfortable margin of 472 yards to 332 yards. McM had 22 first downs to 16 for LU. McM also had better than 7:30 minutes more in time of possession, as well.
 
McMurry will renew its crosstown rivalry versus Hardin-Simmons University next Saturday at noon for then War Hawks' Homecoming game.