ABILENE, Texas – Meeting for the first time in football since 1950, McMurry University was ambushed by Southwestern University, 7-6, at Wilford Moore Stadium.  
 
The War Hawks (1-1) were held without any offensive score, despite out-gaining the Pirates (1-1) by 308-164 in total offense. McMurry's lone tally of the evening came on a 17-yard interception return by linebacker Jacob Ferguson at the end of the first quarter.  The extra point kicked was blocked, which would eventually come to haunt McM by game's end.
 
SU's lone score came after taking over on downs midway through the second quarter, after McM failed on a pass attempt out of punt formation. The Pirates took over on the McMurry 15 yard line and capped the drive in five plays on a three-yard aerial from Bryan Hicks to Kenneth Wynn Jr.  The PAT made it 7-6 with 3:18 left until the intermission.
 
Neither team was able to score in the second half.
 
Senior running back Paxton Grayer had a career-high 171 yards rushing on 22 attempts, an average of 7.8 yards per carry. Late in the first quarter, Grayer ripped off a 68 yard run before being pushed out at the Southwestern one yard line, pushing him beyond the 2,000-rushing yard plateau for his career (the ninth player to do so in McM history).
 
However, on the very next play, Grayer's number was called again on a first-and-goal play. But the ball squirted loose and the Pirates recovered to avoid the threat.
 
McM quarterback Matthew McHugh had, what was, a pedestrian day by his standards. McHugh completed 16-of-35 passes. He was intercepted once and sacked four times.
 
Matthew McHugh completed six of those passes to his twin brother David, for 87 yards. Grayer had six catches for 46 yards.  No other War Hawk caught more than one pass.
 
Defensively, in addition to Ferguson's interception, Decorian Johnson also made a nifty interception and return of 25 yards near midfield. However, the McM offense went three-and-out as the opportunity went by the wayside.
 
McM defensive back Ryan Williams had a team-high 11 tackles. Senior lineman Calvin Middlebrooks had nine tackles (6 solo) and linebacker Chase Franklin added seven tackles.