MARSHALL, Texas – For the second-consecutive season, the McMurry University football team won its season-opening game, this time dropping East Texas Baptist University, 49-22, on the road at Ornelas Stadium. A crowd of 2,467 saw the War Hawks (1-0) jump out to a 21-0 lead within the first 10 minutes of the game and never look back.
 
In his pre-season prognosis, McM's second-year head coach Lance Hinson called his senior running back Paxton Grayer "the best back in NCAA Division III."  Versus the Tigers, Grayer did nothing to change his coach's lofty praise, as he rushed for 157 yards and had another 100 receiving yards for 257 yards of total offense. In all, the War Hawks had 583 total yards.
 
Grayer also scored all three of his touchdowns to open the game. The former Abilene High School standout scored on a run of 2 yards, and then caught passes of 26 and 39-yards from McM quarterback Matthew McHugh to make it 21-0 by the 5:21 juncture of the first quarter.
 
Both of the McHugh-Grayer TD passes were set up by interceptions from Desmond Guy and Ryan Williams, respectively.
 
ETBU finally got off the deck and made it 21-7 early in the second quarter. However, on the ensuing drive McM embarked on an eight-play, 78-yard drive to answer the hosts. Dontrell Dock, making his debut as a War Hawks, capped the series with a three-yard run.  Joey Silva's extra point made it 28-7 with 11:23 remaining until the half.
 
The Tigers added another pair of scores late in the second quarter and all of a sudden things were at an uncomfortable 28-22 margin for McMurry. But Matthew McHugh was quick to silence the ETBU crowd.
 
Starting matters with just 1:02 left on the clock until intermission, McHugh deftly moved McMurry down the field, completing  a 9-yard strike to Grayer. A nifty 17-yard Grayer run moved the ball across midfield and was followed by an 18-yard pass from McHugh to Tyreace House.  With just eight seconds left until halftime, McHugh found Emmanuel Mulumba on a 27-yard touchdown strike that made it 35-22, as the teams went to the locker rooms.
 
As wild as the first half was in terms of offensive action, the second half appeared downright sedate by comparison. ETBU was held scoreless by the War Hawks' defense, while McHugh had TD aerials to Charles Agugua for 29 yards in the third quarter and a 36 yarder to twin brother David McHugh in the fourth, accounting for the 49-22 final score.
 
For the evening, Matthew McHugh had a McMurry career best 390 yards through the air. McHugh completed 26-of-38 passes, good for five TDs.  Her was not intercepted and was sacked twice.
 
In addition to Grayer, McHugh's other favorite targets were Agugua (4 catches/95 yards) and Mulumba (6 catches/73 yards).  House had five grabs for 49 yards and David McHugh two catches for 47 yards.
 
Defensively, Williams had a game-high 11 tackles (9 solo) and two interceptions.  Jordan Washingtonand J.R. Arroyo also pilfered a pass from ETBU, and Guys pick gave the War Hawks five interceptions, in all. 
 
Linebackers Chase Franklin and Marlon Jackson each had seven tackles, with Guy adding six stops.  Demonte Byrd and Ashton Hooks each had 1.0 sack to their credit.