ABILENE, Texas – McMurry University could not hold its halftime lead and a 21-point fourth quarter by visiting Louisiana College led to a 35-23 homecoming loss at Wilford Moore Stadium. The War Hawks fell to 2-5 overall and 2-4 in the American Southwest Conference, while the Wildcats upped their record to 3-3 and 3-2 in ASC play.
 
Things look like they were headed in the McM direction early, as the squad found the end zone on its first possession of the game. As a matter-of-fact, on the War Hawks first play from scrimmage, quarterback Kevin Hurley Jr. lined a perfect throw to wide receiver Eriel Dorsey. Dorsey never broke stride as he hauled in the aerial and zipped 62 yards before being dragged down at the LC 15.  Two plays later, Hurley darted a 12-yard pass to running back Doyle Hughes for the touchdown. The Tanner Wright extra point made it 7-0 at the 10:59 juncture of the first quarter.
 
In the waning minutes of the opening stanza, the Wildcats knotted the game at 7-7 after picking up a McMurry fumble by Spencer Knox, which was advanced to the War Hawks' 38.  Three plays later Louisiana College knotted the game.
 
Wright connected on a 41-sard field goal with 10:47 left in the second quarter, as McM broke the deadlock, 10-7. But a nine-play, 48-yard series put the Wildcats back in front with 2:09 left until intermission, 14-10.
 
On the ensuing drive, the War Hawks jumped back on top, bolstered by a 32-yard kickoff return by Tevion Harris. Hurley completed passes to four different receivers as he advanced toward the goal line, the last of which was a two-yard jump ball toss to 6-foot-5, 265-lb. junior tight end Brandon King sliding across the back of the end zone. The TD gave McMurry a 17-14 locker room lead.
 
A scoreless third period kept matters close, but the Wildcats tallied 14 unanswered points in the fourth to go ahead by two scores, 28-17. 
 
Dorsey and Hurley teamed up again with 2:29 remaining in regulation, this time cutting the LC cushion to 28-23 on a 23-yard catch-and-run. The two-point extra point attempt failed. The Wildcats took advantage of McM's pressing defense and added a final score with just over a minute left for the final 35-23 margin.
 
Hurley finished the afternoon by going 25-of-42 through the air for 349 yards and the three TDs. He was sacked four times and intercepted twice.
 
Dorsey had eight catches for 164 yards. It was Dorsey's fourth-consecutive game with 100-plus receiving yards. He also had 76 kickoff return yards and four on punt returns, for a game-high 244 all-purpose yards.
 
Louisiana College out-gained the War Hawks in total offense for the day, 410 to 374.
 
Linebackers Xavier Dunn and Josh Smith led the defense, with 11 and 10 tackles, respectively. Dunn also had a sack, as did Darius Brooks and Jalen Gomez.
 
Jared Fremin and Reagan Miller each chipped in eight stops.  Dakota Russell-David and Brooks had five tackles, each.
 
McMurry will have a bye next week, before returning to action on October 27 at NCAA Division III No. 2-ranked University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton, Texas.