ABILENE, Texas – Trusting the process has not been easy for the McMurry University Football program – both on the field and through the pandemic – but Saturday brought one of the most memorable wins in program history as the War Hawks defeated Sul Ross State 17-14 at Wilford Moore Stadium.
The home win accomplished many firsts, including the first 1-0 start for the program since 2015. Today also marked McMurry's first victory since Oct. 6, 2018 against Belhaven.
Furthermore, the win was the first for head coach Jordan Neal, who took over the program in 2019.
"It feels really, really good, no question," Neal told Abilene Reporter News after the game. "I'm so grateful for our players. They continued to fight. We're nowhere close to being where we want to be. We knew it was going to be a pretty sloppy ball game because it's been so long, but I'm proud of our players, the coaches have worked their tails off and no matter how we could get it, we were excited to win. We want to get used to this feeling."
That winning feeling did not come easy, as Sul Ross State (0-1) struck first with a touchdown on its first possession. An eight-play, 67-yard drive capped off by a touchdown pass from Clayton Maxwell to Corey Driver gave the Lobos an early first quarter advantage.
McMurry answered the call on its next possession, driving 64 yards on 10 plays to score a touchdown of its own with 4:27 remaining in the opening frame. Sophomore running back Dee Robinson score McMurry's first touchdown of the year, punching one in from two yards out. The point after attempt was blocked, leaving the War Hawks down 7-6.
For the rest of the half, the McMurry defense took the spotlight, atoning for its opening-drive touchdown with stops on the next five possessions. The defense forced three Sul Ross punts and a turnover on downs in that span.
Meanwhile on offense, McMurry regained the lead before heading to the locker rooms with a 20-yard field goal from sophomore Jared Mendoza. His field goal ended a six-play, 32-yard drive with just 17 seconds remaining in the half.
Sul Ross would score its only other touchdown with 7:10 to go in the third quarter, as Maxwell found Brian Mattison on an 18-yard touchdown pass to regain the lead at 14-9.
That touchdown would be the only other score the War Hawks allowed, as the defense made three momentum-swinging fourth down stops in the second half. For the game, McMurry allowed just 239 yards and held SRSU to 2-15 on third down conversions.
"Atonement" continued to be the story in this game, as Robinson overcame two uncharacteristic fumbles to score the game-winning touchdown with 11:09 to play. The sophomore from Rice, Texas plunged through for a three-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, capping off a gritty, 13-play drive.
Ahead 15-14, Coach Neal elected to attempt a two-point conversion. Sophomore quarterback Carlos Garibay launched one up for freshman receiver Kristopher Martin, who caught a jump ball and came down with one foot in the corner of the end zone to make it a 17-14 game.
After that touchdown, the McMurry defense made a pair of fourth down stops to keep the Lobos at bay. The first one came on an incomplete pass on 4th and 13 at the 5:30 mark. A tackle for loss by Josh Smith on second down put pressure on the Sully offense in that sequence.
The second fourth-down stop came with 3:39 to go, as freshman Perry Wells broke up a pass to Mattison to regain possession. Two plays prior, McMurry earned its first sack of the season as freshman Colton Strickland and sophomore Xavier Gayle blew up a pass play with a nine-yard stop on 2nd and 6.
With 38 seconds to go following a punt, the War Hawks needed one last stop to keep its 17-14 lead. Sul Ross ran eight plays in that span, managing to drive near midfield to set up a Hail Mary. Strickland came up huge for the defense once again on the final play, hurrying the final pass to force an incompletion as time expired.
As a team, McMurry ended up with 318 yards. Sophomore quarterback Carlos Garibay completed 16-of-30 passes for 214 yards, averaging a shade over seven yards per completion. Meanwhile, Robinson finished with 24 carries for 67 yards and two scores, while junior Kameron Session added eight carries for 33 yards.
Eight different War Hawks caught passes in the contest, led by Martin with five receptions for an even 100 yards in his collegiate debut. Sophomore Jermond Lovely also caught five passes for 51 yards.
On defense, veteran linebacker Micheas Garibaldi anchored the defense with eight tackles and one for loss, while the rookie Strickland made his presence known with eight tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and two QB hurries. Josh Smith and Xavier Gayle each recorded seven tackles.
Another impact performer on the defense was freshman safety Coryell Fillmore, who earned his first career start, recorded three tackles, forced one fumble and had a pass breakup. Perry Wells added two tackles and two breakups.
Not only did the War Hawks show strong third-down defense, but also stepped up on fourth down, holding the Lobos on five of its eight fourth down conversion attempts.
McMurry will look to carry its momentum over into next Saturday, as they take on Texas Lutheran (1-0) on Feb. 13 at 1 p.m. in Seguin, Texas. Next week's road contest will mark the first of two back-to-back divisional road games.
VIDEO: Coach Neal doused with his first Gatorade shower as a head coach
