September 20, 2025
Little Rock, AR – The Nelson University Lions lit up the scoreboard on Saturday night, notching their first victory of the 2025 campaign in a wild 59–40 shootout over Arkansas Baptist College at Quigley Stadium.
From the opening snap to the final whistle, it was a night of fireworks. Nelson scored in every quarter, piling up 561 total yards of offense and riding a dominant ground game that churned out 391 rushing yards.
The Lions set the tone early with a safety from Ronnie Murphy, sparking momentum. Quarterback Judah Holtzclaw quickly followed with a 30-yard touchdown strike to Zach Fuller for a 9–0 lead.
But Arkansas Baptist answered with explosive passing plays, including touchdown bombs of 59 and 73 yards from quarterback Tyler Strickland. Nelson countered just as dramatically, BJ Clark hauled in a 69-yard touchdown grab, and running back Quinton Jones delivered a jaw-dropping 96-yard sprint to the house, the Lions' longest play of the night and in program history.
Despite the fireworks, Nelson trailed 34–22 at halftime, needing a spark.
Out of the locker room, Nelson's offense and defense flipped the script. Cade Whitehead drilled a 35-yard field goal, and Holtzclaw powered in on back-to-back runs, including a bulldozing 33-yard score, to swing the Lions in front 38–34.
The offensive line paved the way for Marvin Sanders, who punched in a crucial fourth-quarter touchdown to extend the margin. Fuller added another clutch 37-yard reception to set up Holtzclaw's third rushing score of the game.
The exclamation point came from a former quarterback turned defensive spark. Micah Smith, now patrolling the secondary, jumped a route and raced 54 yards for a pick-six, sealing the Lions' victory. Smith's moment electrified the sideline and punctuated a defensive effort that forced two interceptions and four sacks.
Other defensive standouts included Dalton L'Esperance (7 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 sack), Jackson Spence (4 tackles, sack, fumble recovery), and Amin White, who had a crucial interception and special-teams return yardage.
Offensive Standouts
Looking Ahead
With the win, Nelson improves to 1–2 overall and 1–1 in SAC play. The Lions now return home to Waxahachie for a much-anticipated rivalry clash against Texas Wesleyan University on Saturday, Sept. 27, at 2:00 PM at Lumpkins Stadium.
Nelson University (formerly SAGU) is a private Christian university, established in 1927 by P.C. Nelson. The University is located 30 minutes south of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in Waxahachie, Texas, and offers more than 70 associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees on campus or online. For more information, visit www.nelson.edu or by calling 1-888-YES-NELSON.
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