Waxahachie, Texas – The Nelson Lions geared up for a highly challenging matchup on Senior Night at Lumpkins Stadium, facing the No. 6 nationally ranked NCAA Division III Hardin-Simmons University Cowboys. Despite a hard-fought battle, the Lions were unable to overcome the nationally ranked opponent, falling 52-0.
The Lions struggled to find momentum offensively and defensively throughout the game, while Hardin-Simmons continued to apply pressure in every quarter. The Cowboys scored 10 points in the first quarter before adding 14 points in each of the remaining three quarters to secure the victory.
One of the biggest differences in the matchup came in the rushing game, where the Cowboys dominated on both sides of the ball. Hardin-Simmons totaled an impressive 387 rushing yards on the night, while Nelson struggled to establish its ground attack, finishing with just 23 rushing yards.
To add to the Lions' struggles, Nelson couldn't seem to catch a break in the quarterback room.
Elijah Bowman, who stepped into the starting role after
Judah Holtzclaw suffered an injury weeks earlier, was forced to leave the game following a targeting hit to the head. This opened the door for redshirt freshman
Isaiah Vazquez to enter the game in relief.
After spending his first collegiate season as a redshirt and entering the following year dealing with an injury while sitting third on the depth chart, Vazquez remained patient and ready for his opportunity.
When his name was finally called, he stepped onto the field in relief of Bowman and provided a bright spot for the Lions in an otherwise difficult matchup.
Other bright spots for Nelson came on the defensive side of the ball, where the Lions managed to force turnovers against the Hardin-Simmons offense. Defensive back
Trey Brown came away with another big-time interception, while defensive lineman
Tyre Gordon also got in on the action with an interception of his own.
Linebacker
Xavier Garcia and defensive lineman
Ryan Lynch brought plenty of intensity to the Nelson defense. Garcia led the charge with an impressive 10 total tackles, all of which were solo stops, while Lynch contributed five solo tackles and one assisted tackle.
The loss moves the Lions to 1-7 on the season with three games remaining.
Up Next
Nelson will look to bounce back as it prepares for its final home game of the season, taking on the Wayland Baptist Pioneers in its Homecoming matchup on Saturday at 2 p.m. 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.
