Box Score ABILENE – Almost everything went right for the Wayland Baptist football team during its first two games. That wasn't the case during game No. 3 here Saturday afternoon when the Pioneers suffered their first loss of the season to unbeaten Hardin-Simmons, 49-7.
"I know we're a better football team than that," Wayland coach
Butch Henderson said. "We didn't play well against a very good team."
The Cowboys (3-0), ranked 21st in NCAA Division III, put up 21 first-quarter points and held Wayland (2-1) out of the end zone until early in the fourth quarter when
Payson Bain hooked up with
Devonte Hayden on a 69-yard touchdown pass.
"We didn't make plays early to give us a chance to be in the game," Henderson said. "We let them get out on top of us."
The Pioneers were slowed by three turnovers – two fumbles and an interception – while coming up with only one takeaway: a pick by
Josh Paul – his second of the season – which he returned 52 yards to the Cowboy 30-yard line just before halftime. Unfortunately, the WBU offense couldn't turn it into points.
Wayland, which was sacked seven times, produced 270 yards of offense – 175 passing and 95 rushing – and 19 first downs, while HSU ended with 26 firsts and 600 yards of offense – 426 in the air and 174 on the ground.
"I feel like we're a lot better team than that. We just didn't' step out there and do it today," Henderson said. "Hopefully we can learn how to play in big ballgames like that."
After two straight road games, the Pioneers return home for their next three, starting with Sul Ross State at 1 p.m. Sept. 26. SRSU lost its season-opener to Texas Lutheran, 44-27, and was 0-1 going into Saturday night's game in San Antonio against Trinity University.
Henderson said the Pioneers will forget about Saturday's outcome against Hardin-Simmons.
"We told the kids that ballgame stayed at that field when we left there. We have to get back up and get ready to play Sul Ross."
