WAXAHACHIE, Texas – The Wayland Baptist Football team delivered an explosive fourth-quarter performance Saturday afternoon, scoring 35 unanswered points to overcome a double-digit deficit and defeat Nelson University 45-20 at Lumpkins Stadium. After struggling to find an offensive rhythm through the first three quarters, the Pioneers came alive in the final period to secure another impressive Sooner Athletic Conference victory.
With the win, Wayland improves to 7-2 overall and 6-1 in conference play, extending its winning streak to five games as the Pioneers prepare for their regular-season finale.
Wayland opened the scoring midway through the first quarter when Trent McLemore connected on a 19-yard field goal to give the Pioneers a 3-0 advantage. The lead grew early in the second quarter when Jaxson Percoats capped a 57-yard scoring drive with an eight-yard touchdown run, putting Wayland ahead 10-0.
Nelson responded late in the first half with a 39-yard touchdown pass from Isaiah Vasquez to Jermaine Jones, trimming Wayland's advantage to 10-6 heading into halftime.
The momentum shifted dramatically in the third quarter as Nelson struck quickly with a 34-yard touchdown pass to James Spivey just 27 seconds into the second half. Later in the quarter, Dalton L'Esperance intercepted a Wayland pass and returned it 15 yards for a touchdown, extending Nelson's lead to 20-10.
Despite trailing by 10 points entering the final quarter, the Pioneers refused to back down.
Wayland began its comeback just three seconds into the fourth quarter when quarterback Aidan Crawford punched in a one-yard touchdown run to finish a 10-play, 78-yard drive, cutting the deficit to 20-17.
The Pioneer defense immediately provided another opportunity when X'Zavion Williams forced a fumble that Brennen Davis recovered at the Nelson 26-yard line. On the very next offensive play, Crawford connected with Trey Warnsley for a 26-yard touchdown, putting Wayland back in front 24-20.
From that point forward, the Pioneers took complete control.
Caleb Harrison intercepted a Nelson pass to halt the Lions' ensuing possession, and Crawford capitalized with a 56-yard touchdown strike to Donte Hurt, extending Wayland's lead to 31-20.
The offensive surge continued when Crawford found Ethan Palmer for a 15-yard touchdown reception, pushing the advantage to 38-20 with just under seven minutes remaining.
Wayland's defense delivered another takeaway as Chamarion Bush intercepted a pass and gave the Pioneers possession in Nelson territory. Crawford wasted no time, connecting with Mark Mukiibi for a 46-yard touchdown on the first play of the drive to complete the 35-point fourth-quarter explosion.
The Pioneers finished the contest with 496 yards of total offense, including an impressive 402 passing yards and 94 rushing yards. Wayland recorded 21 first downs while averaging 7.5 yards per offensive play.
Crawford led the offensive attack with an outstanding performance, completing 18 of 31 passes for 391 yards and four touchdowns while adding a rushing touchdown.
Mukiibi led the receiving corps with four receptions for 119 yards and a touchdown, while Hurt hauled in three catches for 98 yards and a score. Palmer contributed 69 receiving yards and a touchdown on two receptions, and Warnsley added 35 yards and a touchdown.
On the ground, Percoats led Wayland with 47 rushing yards and a touchdown on 13 carries, while Mukiibi added a 31-yard run.
Defensively, the Pioneers made several critical plays to fuel their comeback, forcing three turnovers and holding Nelson scoreless throughout the fourth quarter.
Tyrone Morgan, Brennen Davis, and Chamarion Bush each recorded six total tackles, while Maddox Plazek added five. Kaleb Brooks made a significant impact in the backfield, finishing with four tackles, three tackles for loss, and two sacks.
Harrison and Bush each recorded an interception, while Williams forced a fumble that Davis recovered, giving Wayland several valuable opportunities to capitalize offensively.
Despite the impressive finish, the Pioneers faced adversity throughout the afternoon, committing 14 penalties for 113 yards. The two teams combined for 24 penalties, making it difficult for either offense to establish consistency during the early portions of the game.
Wayland Baptist Head Coach Marcos Hinojos praised his team's resilience and ability to respond when faced with adversity.
"All glory to God. Not the fast start that I was expecting, but what a finish," Hinojos said. "Maybe it was us or maybe it was them, but the number of flags that were thrown impacted our ability to stack good on good. We couldn't get any rhythm going. Hats off to Coach Hudgins and his team for putting up a great battle. Once we got rolling, we exploded. That's a testament to great coaches and great leaders that refused to give up. That's three homecoming games we've played in, and coming out 3-0 in that environment is impressive. A great testament to great coaches and great leaders."
Saturday's victory showcased the Pioneers' ability to overcome adversity and finish strong. After struggling offensively for much of the afternoon, Wayland responded with five fourth-quarter touchdowns and timely defensive takeaways to secure another important conference victory.
With just one game remaining in the regular season, the Pioneers will look to carry their momentum into their final home appearance of 2026.
UP NEXT
Wayland Baptist will return to Plainview on Saturday, November 14, to host Texas Wesleyan University at 2:00 p.m. at Greg Sherwood Memorial Bulldog Stadium.
The matchup will serve as the Pioneers' regular-season finale and final home game of the 2026 season, with Wayland celebrating Faith & Family Weekend. The Pioneers will look to close out the regular season on a high note in front of their home crowd.
