Lions Football wins 35-13 against Austin College
Waxahachie, TX – September 19, 2011 – Southwestern Assemblies of God University (SAGU) Lions Football won 35-13 against Austin College this past Saturday, September 19, 2011.
Senior quarterback Jason Rice (Katy, TX) came up huge, completing 18 of 26 passes for 238 yards and a pair of first half touchdowns to Micah Burditt (Midland, TX). He connected on his first 13 throws and had 188 yards by halftime. Holding on to a 14-13 lead at the half, the Lions turned to their defense, ranked #16 in the nation. The unit scored its third and fourth TDs of the young season to clinch the game.
On a third down play from the Lions’ 30-yard-line, Austin’s pass to their wide receiver near the sideline fell incomplete and a few yards behind the line of scrimmage. SAGU freshman cornerback O’Shae Cofer (Waxahachie, TX) scooped up the ball and jetted 69 yards for a 21-13 lead. Officials determined the pass didn’t go forward, making it a lateral, and thus, a live ball.
Backup quarterback Reid Golson (Grandview, TX) engineered a nine-play, 73-yard scoring march that included two clutch passes to Nic Morphew (Grandview, TX) and two more to David Howard (Dayton, TX). Golson skirted off tackle from one yard out for a 15-point advantage with 12:57 remaining.
Stephen Stewart’s (Magnolia, TX) punt pinned the Kangaroos on their nine yard line. Outside linebacker Patrick Smith (Bluffton, SC) rushed the quarterback and made the hit of the game, planting him at the four. The collision forced a fumble, which freshman defensive end Therian Lewis (Corpus Christi, TX) returned four yards for the final points of the game with 7:46 to play.
Defensive Coordinator John Allen’s squad was led by tackle Jon Hulett (Corrigan, TX), and the quad-squad of linebackers; Donte Embry (Paris, TX) and Quentin “Tank” Holloman (Garland, TX) on the inside, and Rockie Davis (Santa Fe, TX) and Smith on the outside. Holloman and Embry had eight and seven tackles respectively. On a critical third down play during the first half, Holloman dove and batted down a would-be first down catch. Brad Heathcock (Frisco, TX) and Nate Kallal (Brighton, IL) stopped nine and six tackles. Embry, Smith and Lewis each delivered a quarterback sack.
Austin College, who had a 4-1 lead in the series versus SAGU, managed two advances of 65 and 59 yards on their final two drives against a substitution-rich defense. Still, SAGU outgained Austin College in total offense, 435-281.
Contact: Sports Information Director Mark “Link” Warde at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or at 469-658-2847.
Southwestern Assemblies of God University is a private, Christian university located 30 minutes south of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in Waxahachie, Texas. The University was established in 1927, and now offers more than 60 associate, bachelor’s or master’s degrees on campus or online. More information is available at www.sagu.edu or by calling 1-888-YES-SAGU.
