Unfortunately, this wouldn’t be the last time the Southeastern’s early season woes continued as they fell to Houston Christian University 34-19 on Saturday night. The Lions drop to 0-4 on the season and start Southland Conference play at the bottom of the standings. 

Quarterback Eli Sawyer did throw for a career-high 331 yards and two touchdowns in the loss. Tight end Jacob Logan had four receptions for a team-high 76 yards and a touchdown. 

Defensively, the Green and Gold gave up 539 total yards and allowed Huskies running back Darryle Evans to rush for a career-high 173 yards, including a 50-yard outburst in the fourth quarter to effectively put the game away. HCU quarterback Colby Suits threw three touchdown passes and had an 86-yard bomb to wideout Deuce McMillian for a score. 

“This loss is on me. Coach Harris prepared his team better than I did. We’re going to move forward from here, look at the film, get ready for practice and then get ready for next week’s home game,” Head Coach Frank Scelfo said. 

To start the game, HCU scored on their opening drive. Suits hit wide receiver Darrion Sherfield for a 24-yard touchdown on a third and five. SLU responded with a touchdown drive of their own. Sawyer scrambled for a 13-yard score; however, the extra-point attempt was blocked by defensive end Jalyx Hunt, so the score remained 7-6.

The Huskies extended their lead to 14-6 by the end of the first quarter. During the second, HCU added 10 more points to give them a 24-6 lead with 2:27 remaining in the half. Southeastern responded with a quick-tempo, two-minute 75-yard drive led by Sawyer. He hit wideout Jaylon Domingeaux for a 19-yard touchdown; SLU only trailed 24-13 entering halftime. 

On their second third-quarter possession, the Lions cut the lead to single digits with a touchdown catch from Logan to make the game 24-19 with 2:40 remaining. 

The Green and Gold had found paydirt. HCU added to their lead in the fourth quarter, leaving Lion fans speechless.

“It all boils down to getting the right people on the bus and ensuring everyone is in the right seats. If we’re not doing that, it falls back on the coaching. If we ask someone to do something and they’re not capable of doing it, it’s not the player’s fault; that’s the coach’s fault,” Scelfo said. 

The Lions will look to regroup for next Saturday’s game against Tarleton State at Strawberry Stadium. The Texans have started their season with a 3-1 record, averaging 33.5 points per contest.

To catch the live action, be sure to tune into ESPN+ at 3 p.m. For additional information and in-depth coverage, visit The Lion’s Roar.