ARKADELPHIA, Ark. -- Henderson State turned a close first-half score into a commanding 52-7 win at Carpenter-Haygood Stadium on Saturday. The game kicked off with a bang as Jody Easter returned the opening kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown, setting the tone early for the Reddies.
Quarterback Andrew Edwards followed up with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Jalan Hicks, giving Henderson State a quick 14-0 lead in the first quarter.
Oklahoma Baptist responded in the second quarter with a six-yard, up-the-middle touchdown run from
EJ Moore, capping a 13-play, 85-yard drive. However, the momentum quickly shifted back to the Reddies, who scored 17 unanswered points before halftime, including two long touchdown passes—one for 52 yards to Cayden Davis and another for 44 yards to Micah Greene. The Reddies went into the locker room up 31-7.
In the second half, Edwards continued his stellar performance, connecting on two more scoring passes, including a 28-yard strike to Timieone Jackson.
The Reddies' defense stifled the Bison offense, limiting them to just 198 total yards and forcing one interception. Henderson State's defense also registered two sacks and allowed just 85 passing yards to OBU.
Edwards finished the game with 242 passing yards and six touchdowns as the Reddies racked up 475 yards of offense.
Oklahoma Baptist struggled to find a rhythm offensively, with Moore's 61 rushing yards as one of their bright spots. Fellow tailback
Caden Peevey also had a good game, rushing for a career-high 55 yards.
Defensively,
Tyler Johnson had a standout performance with a career-high 13 tackles. Plus,
Haydn Thornton added eight stops while
Michael Grandy posted five tackles and a forced fumble.
With the win, Henderson State improved to 4-1, while Oklahoma Baptist fell to 1-4.
It's a short turnaround for the Bison who will host Southern Arkansas (4-1) on Oct. 10 at 6 p.m.
Â
