Bailey sprinted, juked and bu.led his way to 151 rushing yards and engineered big drives when his team needed them most to help UMHB carve out a 23-7 victory over rival Hardin-Simmons and remain in the driver's seat in the American Southwest Conference.
The third-ranked Crusaders (4-0 overall, 3-0 ASC), who beat the Cowboys (1-4, 0-3) for the eighth straight time and won their 32nd consecutive conference game, were far from perfect but got a gritty performance from their defense and an explosive boost from Bailey.
"The coaches had told us that they would be the toughest team we played all season," said Bailey, who played the final 31 minutes. "I was a little nervous at first. But you have to get out there and get the nervousness out. This is college football. You can't play like a freshman anymore."
He looked like a rookie for just one play, his first of the game that resulted in an interception by L.C. Cisneroz. He quickly redeemed himself by orchestrating a seven-play, 43-yard drive in the final minute before halftime, putting Alan Munoz in range for a 51-yard field goal that gave the Crusaders a 13-0 lead.
"Right now, LiDarral's just moving the team," UMHB coach Pete Fredenburg said. "And (starter Kyle Noack) did good, but LiDarral did some really exceptional things."
Crusaders junior tailback Quincy Daniels proved that he's back to full strength after a knee injury that cost him almost all of last season, rushing for 145 hard-nosed yards and a third-quarter touchdown that pushed the gap to 20-0.
"Defenses have been scheming for our offense," Daniels said. "So I maybe haven't had the big yards the past few weeks, but I'm just happy with the wins. It doesn't matter if it's me making the play or our starting quarterback or our backup quarterback, we just want to get the job done."
With the Cowboys relegated to the use of second-string quarterback Taylor Byrd because of last month's injury to regular starter Justin Feaster, HSU broke its mold by trying to hammer out yards on the ground and shorten the game.
It worked for a while - UMHB had only four first-half possessions - but the Cowboys tallied just 105 yards on 42 attempts to go with Byrd's 7-of-20 passing performance for 130 yards and their lone score.
"We did that because we have a different quarterback," said HSU coach Jimmie Keeling, whose squad has lost four straight games. "We did what we thought we could do. We were trying to move the ball and score, not thinking about shortening the game. We're just struggling to throw the ball like we usually do."
The Crusaders' defensive front contained the Cowboys by getting penetration in the backfield, pressure on the quarterback and limiting the damage when HSU ball carriers found a crease.
"We knew what we had to do, and getting penetration in the backfield kills an offense," said sophomore defensive tackle Chris Brent. "We think of ourselves as a run-stopping defense. So when they wanted to try to run the ball, it was a challenge that we liked."
Another killer for the Cowboys was the Crusaders' ability to convert on third down, regardless of the distance needed. UMHB was successful on 11 of 16 third-down tries, successfully chewing up clock and keeping HSU's offense of the field.
"Third-down plays were big," Keeling said. "They did a great job on third down and that was huge."
Next up for UMHB are showdown games with Louisiana College in Belton next week and at Mississippi College the following Saturday, against two teams who entered the week tied for the ASC lead.
"It feels good to play Hardin-Simmons and be able to walk out of here with a win," Fredenburg said. "I think our team will get stronger from this."
NOTES: UMHB linebacker Javicz Jones had a game-high 13 tackles, and defensive end Brenson Bristow had a pair of sacks in his first game back from a three-game suspension. . . . The Cowboys haven't beaten the Crusaders since a 2004 regular-season meeting, and UMHB has won 10 of the last 11 games in the series, including three NCAA Division III playoff matchups.
edrennan@temple-telegram.com
