From ECU Sports
Teri LaJeunese, Sports Information Director
ARKADELPHIA, ARK. – The East Central University football team fell in the opening game of the season, 28-42, to Ouachita Baptist at Cliff Harris Stadium in Great American Conference action.
The Tigers (0-1) were led by seniors David Moore and Jarod Haynes of the offensive side of the ball. Moore scored three touchdowns, had 154 receiving yards and 183 all-purpose yards, while Haynes went 3-for-3 in field goal attempts to score nine points.
On defense, junior Camnik Campbell and freshman Tysean Boykins led a well-balanced line with seven total tackles each.
Sophomore Jackson Lamb earned the start at quarterback for ECU, going 27-of-39 for the day for 321 yards and three TDs.
Both teams battled through the game, with Ouachita recording 396 total yards to ECU’s 398. The key difference came on kick returns, where Ouachita garnered 223 yards to just 108 by the Tigers.
Ouachita started the scoring right off the bat, taking the opening kick off back for a touchdown to take a 0-7 lead, with 14:46 left in the first quarter. Ouachita added a second TD in the first quarter to take a 0-14 lead, with 5:22 left to play.
It took until the second quarter for the Tigers to start their scoring, getting on the board with a 29-yard field goal by senior Jarod Haynes (11:50). ECU added a 37-yard touchdown pass between Lamb and Moore to cut the deficit to 10-14, with 5:44 left in the half.
Ouachita kept pushing the tempo and added a touchdown, with 1:20 left in the second quarter, to push the lead back to 10-21. However, Moore and Lamb connected again just 30 seconds later (0:49) for a 54-yard pass to make it a 16-21 score at the half.
ECU came out fighting in the second half and diminished the lead to two (19-21) on a 35-yard field goal by Haynes, with 9:52 left in the third quarter.
However, Ouachita pushed back about a minute later (8:41) and increased the lead to 19-28, with a touchdown.
Haynes added three more points for the Tigers, this time on a 32-yard field goal, with 2:30 left in the third for a 22-28 score.
The teams started the fourth quarter by trading TD’s, but a missed extra point by ECU left the score 28-35, with 10:10 left to play. Ouachita had scored first (13:50), before the Tigers got a third touchdown reception by Moore (10-yards) for the game.
Ouachita was able to put the final score on the board, getting a touchdown with 2:56 left to play for a final score of 28-42.
The Tigers will now get ready for the opening game of the season at Norris Field at Koi Ishto Stadium, Saturday, Sept. 10, when they host No. 9 Henderson State. The game will be a nationally televised game on the American Sports Network, with kick off set for 6 p