ABILENE, Texas -- Hardin-Simmons handed Texas Lutheran a 73-44 defeat Saturday to end the Bulldogs' eight-game win streak and stop the team's dreams of an undefeated regular season.

HSU (4-5) kept TLU (7-1) winless all-time at Shelton Stadium and moved the Cowboys' lead in the all-time series to 15-1. TLU had won eight games in a row overall after last season's double-overtime loss to HSU in Seguin.

This loss severely hurts TLU's chances for an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III playoffs. The Bulldogs were ranked third in the NCAA's first release of the Division III South Region rankings.

TLU, the champion of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference, does not have an automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs because the SCAC does not have the required seven football-playing schools. TLU, in its first season in the SCAC, plays in the league with Southwestern, Trinity and Austin College.

TLU and HSU played together in the American Southwest Conference from 1998 to 2012. Saturday's meeting was the first non-conference game between the two schools.

Against the Cowboys on Saturday, the Bulldogs allowed 584 yards of total offense (297 on the ground), turned the ball over three times and surrendered two safeties on a pair of bad punt snaps.

Despite trailing 32-9 in the first half, TLU cut the HSU lead to 42-37 at the 4:48 mark of the third quarter. TLU safety Ty Johnson (Orange/Orangefield) brought TLU within five points with a 37-yard interception return for a touchdown.

HSU (4-5) responded with four touchdowns and a field goal on its next five possessions. The Cowboys scored 31 points and held TLU to seven in the fourth quarter.

HSU running back Tevin Mitchell rushed for 197 yards on 30 carries and scored four touchdowns. He averaged 6.6 yards per carry. Mitchell scored on runs of 5, 50, 27 and 6.

The Cowboys as a whole rushed 53 times and averaged 5.6 yards per carry. HSU controlled the time of possession, holding the ball for 34:18 and limiting the TLU offense to 25:42 on the field.

TLU senior Dominique Hardaway (Lockhart/Lockhart) rushed 12 times for 130 yards and scored two touchdowns. Hardaway rumbled 75 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter. He added a 1-yard run, also in the second quarter.

The Bulldogs also had a 100-yard rusher in A.J. Saucedo (San Antonio/Central Catholic). The sophomore rushed 15 times for 108.

Cameron Peavy (Houston/St. Pius) scored on a 62-yard pass from his twin brother Brent. Cameron caught seven passes for 128 yards. Brent thew for 250 yards and a touchdown on 18-of-30 passing. He tossed one interception.

Brent Peavy was sacked eight times. Ryne Lewis led HSU with 2.5 sacks and seven total tackles. Korey Zavala and JW Barnes each posted a pair of sacks.

Drake Dowling (Katy/Katy) led TLU with 11 total tackles. He had one tackle for loss.

TLU's Tyler Brandenburg (Spring/Concordia Lutheran) made three field goals in a game for a second straight week. The junior made a career-long 40-yarder and also connected from 25 and 30 yards.

The Bulldogs conclude the 2013 regular season with a 1 p.m. home game Saturday against Howard Payne. The Bulldogs will honor their seniors during a pre-game ceremony on the field.

TLU will have live video and live stats on tlubulldogs.com for next week's game at Matador Stadium. Seguin radio station KWED 1580 AM will have the radio call and an audio-only webcast on seguintoday.com.

Next Saturday's game in Matador Stadium will be the Bulldogs' final game at the Seguin ISD facility. TLU will open its new on-campus football and track and field stadium for the 2014 season.