MARSHALL, Texas -- The Texas Lutheran Bulldogs gave Head Coach
Danny Padron his 100th career victory with a wild 55-27 road win Saturday evening over East Texas Baptist.
The win was Padron's 35th as the head football coach at TLU. He won 65 games as the head coach at O'Connor High School in San Antonio.
TLU took a 41-14 lead over the Tigers with seven seconds to play in the third quarter and appeared ready to seal the victory with another drive deep into ETBU territory. But the Tigers returned an interception 96 yards for a score and added another touchdown five minutes later to cut the TLU lead to 14 with 5:53 still to play in the game.
With the lead dwindling and facing a 3rd-and-15 from the TLU 40, the Bulldogs produced a 60-yard touchdown connection from senior quarterback
Trenton White to freshman receiver
Jekovan Holmes that gave TLU a 48-27 lead with 4:11 to play.
TLU improved to 5-1 overall with the non-conference victory, the Bulldogs' fourth consecutive win.
ETBU had its three-game win streak snapped. The Tigers dropped to 3-2.
TLU won for the sixth straight time against ETBU. Padron is 6-0 against the Tigers.
The Bulldogs ran 91 offensive plays, gained 649 yards on offense and possessed the ball for 40 minutes, 42 seconds. TLU overcame 16 penalties for 212 yards.
TLU converted 12 of 18 third-down conversions and scored on four of five red-zone chances.
White completed 31 of 39 passes for 367 yards and three scores. He also scored on a 62-yard run down the right sideline to give TLU the quick 7-0 lead. He then added a 16-yard TD run in the third quarter.
Holmes moved his 2015 touchdown total to 11 with a pair of scores. In addition to the 60-yarder in the fourth, he scored on a 22-yard strike from White in the third quarter.
White also hit Caleb Oliver for a 35-yard score in the second quarter.
A.J. Saucedo threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Al Pollard-Baylor on a half-back pass late in the third quarter. That play gave TLU the 41-14 lead.
Chadd Brown converted on field goals of 30 and 29 yards for the Bulldogs.
TLU has next Saturday off with the bye week. The Bulldogs face nationally-ranked University of Mary Hardin-Baylor at 1 p.m. on Oct. 24. The Cru and Bulldogs meet at UMHB's Crusader Stadium.,
