ALPINE, Texas -- The Texas Lutheran Bulldogs scored 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter and pulled away from the Sul Ross State Lobos for a 44-27 non-conference road win in the season-opener Saturday for both teams.

Freshman receiver Jekovan Holmes (San Antonio/O'Connor) started his collegiate career with a three-touchdown game, and All-American running back Marquis Barrolle (Ingleside/Ingleside) rushed for 126 yards and a score.

Holmes and Barrolle each scored in the fourth quarter as TLU broke open a 27-27 ball game.

TLU moved to 1-0 overall with the non-conference win. Sul Ross State dropped to 0-1.

The Bulldogs held leads of 13-0 and 20-6 but could not put away the Lobos until the fourth quarter.

TLU, ranked 13th by the Sporting News and 21st by D3football.com, ran 80 plays and racked up 575 yards of total offense.

TLU intercepted four passes and recovered a fumble and overcame two lost fumbles and two interceptions of its own.

Senior quarterback Trenton White threw for 347 yards and four touchdowns. Holmes scored on TD passes of 14, five and 17. Barrolle ended the night's scoring with a three-yard TD run up the middle.

Barrolle carried the ball 18 times and averaged 7.0 yards per carry. He had a long run of 26. Barrolle led all of NCAA Division III in rushing a year ago, with 1,792 yards.

Freshman Justus Parker (La Vernia/La Vernia) intercepted two Sul Ross passes, and Jordan Sims (San Antonio/Somerset) and Matt McCullough (Georgetown/Georgetown) also picked off passes. Sims also recovered a fumble.

The Bulldogs return to Seguin to prepare for next Saturday's home opener against Hardin-Simmons. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. in TLU's Bulldog Stadium.