ABILENE, Texas -- Ninth-ranked Hardin-Simmons jumped out to a 28-0 halftime lead and cruised to a 58-14 conference win over Texas Lutheran, Saturday at HSU's Shelton Stadium.

In a match-up of the two second-place teams in the American Southwest Conference, HSU turned a 7-0 lead at the end of the first quarter into a four-touchdown advantage at the half. The Cowboys scored the 21 second-quarter points in the final 5:02 of the half.

HSU improved to 6-1 overall and to 5-1 in the ASC. The Cowboys remained alive for an NCAA Division III at-large playoff berth.

TLU fell to 5-2 overall and to 4-2  in the ASC.

In that 21-point burst for HSU at the end of the first half, HSU quarterback Ty Hooper tossed a 33-yard touchdown to Hayden Day and hit freshman Rae Millsap on a pair of scoring strikes that covered 63 and 34 yards. 

The last two Millsap scores came at the 1:15 and 14-second marks of the second quarter.

Millsap made four receptions for 129 yards in the first half. Hooper was 13-for-19 for 214 yards and three scores.

TLU managed just 115 yards of total offense in the first half. The Bulldogs allowed 305 yards of total offense over the first 30 minutes.

HSU continued its dominance in the second half. The Cowboys scored on their first play from scrimmage in the third quarter as running back Bryson Hammonds rumbled 77 yards for a score.

In the fourth, HSU picked up touchdowns on a Kevi Evans 86-yard pass reception, an Evans 89-yard kickoff return and a Zai Zai Smith two-yard rush.

The Bulldogs got on the scoreboard in the fourth quarter with a Kedrick Ward 36-yard interception return and a Jarvis Brooks five-yard run.

TLU was held to 38 rushing yards on 35 carries and to 313 yards of total offense.

HSU racked up 557 yards of total offense. Hammonds carried the ball 14 times for 176 yards, and Hooper completed 20-of-30 for 343. Hooper registered four touchdown passes and did not throw an interception.

TLU's Charles Robinson caught eight passes for 115 yards, and Kyle Grona threw for 213 yards on 20-of-35 passing.

The Cowboys held TLU to 5-of-17 on third down and to 1-of-4 on fourth down.

TLU committed nine penalties for 109 yards.

The Bulldogs return to Bulldog Stadium next Saturday for a 1 p.m. conference contest against Howard Payne.