SEGUIN, Texas -- Texas Lutheran improved to 3-0 in SCAC play with a historic homecoming performance, picking up a 55-7 win over Austin College at Bulldog Stadium Saturday evening.
After a fumble on the opening drive, the Bulldogs went six straight drives scoring a touchdown in the first half for a total of 41 points and 414 yards of total offense - that is the most points TLU has scored in the first half since scoring 49 points in the first half against Louisiana College in 2019, which coincidentally was on that year's Homecoming Weekend.
Wade Freeman was 13-for-13 with three touchdowns in the first half of that game, and
Reece Deitrick (Austin/Canyon) nearly matched him after throwing for two touchdowns in the first half against Austin College to go along with 221 yards on 11-of-14 passing.
Running back
Tory Brooks (Hillsboro/Hillsboro) was just as impressive on the ground, earning a career-high 127 yards and two touchdowns before the break on 17 attempts.
It was a team effort from the Bulldogs offense with 11 players earning a carry and nine different receivers getting a reception on Saturday. Four individual rushers found the end zone, including the first career touchdowns for
Reggie Hodge (San Antonio/Roosevelt) and
Elijah Favela (Converse/Judson).
Caleb Camarillo (Gonzales/Southside) finished with four catches for 93 yards and two touchdowns all in the first half, his SCAC leading sixth and seventh touchdowns of the season. After Saturday's performance, Camarillo passed Mike Walters and Rollie Casas to move into eighth all-time in the program's NCAA Division-III history with 1,478 career yards receiving.
The TLU defense had a strong showing, forcing the 'Roos to punt nine times. Austin College's seven points are the lowest number allowed by the Bulldogs this season as well as holding a team under 150 yards of total offense. On Saturday, Texas Lutheran set a new program record by holding Austin College to just seven passing yards on Saturday - breaking the previous record of 19 yards against Austin College in 2006.
Justin Navarro (Edinburg/Robert Vela),
Troy Tomaselli (Castroville/Cornerstone Christian),
Marvin Farris (Rosenberg/Lamar Consolidated), and
Anthony Ortegon (Deer Park/Deer Park) led the Bulldogs with four tackles each.
After a fumble on the opening three-play drive, the Bulldogs came out firing, needing just four plays to score on the second drive, capped off by a 60-yard passing touchdown from Deitrick to Camarillo. Austin College responded on the following possession to even the score at seven. That would be the last 'Roos points before the Bulldogs went on a 34-point run to finish the first half. A pair of rushing touchdowns from both
Tory Brooks and
Kibreante Williams (Victoria/Victoria West) and a second receiving touchdown from Camarillo closed out the scoring in the first half.
The Bulldogs offense stalled in the third quarter as they cycled in new players. The first and only Texas Lutheran punt came with 12:56 remaining in the third quarter with most starters already pulled from the game.
Micah Casson (Killeen/Copperas Cove) and
Elijah Favela both got opportunities to run the Bulldogs offense in the second half with Favela attempting and completing the first pass of his career before scoring his first career touchdown with 7:25 remaining in the game.
At halftime of Saturday's game, the Bulldogs recognized the newest members of the TLU Athletics Hall of Fame: former TLU Baseball head coach
Greg Burnett, former TLU Softball player Ashley Jacobsen '15, and former TLU football twin quarterback/wide receiver duo Brett and Cameron Peavy '14 in a halftime ceremony. Texas Lutheran also recognized the 1975 NAIA National Championship team and the 1975 AIAW Volleyball National Championship teams for their 50th anniversaries.
The Bulldogs will be on the road for the remainder of the season starting next Saturday as they travel to Abilene to face off against the McMurry War Hawks in a battle for first place in the SCAC. The game is scheduled to kick off at 1 PM. The game will be broadcast on FloCollege. All streaming and live stats links will be available on tlubulldogs.com.
For more information on Texas Lutheran football, follow the Bulldogs on X (Twitter) and Instagram (@TLU_Football) and as always you can find updates on all Texas Lutheran athletics on tlubulldogs.com and all official TLU social media channels (@tluathletics on X (Twitter,) @tlu_athletics on Instagram, and @tlubulldogs on Facebook).
