FORT WORTH, Texas — Texas Wesleyan University (2-2, 2-0 SAC) defeated Nelson University (1-3, 1-2 SAC) 41-16 on Saturday. Texas Wesleyan held Nelson (Texas) to minus-4 rushing yards and recorded six sacks.
Texas Wesleyan's special teams supplied the first quarter's biggest swing, as
Courtlyon Jackson returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown at 10:30 after Nelson (Texas) had opened the scoring with Cade Whitehead's 36-yard field goal;
Christian Munguia's PAT gave Texas Wesleyan a 7-3 lead. Earlier, Texas Wesleyan's opening possession started at its 7 after a penalty on the kickoff return and went three-and-out, but the defense held Nelson to the field goal after
Izack Villasenor and
Brodan Lewis stopped LaDarrius Evans for a loss and Jamayle Sampson broke up a third-down pass. After Jackson's return, Texas Wesleyan pushed Nelson backward with consecutive negative rushing plays and forced a punt, then drove from its 40 to the Nelson 16 behind
Ian Jernagin's runs of 13 and 11 yards before Michael Smith intercepted
Charlie Adamoli at the goal line. Nelson later moved across midfield on a 57-yard completion, but the possession ended without points after
Ryan Seymour broke up a pass, Villasenor hurried another incompletion and Whitehead missed a 49-yard field goal; Adamoli followed with completions to
Darren White and Jernagin as Texas Wesleyan finished the first quarter ahead 7-3.
Texas Wesleyan scored all 17 points in the second quarter, pairing two short-field touchdowns with repeated negative plays on defense. Earlier, after Nelson stopped Texas Wesleyan on fourth-and-1 at the Nelson 29, the defense forced a punt, and Adamoli later finished a 29-yard possession with a 7-yard touchdown pass to TJ Curtis. On Nelson's next series,
Brodan Lewis broke up a pass and
Jace Hill-Douglas added a 12-yard sack, giving Texas Wesleyan the ball back at the Nelson 22 before Jernagin scored two plays later on a 22-yard run to make it 21-3 with 5:05 left. Texas Wesleyan's defense kept Nelson backed up again with a Lewis sack and a
Micario Brackens tackle for loss, and
Landrew Ward's 14-yard punt return plus a Nelson penalty helped set up Munguia's 27-yard field goal.
Billy Sanford added a 15-yard sack on Nelson's final possession, and Texas Wesleyan went to halftime ahead 24-3.
Texas Wesleyan answered a Nelson (Texas) 85-yard touchdown pass with a 13-play, 75-yard drive that ended on
Maurice Griffin's 2-yard touchdown run, and Munguia's extra point made it 31-9 with 5:22 left in the third quarter. Earlier, the defense stopped Nelson (Texas)'s opening drive on fourth down when Easton Shultz and Seymour combined on a sack at the Texas Wesleyan 43. On the scoring drive, Jernagin converted a third-and-20 with a 31-yard run, Adamoli hit
Sean Smith for 13 yards on another third down, and Adamoli later found Makhi Whitney for gains of 20 and 16 yards to move inside the 5. Texas Wesleyan's defense produced another stop late in the quarter when
Evenn Head forced a fumble and Sampson recovered at midfield, and the offense followed with a 39-yard Adamoli completion to TJ Curtis before a penalty pushed the ball back to the Nelson 25. The third quarter closed with Texas Wesleyan ahead 31-9.
Texas Wesleyan added 10 fourth-quarter points and closed out a 41-16 win over Nelson (Texas). Munguia opened the quarter's scoring with a 47-yard field goal at 13:47, and the defense followed with a quick stop highlighted by Seymour's sack. Adamoli then moved Texas Wesleyan 51 yards, hitting Whitney for gains of 18 and 16 yards before Jernagin finished the drive with a 9-yard touchdown run and Munguia's extra point made it 41-9. Nelson (Texas) answered with an 89-yard touchdown drive, but Texas Wesleyan later stopped another possession when
John Rector and Sampson broke up passes before Villasenor's fourth-down sack.
Adarius Williams carried six straight times for 32 yards on the final drive, helping Texas Wesleyan run out the clock at the Nelson 27.
Jernagin rushed 13 times for 118 yards and two touchdowns and added three catches for 14 yards. Adamoli completed 15 of 27 passes for 180 yards and one touchdown. Whitney caught four passes for 70 yards. Munguia made both field-goal attempts, including a 47-yarder, and converted all five PAT kicks.
Jermaine Jones caught six passes for 157 yards and a touchdown. Judah Holtzclaw completed 20 of 38 passes for 275 yards and two touchdowns. Landry Leggett recorded a team-high eight tackles. Michael Smith had an interception and added three tackles.
The Rams hit the road next week as they take on Arkansas Baptist on Saturday, October 3 at 2pm in Little Rock, AR.
