By RICHARD THIBERVILLE JR., Louisiana Christian Sports Information Director

ABILENE, Texas – The Louisiana Christian University football team got two touchdown throws from quarterback Bryce Perkins, but a series of quick strikes in the second and fourth quarters proved to be LCU’s undoing in a 52-17 loss to the Hardin-Simmons Cowboys Saturday afternoon at Shelton Stadium.

The Wildcats’ (2-2, 2-0 SAC) two-game win streak ended with the loss to Hardin-Simmons (3-0, 0-0 ASC), the No. 8-ranked team in the most recent D3Football.com Top 25 poll.

LCU struck first, capping a 16-play, 76-yard drive which ate up 6:08 off the first quarter clock and got down to the Hardin-Simmons two-yard line before stalling and settling for a Levi Hilborn 21-yard field goal.

But momentum quickly swung against the Wildcats after a Cowboy punt was downed at the 1-yard line. With LCU unable to get away from its own goal line, a fourth-down punt resulted in a safety.

After receiving the free kick, it took HSU just four plays to take the lead on  30-yard touchdown strike and a converted two-point attempt made it 10-3. In the second quarter the Cowboys struck on an 18-yard scoring gallop and extended the lead to 17-3.

On LCU’s ensuing possession, the Wildcats decided to gamble on fourth and four from their own 27, but the ball was mishandled, giving the Cowboys the ball at the Wildcat seven. HSU quickly capitalized on the short field, scoring on the first play.

The Wildcats answered when as Perkins found Omarius Davis from 30 yards out for the score, pulling LCU back within 24-10 at the end of a six-play, 63-yard drive which lasted just 2:13.

Hardin-Simmons connected on a 53-yard scoring pass with just over a minute before the break to extend its lead back out to 21 points at 31-10.

LCU came out of intermission looking stronger than it did going in and got the only score of the third quarter. Perkins capped a 17-play, 90-yard drive by again finding Davis on a 3-yard scoring pass to close within 31-17 with 4:30 left in the period after the 6:18-long scoring march.

The Wildcats brought momentum and possession of the ball deep in Cowboy territory into the fourth quarter as LCU looked to make it a one-score game. LCU got as close as the HSU six-yard line but HSU blocked a field goal, a maintaining the 14-point lead.

From there on, Hardin-Simmons scored three touchdowns in the fourth to pull away for the eventual 52-17 final score.

Perkins ended the day 22-of-41 with 216 passing yards and two touchdowns. He also ran six times for 36 more yards. His favorite target was Davis, who caught eight passes for 120 yards and two scores.

Datlan Cunningham led the LCU ground attack with 84 yards on 27 carries. The Wildcats rushed for 142 total yards.

The Wildcats remain on the road, returning to Sooner Athletic Conference play, heading to Oklahoma Panhandle State.