MARSHALL, Texas - The Belhaven Football team finished off their 2021 regular season with a strong 41-7 road win over East Texas Baptist helping the Blazers to a 7-3 record on the season and the best single-season win percentage in program history. 

Belhaven started fast like they have done all season and took the opening drive 79 yards in 10 plays to score first. Brad Foley punched it in from a couple of yards out and following a failed two-point conversion, BU led 6-0 early in the first quarter. 

The Blazers' defense came up with a quick three and out on the ensuing Tigers' possession giving the ball back to the BU offense who promptly added another score via a Brad Foley rushing touchdown. Early in the second quarter the Belhaven passing game got involved in the scoring when Mayowa Asagunla hit Nygil Owens in stride for a 42-yard touchdown to put BU up 20-0. 

On the next offensive play for ETBU, the Blazers got a big defensive play from Phazion Locke who picked off the Tigers deep in their own territory setting up Belhaven for another quick score. ETBU hit back quickly to make it 27-7 and the Blazers took a 20-point advantage into halftime.

The hosts started with the ball to open the second half and quickly marched inside the Belhaven five-yard line but the defense came up with another important turnover as Emmanuel Stanley recovered a fumble to half the Tigers' drive. 

Just before the midway point of the third quarter the Blazers added to their lead as Asagunla found Brad Foley in acres of space and the senior duo combined for a 49-yard touchdown. Belhaven forced their third turnover of the day when Connor Fordham grabbed his second interception of the year on the next ETBU drive.

Belhaven added their final score of the game at the start of the fourth quarter as Brad Foley's 46-yard carry inside the ETBU 10-yard line set himself up for his third rushing touchdown on the day and gave the Blazers a 41-7 win.

As an offense, the Blazers put up 537 total yards with 264 coming through the air and 273 coming through the rushing game. The Blazers averaged 6.63 yards per play and picked up 29 first downs on their way to one of the highest output games of the season. Quarterback Mayowa Asagunla finished the game 14-22 for 191 yards and two touchdowns while also picking up a rushing touchdown on the day. Nygil Owens finished with two receptions for 53 yards and a touchdown on the day.

Brad Foley finished the game with 193 yards on 26 attempts and three rushing touchdowns which is now tied for the most single game rushing touchdowns in Belhaven history. Foley's touchdowns also put him atop the record book for rushing touchdowns in a career with 25 and the Memphis native surpassed 1000 yards rushing in a single season for just the third time in BU history.Foley also added a pair of receptions for 56 yards and a receiving touchdown.

The Belhaven defense allowed just 258 yards of offense to the Tigers including just five yards of rushing on the day. The Blazers also allowed only 12 first downs to ETBU and forced three turnovers, a season high. 

Defensively, the Blazers were led by Connor Fordham who picked up seven tackles including a tackle for loss on the day which takes his season total to 14.0 on the year. Fordham also picked up one of the Blazers' two interceptions on the day. Carlton Brown finished the day with three tackles and 2.0 tackles for loss which puts him atop the Blazers' squad with 14.5 on the season and ties him for the 4th most in a single season. Phazion Locke came away with an interception on the day while Emmanuel Stanley also recovered an ETBU fumble. 

Belhaven's seven-win season is just the third seven-win campaign in program history and the first since 2008. The Blazers previously went 7-4 (.636) in 1999 and 7-4 (.636) in 2006 following a win being awarded via a vacated contest by Bethel University. 

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