HOUSTON — Athean Renfro delivered an impressive performance for Texas Southern, rushing for 129 yards and scoring two touchdowns, leading his team to a narrow 17-14 victory over Bethune-Cookman on Saturday. The match concluded dramatically when Cade Hechter failed to convert a 54-yard field-goal attempt with just four seconds remaining in the game.

Renfro made a critical contribution with a 5-yard touchdown run that leveled the score at 7-7 with 6:42 left in the third quarter. He then showcased his skills again with a 28-yard touchdown run, which secured a 17-7 advantage for Texas Southern with 9:01 to play in the fourth quarter.

Bethune-Cookman fought back with Cam’Ron Ransom connecting with Lorenzo Jenkins for a 6-yard touchdown pass, narrowing the score with 6:04 remaining in the game. Ransom also made a significant impact earlier with a 62-yard touchdown pass to Maleek Huggins in the first quarter.

In terms of statistics, Ransom completed 18 of his 28 pass attempts for a total of 197 yards, while Huggins made four receptions accumulating 97 yards. Meanwhile, Dennis Palmer led the rushing department for Bethune-Cookman, gaining 87 yards on 10 carries. Both teams showed resilience with each registering 21 first downs; however, Bethune-Cookman slightly outgained Texas Southern in total yards with 334 to 317.