ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – Henderson State ran for 265 yards as a team Thursday night, led by quarterback Landon Ledbetter's 140, and held Southwestern to zero offensive touchdowns as the Reddies picked up a season-opening win inside Carpenter-Haygood Stadium at GeoSurfaces Field, 30-13.
 
Henderson only had to throw just 17 passes on the night as HSU had three players register more than 10 carries. Senior wide receiver Xavier Malone caught the lone touchdown through the air, finishing with two catches for 56 yards. Ledbetter accounted for 319 total yards, throwing for 179 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
 
The Reddie defense was sensational on the night, sacking SWOSU quarterback Tylan Morton six times while holding the Bulldog offense to just 66 yards on the ground and 222 through the air. Dylan Ndambuki and Gary Lewis both registered two tackles for loss for 15 and 12 yards, respectively.
 
Southwestern's only touchdown on the evening came on a 65 yard punt return in the first quarter as the HSU defense held the Bulldogs to a pair of field goals on 11 and eight play drives late in the second and third quarter.
 
The Ledbetter era started off with a bang as HSU's first offensive play from scrimmage was a run-pass option that the redshirt sophomore play caller from Midlothian, Texas took around the right edge 41 yards down to the Bulldog 22 yard line. Three plays later, redshirt freshman Korien Burrell scored the first points of the 2022 season on a nine yard run up the gut.
 
Both offenses stalled a bit over the next three minutes before SWOSU's special teams put the Bulldogs ahead briefly with 8:48 remaining in the first quarter. From there, big plays fueled the Reddie offense, beginning with a 43-yard shot to Jalen Abraham, leading to a Tristan Heaton 30 yard field goal to put HSU back ahead, 9-7.
 
Both teams started out the second quarter going three and out before another big play helped HSU bolster its lead. After a roughing the kicker call extended the Reddies' drive early in the second, Ledbetter connected with Malone on a 47-yard go route that resulted in six, putting HSU ahead 16-7.
 
The Henderson defense put up its first big stop with three minutes remaining in the second quarter. After SWOSU drove the ball down to HSU's seven yard line, a timeout from the home sideline proved fruitful as the next three plays from the Bulldogs resulted in zero yards, leading to a 25 yard field goal that kept the Reddies ahead by a PAT-less touchdown, 16-10.
 
Both defenses held up in the early going of the third quarter as the advantage held firm at six until Southwestern threatened Henderson's lead after picking off Ledbetter at midfield with seven minutes remaining in the period. Once again, the Reddie defense held firm, allowing SWOSU to drive down to the 14 before a third down sack by Jordan Owens resulting in a four yard loss yielded another Bulldog field goal.
 
The very next drive, Ledbetter gashed the Bulldogs through the air and on the ground, accounting for 67 total yards on the next series, ending with a 15-yard quarterback keeper that found pay dirt to put HSU ahead 23-13. That was the last push Henderson needed to close things out as the Reddie defense held SWOSU scoreless the remainder of the game.
 
The first series of the fourth resulted in the final points of the game after a 43-yard pass to Chris Hatzis led to Burrell's second touchdown of the game and Henderson's biggest lead of the night, 30-13. A goal-line stand from the Reddie defense on the next series put the game on ice as HSU left with the season-opening victory.
 
Henderson (1-0) travels to Alva, Oklahoma, to take on Northwestern Oklahoma State Saturday, Sept. 10. Kickoff from Ranger Field is scheduled for 6 p.m.