ARKADELPHIA, Ark. - After a bit of a slow start to open the 2023 season for the Henderson State football team, the Reddies picked up traction to the tune of 31 unanswered points as HSU moved to 1-0 with a 41-13 victory over the East Central Tigers Thursday night.

Andrew Edwards and Chris Hatzis connected five times for 79 yards and two touchdowns, including a 54 catch-and-run up the sideline to extend the lead to 34-13 before the end of the third quarter. The reigning GAC Freshman of the Year ended his night with 276 yards and four touchdowns on 17-of-25 passing.

Newcomer Timieone Jackson from Mesa College paced the receivers, catching seven passes for 84 yards while Korien Burrell led the Reddie backfield with 60 yards. As a whole, Henderson posted 155 rushing yards and 276 passing yards.

Trenton Moore on the defensive line picked up one and a half of HSU's three and a half sacks on the evening while linebacker Jakob Neel recorded half a sack and one and a half tackles for loss. To help slam the door on the opener, Paul Manning picked up a Keegan Stinespring-forced fumble and returned it 40 yards to the house late in the fourth to complete HSU's 28-point victory.

Play started with a turnover on downs courtesy of a botched snap on a field-goal deep in ECU's territory from the Reddies before the Tigers used a 37-yard strike to take the early lead, 7-0. A successful field goal on Henderson's next drive put the red-and-gray on the board before forcing the first Tiger punt to trail by four after the first quarter.

Hatzis' first touchdown of the game came seconds into the second frame to put the Reddies out front for the first time, 10-7. A touchdown and missed-extra point put ECU back up, 13-10, before Henderson once more answered with a four-yard out to Jalen Abraham as HSU reclaimed the 17-13 lead.

The Reddie defense forced a turnover on downs with just over two minutes remaining before halftime as Edwards and the red-and-gray offense performed the two-minute drill to perfection, capped off with a 41-yard strike down the middle of the field to Elijah George to open a 24-13 advantage at the break.

A quick three-and-out ushered by the HSU defense yielded Kolby King's second field-goal of the night to extend the lead to 27-13 as defensive coordinator Greg Holsworth's unit continued to hold the Tigers at bay. After an ECU missed field-goal, Edwards found Hatzis for the longest score of the night.

Manning's scoop-and-score late in the game with 47 seconds left established the 41-13 game-one victory. Henderson St. (1-0) will now take to the road for two weeks in a row before returning to Carpenter-Haygood Stadium at GeoSurfaces Field Saturday, Sept. 23 for Family Day against the Harding Bisons.