2023 Houston Christian Huskies football team

2023 Houston Christian Huskies football
2023 Houston Christian Huskies football
Conference	Southland Conference
Record	5–5 (4–3 Southland)
Head coach	Braxton Harris (1st season);
Offensive coordinator	Jason Bachtel (1st season)
Offensive scheme	Pro spread
Defensive coordinator	Eric Daniels (1st season)
Base defense	3–4
Home stadium	Husky Stadium
	Seasons ← 2022 2024 →

The 2023 Houston Christian Huskies football team represented Houston Christian University as a member of the Southland Conference during the 2023 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by first-year head coach Braxton Harris, the Huskies played their home games at Husky Stadium in Houston. On November 11, the Huskies secured their first winning conference record along with their first non-losing season in program history with a road victory over McNeese State.^[1] Led by first-year head coach Braxton Harris, the Huskies compiled an overall record of 5–5. The Huskies finished in fourth place in conference play with a 4–3 record.

2023 Southland Conference football standings
v t e
Team	W		L	W		L
Nicholls $^	7	–	0	6	–	5
No. 22 Incarnate Word	6	–	1	8	–	2
Lamar	5	–	2	6	–	5
Houston Christian	4	–	3	5	–	5
Southeastern Louisiana	3	–	4	3	–	8
Texas A&M–Commerce *	2	–	5	1	–	9
McNeese	1	–	6	0	–	10
Northwestern State **	0	–	2	0	–	6

$ – Conference champion ^ – FCS playoff participant * – Texas A&M–Commerce ineligible for FCS postseason play due to transition from NCAA Division II. ** – Northwestern State canceled its season on October 26. Rankings from STATS Poll

Preseason

Preseason poll

The Southland Conference released their preseason poll on July 24, 2023. The Huskies were picked to finish last in the conference.^[2]

Predicted finish	Team	Votes (1st place)
1	Southeastern Louisiana	93 (9)
2	Incarnate Word	91 (7)
3	McNeese	65
4	Nicholls	62
5	Northwestern State	52
6	Texas A&M–Commerce	33
7	Lamar	28
8	Houston Christian	24

Preseason All–Southland Teams

The Southland Conference announced the 2023 preseason all-conference football team selections on July 21, 2023. HCU had a total of 5 players selected.^[3]

Offense

1st Team

Karl Reynolds – wide receiver, SR

2nd Team

Christian Hood – offensive lineman, SR

Defense

1st Team

Jalyx Hunt – defensive lineman, JR
Rodney Dansby – linebacker, JR
Devion Hargrove – defensive back, JR

Dave Campbell's Texas Football post season All-Texas Non-FBS teams

Levi Drake Rodriguez was named to the 2023 All-Texas Non-FBS Defense team.^[4]

Schedule

Houston Christian announced their 2023 schedule on December 14, 2022.^[5]^[6]^[7]

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 2	6:00 p.m.	Arkansas Baptist*	Husky Stadium Houston, TX	ESPN+	W 66–0	1,763
September 9	6:00 p.m.	at Western Kentucky*	Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium Bowling Green, KY	ESPN+	L 22–52	20,712
September 16	6:00 p.m.	at UT Martin*	Graham Stadium Martin, TN	ESPN+	L 7–66	3,102
September 23	6:00 p.m.	at Southeastern Louisiana	Strawberry Stadium Hammond, LA	ESPN+	W 34–19	3,694
September 30	6:00 p.m.	Lamar	Husky Stadium Houston, TX	ESPN+	L 19–21	1,547
October 7	3:00 p.m.	at Nicholls	Manning Field at John L. Guidry Stadium Thibodaux, LA	ESPN+	L 7–38	5,444
October 14	6:00 p.m.	Prairie View A&M*	Husky Stadium Houston, TX	ESPN+	W 30–0	2,112
October 28	2:00 p.m.	Texas A&M–Commerce	Husky Stadium Houston, TX	ESPN+	W 17–13	1,765
November 4	2:00 p.m.	at Northwestern State	Harry Turpin Stadium Natchitoches, LA	ESPN+	W 2–0 (forfeit)^[a]^[8]	—
November 11	7:00 p.m.	at McNeese	Cowboy Stadium Lake Charles, LA	ESPN+	W 35–24	6,724
November 18	2:00 p.m.	No. 20 Incarnate Word	Husky Stadium Houston, TX	ESPN+	L 24–45	1,797
*Non-conference game Rankings from STATS Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time

Game summaries

Arkansas Baptist

Arkansas Baptist Buffaloes at Houston Christian Huskies

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Buffaloes	0	0	0	0	0
Huskies	0	0	0	0	0

at Husky Stadium, Houston, Texas

Date: September 2
Game time: 6:00 p.m.
Game attendance: 1,763
TV: ESPN+

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	ABC	HCU
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Arkansas Baptist	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Houston Christian	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at Western Kentucky

Houston Christian Huskies at Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Huskies	0	0	0	0	0
Hilltoppers	0	0	0	0	0

at Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium, Bowling Green, Kentucky

Date: September 9
Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT
Game attendance: 20,712
TV: ESPN+

Statistics	HCU	WKU
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Houston Christian	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Western Kentucky	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at UT Martin

Houston Christian Huskies at UT Martin Skyhawks

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Huskies	0	0	0	0	0
Skyhawks	0	0	0	0	0

at Graham Stadium, Martin, Tennessee

Date: September 16
Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT
Game attendance: 3,102
TV: ESPN+

Statistics	HCU	UTM
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Houston Christian	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
UT Martin	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at Southeastern Louisiana

Game Four – Southeastern Louisiana Lions (0–3) vs Houston Christian Huskies (1–2)

Quarter	1	2	Total
Huskies			0
Lions			0

at Strawberry Stadium • Hammond, Louisiana

Date: Saturday, September 23, 2023
Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT
Game attendance: 3,694
TV: ESPN+

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	HCU	SELA
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Houston Christian	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Southeastern Louisiana	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

Lamar

Lamar Cardinals at Houston Christian Huskies

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	0	14	0	7	21
Huskies	0	3	3	13	19

at Husky Stadium, Houston, Texas

Date: September 30
Game time: 6:00 p.m.
Game weather: Sunny, 90 °F (32 °C)
Game attendance: 1,547
Referee: James Brookhart
TV: ESPN+
Box score

Game information

First quarter

No scoring plays

Second quarter

HCU – Dillon Fedor 44-yard field goal, 11:57. Huskies 3–0. Drive: 6 plays, 50 yards, 2:13.
LAM – Major Bowden 41-yard pass from Robert Coleman (Chris Esqueda kick), 9:19. Cardinals 7–3. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:38.
LAM – Andre Dennis 16-yard pass from Robert Coleman (Chris Esqueda kick), 5:48. Cardinals 14–3. Drive: 3 plays, 36 yards, 1:18.

Third quarter

HCU – Dillon Fedor 22-yard field goal, 4:09. Cardinals 14–6. Drive: 17 plays, 93 yards, 7:31.

Fourth quarter

LAM – Major Bowden 5-yard run (Chris Esqueda kick), 14:55. Cardinals 21–6. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:14.
HCU – Jesse Valenzuela 12-yard run (Dillon Fedor kick), 7:45. Cardinals 21–13. Drive: 11 plays, 97 yards, 2:58.
HCU – Jesse Valenzuela 20-yard run (pass failed), 4:31. Cardinals 21–19. Drive: 5 plays, 33 yards, 1:32.

Statistics	LAM	HCU
First downs	22	25
Total yards	412	417
Rushing yards	118	189
Passing yards	294	228
Turnovers	3	1
Time of possession	29:41	30:19

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Lamar	Passing	Robert Coleman	19/30, 294 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Khalan Griffin	17 rushes, 74 yards
	Receiving	Izaha Jones	7 receptions, 101 yards
Houston Christian	Passing	Colby Suits	17/35, 228 yards
	Rushing	Darryle Evans	24 rushes, 132 yards
	Receiving	Karl Reynolds	6 receptions, 112 yards

at Nicholls

Houston Christian Huskies at Nicholls Colonels

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Huskies	7	0	0	0	7
Colonels	7	7	24	0	38

at Manning Field at John L. Guidry Stadium, Thibodaux, Louisiana

Date: October 7
Game time: 3:00 p.m. CDT
Game weather: Sunny
Game attendance: 5,444
Referee: Ed Bourgeois
TV: ESPN+
Box score

Statistics	HCU	NICH
First downs	14	19
Total yards	220	441
Rushing yards	46	237
Passing yards	174	204
Turnovers	4	1
Time of possession	26:55	33:05

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Houston Christian	Passing	Colby Suits	17/38, 170 yards, TD, 3 INT
	Rushing	Colby Suits	7 rushes, 18 yards
	Receiving	Ismael Fuller	2 receptions, 35 yards
Nicholls	Passing	Pat McQuaide	15/25, 204 yards, TD, INT
	Rushing	Jaylon Spears	8 rushes, 113 yards
	Receiving	David Robinson	7 receptions, 127 yards, TD

Prairie View A&M

Prairie View A&M Panthers at Houston Christian Huskies

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Panthers	0	0	0	0	0
Huskies	0	0	0	0	0

at Husky Stadium, Houston, Texas

Date: October 14
Game time: 6:00 p.m.
Game attendance: 2,112
TV: ESPN+

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	PVAMU	HCU
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Prairie View A&M	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Houston Christian	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

Texas A&M–Commerce

Texas A&M–Commerce Lions at Houston Christian Huskies

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Lions	0	0	0	0	0
Huskies	0	0	0	0	0

at Husky Stadium, Houston, Texas

Date: October 28
Game time: 2:00 p.m.
Game attendance: 1,765
TV: ESPN+

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	TAMU-C	HCU
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Texas A&M–Commerce	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Houston Christian	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at McNeese

Game Ten – Houston Christian Huskies at McNeese Cowboys – Game Summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Huskies	0	0	0	0	0
Cowboys	0	0	0	0	0

at Cowboy Stadium, Lake Charles, LA

Date: November 11
Game time: 7:00 p.m.
Game weather: • Wind: mph • Weather:
TV: ESPN+

Game information

First Quarter

Second Quarter

Third Quarter

Fourth Quarter

Statistics	HCU	McN
First downs
Plays–yards	–	–
Rushes–yards	–	–
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int	– –	– –
Time of possession	:	:

Team	Category	Statistics
Houston Christian	Passing	00/00; total 0 yds; TDs 0 ; long 0 yds; sack 0
	Rushing	0 attempts; gain 0 yds; long 0 yds;
	Receiving	0 receptions; 0 total yds; TD 0; long 0 yds
McNeese	Passing	00/00; 0 total yds; Int 0; long 0 s; sack 0
	Rushing	0 attempts; gained 0 yds; loss 0 yds; long 0;
	Receiving	0 receptions; 0 yds; long 0 yds; TD 0

Incarnate Word

Game Eleven – Incarnate Word Cardinals at Houston Christian Huskies

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 20 Cardinals	-	-	-	-	0
Huskies	-	-	-	-	0

at Husky Stadium, Houston, TX

Date: November 18
Game time: 2:00 p.m.

Game information
First Quarter Second Quarter Third Quarter Fourth Quarter

Statistics	UIW	HCU
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Incarnate Word	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Houston Christian	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

Notes

^ ^a ^b Northwestern State's forfeit against Houston Christian on November 4 counts as a conference win but not an overall win.

National and state honors

Jalyx Hunt was named to Dave Campbell's Texas Football post season 2023 All-Texas Non-FBS Defense team.^[9]

Conference awards and honors

Weekly awards

Huskies were recognized four times as conference players of the week.

Weekly honors
Honors	Player	Position	Date Awarded	Ref.
SLC Offensive Player of the Week	Champ Dozier	RB	September 4, 2023	^[10]
SLC Offensive Player of the Week	Colby Suits	QB	September 25, 2023	^[11]
SLC Special Teams Player of the Week	Dillon Fedor	K	October 16, 2023	^[12]
SLC Defensive Player of the Week	Isaiah Cash	S	October 30, 2023	^[13]

Player and Coach of the Year Selections

Jalyx Hunt was named Southland Conference Defensive player of the year.^[14]

Postseason All–Southland Teams

The Southland Conference announced the 2023 all-conference football team selections on November 22, 2023. Houston Christian had a total of five players selected.^[14]

Offense
1st Team

Karl Reynolds – wide receiver, SR
Dillon Fedor – place kicker, JR

2nd Team

Christian Hood – offensive lineman, SR

Defense

1st Team

Jalyx Hunt – linebacker, SR

2nd Team

Rodney Dansby – linebacker, JR

References

^ "FB: Huskies Finish Strong to Secure First Winning Season in Program History". Houston Christian University Athletics Department. November 11, 2023. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
^ "Southeastern Voted Top Spot in 2023 Southland Football Preseason Poll". www.southland.org. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
^ "Southland Announces 2023 All-Conference Team". www.southland.org. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
^ Cory Hogue (December 6, 2023). "REVEALED: The 2023 All-Texas Non-FBS Team". Dave Campbell's Texas Football. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
^ "FB: Huskies Reveal 2023 Schedule". December 14, 2022. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
^ "2023 Football Schedule". Houston Christian University. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
^ "Houston Christian Huskies 2023". ESPN Enterprises, Inc. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
^ Kasabian, Paul (October 26, 2023). "Northwestern State Cancels Football Season, HC Resigns After Ronnie Caldwell's Death". Bleacher Report. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
^ Cory Hogue (December 6, 2023). "REVEALED: The 2023 All-Texas Non-FBS Team". Dave Campbell's Texas Football. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
^ Hill, James (September 4, 2023). "HCU's Dozier, SLU's Goodly, McNeese's Thomas Named Southland Football Players of the Week". Southland Conference. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
^ Hill, James (September 25, 2023). "HCU's Suits, A&M-Commerce's Epps, Southeastern's Dunlap Earn Southland Football Players of the Week". Southland Conference. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
^ Hill, James (October 16, 2023). "Lamar's Rhea, UIW's Foster, HCU's Fedor Earn Southland Football Player of the Week Honors". Southland Conference. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
^ Hill, James (October 30, 2023). "UIW's Porter, HCU's Cash, Lamar's Deleon Named Southland Football Players of the Week". Southland Conference. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
^ ^a ^b Hill, James (November 24, 2023). "Southland Announces 2023 All-Conference Football Team and Superlatives". Southland Conference. Retrieved November 22, 2023.

[NWSTATE-1] Northwestern State's forfeit against Houston Christian on November 4 counts as a conference win but not an overall win.

[2] "FB: Huskies Finish Strong to Secure First Winning Season in Program History". Houston Christian University Athletics Department. November 11, 2023. Retrieved November 13, 2023.

[3] "Southeastern Voted Top Spot in 2023 Southland Football Preseason Poll". www.southland.org. Retrieved July 24, 2023.

[4] "Southland Announces 2023 All-Conference Team". www.southland.org. Retrieved July 24, 2023.

[5] Cory Hogue (December 6, 2023). "REVEALED: The 2023 All-Texas Non-FBS Team". Dave Campbell's Texas Football. Retrieved December 7, 2023.

[6] "FB: Huskies Reveal 2023 Schedule". December 14, 2022. Retrieved January 21, 2023.

[7] "2023 Football Schedule". Houston Christian University. Retrieved June 12, 2023.

[8] "Houston Christian Huskies 2023". ESPN Enterprises, Inc. Retrieved June 12, 2023.

[9] Kasabian, Paul (October 26, 2023). "Northwestern State Cancels Football Season, HC Resigns After Ronnie Caldwell's Death". Bleacher Report. Retrieved October 26, 2023.

[10] Cory Hogue (December 6, 2023). "REVEALED: The 2023 All-Texas Non-FBS Team". Dave Campbell's Texas Football. Retrieved December 7, 2023.

[11] Hill, James (September 4, 2023). "HCU's Dozier, SLU's Goodly, McNeese's Thomas Named Southland Football Players of the Week". Southland Conference. Retrieved November 24, 2023.

[12] Hill, James (September 25, 2023). "HCU's Suits, A&M-Commerce's Epps, Southeastern's Dunlap Earn Southland Football Players of the Week". Southland Conference. Retrieved November 24, 2023.

[13] Hill, James (October 16, 2023). "Lamar's Rhea, UIW's Foster, HCU's Fedor Earn Southland Football Player of the Week Honors". Southland Conference. Retrieved November 24, 2023.

[14] Hill, James (October 30, 2023). "UIW's Porter, HCU's Cash, Lamar's Deleon Named Southland Football Players of the Week". Southland Conference. Retrieved November 24, 2023.

[Superlative_winners-15] Hill, James (November 24, 2023). "Southland Announces 2023 All-Conference Football Team and Superlatives". Southland Conference. Retrieved November 22, 2023.

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