Southern U beats Texas Southern 40-21

HOUSTON -- Lenard Tillery rushed for a career-high 198 yards with two touchdowns and Southern beat Texas Southern 40-21 in a game played earlier than scheduled due to heavy rain bands from Hurricane Patricia. Southern (4-3, 4-1 Southwestern) got off on the right foot, as Willie Quinn returned the opening kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown. Texas Southern tied it after a fumble on a punt return set up a short field for Brad Woodard 's 2-yard run. Southern's first offensive drive resulted in a 3-yard touchdown run by Tillery, and he added another -- a 2-yard plunge -- to put the Jaguars up 21-7 with 1:55 left in the first quarter. Texas Southern (3-4, 2-4) responded, as Larry Clark III 's 54-yard touchdown catch and Malik Cross ' 18-yarder tied the game at 21 at halftime. In the third, Southern added a short field goal by Gregg Pittman, and a blocked punt resulted in a safety.