# 2023 American Southwest Conference football season

The 2023 American Southwest Conference football season was the season of college football played by the eight member schools of the American Southwest Conference (ASC) as part of the 2023 NCAA Division III football season. The 2023 Hardin–Simmons Cowboys football team compiled a 9–2 record (6–0 in conference games), won the ASC championship, and made it to the NCAA Division III first round where they lost to Trinity (TX) 20–6.

## Teams
### Hardin–Simmons

The 2023 Hardin–Simmons Cowboys football team represented Hardin–Simmons University of Abilene, Texas. In their 13th year under head coach Jesse Burleson, the team compiled a 9–2 record (6–0 against ASC opponents), won the ASC championship, and made it to the NCAA Division III first round where they lost to Trinity (TX) 20–6.
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 1 | Albright* | Shelton StadiumAbilene, TX | W 47–3 | 2,804 |
| September 9 | at No. 11 Wisconsin–La Crosse* | Veterans Memorial StadiumLa Crosse, WI | W 28–21 | 3,183 |
| September 22 | at Endicott* | Hempstead StadiumBeverly, MA | L 10–37 | 2,237 |
| September 30 | Howard Payne | Shelton StadiumAbilene, TX | W 40–33 | 2,611 |
| October 7 | at McMurry | Wilford Moore StadiumAbilene, TX | W 19–16 | 0 |
| October 14 | Texas Lutheran | Shelton StadiumAbilene, TX | W 27–22 | 3,122 |
| October 21 | at Sul Ross* | Jackson FieldAlpine, TX | W 55–7 | 194 |
| October 28 | Mary Hardin–Baylor | Shelton StadiumAbilene, TX | W 24–14 | 3,421 |
| November 4 | at Austin | Apple StadiumSherman, TX | W 59–19 | 2,743 |
| November 11 | at East Texas Baptist | Ornelas StadiumMarshall, TX | W 42–27 | 1,003 |
| November 18 | at No. 6 Trinity (TX)* | Trinity StadiumSan Antonio, TX (NCAA Division III First Round) | L 6–20 | 1,069 |
| *Non-conference gameRankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to the game ||||||

### Mary Hardin–Baylor

The 2023 Mary Hardin–Baylor Crusaders football team represented the University of Mary Hardin–Baylor of Belton, Texas. In their second year under head coach Larry Harmon, the team compiled a 6–4 record (5–1 against ASC opponents) and finished second in the ASC.
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 2 | at No. 23 Wisconsin–River Falls* | Ramer FieldRiver Falls, WI | L 22–45 | 2,124 |
| September 9 | at No. 5 Trinity (TX)* | Trinity StadiumSan Antonio, TX | L 16–35 | 1,776 |
| September 16 | No. 4 Wisconsin–Whitewater* | Crusader StadiumBelton, TX | L 14–17 | 2,500 |
| September 23 | McMurry | Crusader StadiumBelton, TX | W 50–9 | 3,828 |
| October 7 | at Texas Lutheran | Bulldog StadiumSeguin, TX | W 55–21 | 310 |
| October 14 | Sul Ross* | Crusader StadiumBelton, TX | W 37–13 | 3,307 |
| October 21 | at Austin | Apple StadiumSherman, TX | W 49–14 | 0 |
| October 28 | at No. 20 Hardin–Simmons | Shelton StadiumAbilene, TX | L 14–24 | 3,421 |
| November 4 | East Texas Baptist | Crusader StadiumBelton, TX | W 21–12 | 2,850 |
| November 11 | at Howard Payne | Gordon Wood StadiumBrownwood, TX | W 35–10 | 2,155 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to the game ||||||

### Howard Payne

The 2023 Howard Payne Yellow Jackets football team represented Howard Payne University of Brownwood, Texas. In their first year under head coach Kevin Bachtel, the team compiled a 6–4 record (3–3 against ASC opponents) and finished tied for third in the ASC.
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 2 | at George Fox* | Stoffer StadiumNewberg, OR | W 17–3 | 1,531 |
| September 9 | SAGU* | Gordon Wood StadiumBrownwood, TX | W 42–10 | 1,275 |
| September 16 | Lyon* | Gordon Wood StadiumBrownwood, TX | W 85–0 | 1,525 |
| September 30 | at No. 18 Hardin–Simmons | Shelton StadiumAbilene, TX | L 33–40 | 2,611 |
| October 7 | East Texas Baptist | Gordon Wood StadiumBrownwood, TX | W 28–14 | 1,325 |
| October 14 | Austin | Gordon Wood StadiumBrownwood, TX | W 35–11 | 3,125 |
| October 21 | at McMurry | Wilford Moore StadiumAbilene, TX | L 21–45 | 200 |
| October 28 | Texas Lutheran | Gordon Wood StadiumBrownwood, TX | W 31–27 | 1,100 |
| November 4 | at Sul Ross | Jackson FieldAlpine, TX | L 42–47 | 269 |
| November 11 | Mary Hardin–Baylor | Gordon Wood StadiumBrownwood, TX | L 10–35 | 2,155 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to the game ||||||

### McMurry

The 2023 McMurry War Hawks football team represented McMurry University of Abilene, Texas. In their fifth year under head coach Jordan Neal, the team compiled a 6–4 record (3–3 against ASC opponents) and finished tied for third in the ASC.
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance |
| August 31 | vs. Birmingham–Southern* | War Memorial StadiumLittle Rock, AR | L 19–20 | 25 |
| September 9 | at Millsaps* | Harper Davis FieldJackson, MS | W 53–2 | 257 |
| September 23 | at No. 23 Mary Hardin–Baylor | Crusader StadiumBelton, TX | L 9–50 | 3,828 |
| September 30 | Lyon* | Wilford Moore StadiumAbilene, TX | W 52–14 | 3,100 |
| October 7 | No. 5 Hardin–Simmons | Wilford Moore StadiumAbilene, TX | L 16–19 (OT) | 0 |
| October 14 | at East Texas Baptist | Ornelas StadiumMarshall, TX | L 13–14 | 1,732 |
| October 21 | Howard Payne | Wilford Moore StadiumAbilene, TX | W 45–21 | 200 |
| October 28 | Austin | Wilford Moore StadiumAbilene, TX | W 51–13 | 1,124 |
| November 4 | at Texas Lutheran | Bulldog StadiumSeguin, TX | W 36–33 | 600 |
| November 11 | Sul Ross* | Wilford Moore StadiumAbilene, TX | W 43–23 | 100 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to the game ||||||

### East Texas Baptist

The 2023 East Texas Baptist Tigers football team represented East Texas Baptist University of Marshall, Texas. In their first year under head coach Calvin Ruzicka, the team compiled a 5–5 record (3–3 against ASC opponents) and finished tied for third in the ASC.
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 1 | at Louisiana Christian* | Wildcat FieldPineville, LA | L 14–34 | 4,221 |
| September 9 | Hendrix* | Ornelas StadiumMarshall, TX | W 38–37 | 671 |
| September 16 | No. 23 Wisconsin–Oshkosh* | Ornelas StadiumMarshall, TX | L 7–60 | 379 |
| September 30 | Austin | Ornelas StadiumMarshall, TX | W 35–7 | 2,017 |
| October 7 | at Howard Payne | Gordon Wood StadiumBrownwood, TX | L 14–28 | 1,325 |
| October 14 | McMurry | Ornelas StadiumMarshall, TX | W 14–13 | 1,732 |
| October 21 | at Texas Lutheran | Bulldog StadiumSeguin, TX | W 16–6 | 1,300 |
| October 28 | Sul Ross | Ornelas StadiumMarshall, TX | W 24–10 | 1,276 |
| November 4 | at Mary Hardin–Baylor | Crusader StadiumBelton, TX | L 12–21 | 2,850 |
| November 11 | No. 19 Hardin–Simmons | Ornelas StadiumMarshall, TX | L 27–42 | 1,003 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to the game ||||||

### Texas Lutheran

The 2023 Texas Lutheran Bulldogs football team represented Texas Lutheran University of Seguin, Texas. In their second year under head coach Neal LaHue, the team compiled a 2–8 record (1–5 against ASC opponents) and finished sixth in the ASC.
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 2 | at No. 21 Wisconsin–Oshkosh* | Titan StadiumOshkosh, WI | L 31–48 | 2,396 |
| September 9 | at Southwestern (TX)* | Birkelbach FieldGeorgetown, TX | W 39–7 | 2,400 |
| September 16 | Ave Maria* | Bulldog StadiumSeguin, TX | L 14–27 | 500 |
| September 30 | at Sul Ross* | Jackson FieldAlpine, TX | L 34–37 | 194 |
| October 7 | No. 22 Mary Hardin–Baylor | Bulldog StadiumSeguin, TX | L 21–55 | 310 |
| October 14 | at No. 20 Hardin–Simmons | Shelton StadiumAbilene, TX | L 22–27 | 3,122 |
| October 21 | East Texas Baptist | Bulldog StadiumSeguin, TX | L 6–16 | 1,300 |
| October 28 | at Howard Payne | Gordon Wood StadiumBrownwood, TX | L 27–31 | 1,100 |
| November 4 | McMurry | Bulldog StadiumSeguin, TX | L 33–36 | 600 |
| November 11 | Austin | Bulldog StadiumSeguin, TX | W 29–10 | 1,000 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to the game ||||||

### Austin

The 2023 Austin Kangaroos football team represented Austin College of Sherman, Texas. In their first year under head coach Tony Joe White, the team compiled a 1–9 record (0–6 against ASC opponents) and finished last in the ASC.
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 2 | Nebraska Wesleyan* | Apple StadiumSherman, TX | L 7–19 | 1,253 |
| September 9 | at Rhodes* | Crain FieldMemphis, TN | L 17–19 | 1,200 |
| September 23 | at Crown* | Old National Bank StadiumSt. Bonifacius, MN | W 34–23 | 125 |
| September 30 | at East Texas Baptist | Ornelas StadiumMarshall, TX | L 7–35 | 2,017 |
| October 7 | Sul Ross* | Apple StadiumSherman, TX | L 7–49 | 986 |
| October 14 | at Howard Payne | Gordon Wood StadiumBrownwood, TX | L 11–35 | 3,125 |
| October 21 | No. 23 Mary Hardin–Baylor | Apple StadiumSherman, TX | L 14–49 | 0 |
| October 28 | at McMurry | Wilford Moore StadiumAbilene, TX | L 13–51 | 1,135 |
| November 4 | No. 20 Hardin–Simmons | Apple StadiumSherman, TX | L 19–59 | 0 |
| November 11 | at Texas Lutheran | Bulldog StadiumSeguin, TX | L 10–29 | 1,000 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to the game ||||||

### Sul Ross

The 2023 Sul Ross Lobos football team represented Sul Ross State University of Alpine, Texas. In their second year under head coach Barry Derickson, the team compiled a 4–6 record but was ineligible for ASC conference play due to the team's transition to the NCAA Division II's Lone Star Conference (LSC).
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 2 | at Western New Mexico* | Ben Altamirano FieldSilver City, NM | L 28–42 | 635 |
| September 9 | Eastern New Mexico* | Jackson FieldAlpine, TX | L 12–51 | 243 |
| September 16 | Wayland Baptist* | Jackson FieldAlpine, TX | W 27–7 | 140 |
| September 30 | Texas Lutheran* | Jackson FieldAlpine, TX | W 37–34 | 194 |
| October 7 | at Austin* | Apple StadiumSherman, TX | W 49–7 | 986 |
| October 14 | at No. 22 Mary Hardin–Baylor* | Crusader StadiumBelton, TX | L 13–37 | 3,307 |
| October 21 | No. 19 Hardin–Simmons* | Jackson FieldAlpine, TX | L 7–55 | 194 |
| October 28 | at East Texas Baptist* | Ornelas StadiumMarshall, TX | L 10–24 | 1,276 |
| November 4 | Howard Payne* | Jackson FieldAlpine, TX | W 47–42 | 269 |
| November 11 | at McMurry* | Wilford Moore StadiumAbilene, TX | L 23–37 | 100 |
| *Non-conference gameRankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to the game ||||||