Haskell Indian Nations University freshman running back Bubba Wills had a simple explanation for his struggles Saturday at Haskell Stadium.

“I just had a bad day,” Wills said of his two fumbles that overshadowed his otherwise solid running.

Such was the story for the Fightin’ Indians, who allowed turnovers and big plays to set the tone in a 28-13 loss to Briar Cliff. The setback drops Haskell to 1-5.

“We are very disappointed,” Wills said. “We got outplayed from the very beginning. We were not ready to play.”

Wills fumbled twice in critical situations in the first half, both times in Briar Cliff territory, offsetting his 24 carries for 98 yards and a touchdown. He also caught two passes for 29 yards.

“When he fumbles twice, it is hard to give him back the football, but we do because we have confidence in him,” HINU coach Eric Brock said. “It is a little difficult to say, ‘Take the game in control,’ when he puts the ball on the ground. He is doing well, but he could do better.”

Briar Cliff took advantage of poor coverage in the secondary during the first half, scoring on touchdown passes of 48, 25 and 46 yards, all to wide receiver Luke Roder. Quarterback Kyle Gerdes finished with four TD strikes.

Haskell Indian Nations University's Terrell Denny, right, chases after Briar Cliff's Jerrod Gaskill during the first half of their game at Haskell Stadium. The Fightin' Indians surrendered too many big plays and had trouble with turnovers in Saturday's 28-13 loss.

“It was just lack of concentration,” Brock said of the secondary’s performance on the touchdowns. “They did some hitch-and-gos that get defensive backs out of order. We sent pressure, we didn’t get it, and the defensive backs did not concentrate on their guy.”

Freshman quarterback Marlon Dick also contributed two turnovers for the Fightin’ Indians, one in the fourth quarter that ended any hope for a Haskell comeback.

“Of everything he has to do, he has to make sure that everything is set,” Brock said. “He is a freshman, this is his sixth game, and he is getting better. He needs to make sure he is ready to go from the first snap.”

The offense struggled to get any offensive consistency in the first half, which led to four possessions without gaining a first down.

“We always come out after halftime and play hard, but we have to come out and play hard in the beginning of the game,” Wills said.

The lack of offensive consistency enabled Briar Cliff to take a commanding 21-0 lead at halftime. Haskell moved the ball better in the second half, scoring midway through the third quarter on a 59-yard touchdown pass from Dick to Hunter Smith.

However, Briar Cliff responded on its next possession, going 73 yards on 15 plays to take a 28-6 lead on Gerdes’ fourth touchdown pass of the day.

“We played better in the second half because they were not ready mentally in the first half,” Brock said. “They need to wake up and be able to play from kickoff.”

Haskell will return to action Saturday in its homecoming game against Avila.