ABILENE, Texas - The Howard Payne University football team dropped an American Southwest Conference matchup with #8 Hardin-Simmons University 65-14 Saturday evening. 

The Yellow Jackets totaled 207 yards of offense in the air for an average of 17.1 per catch. Hardin-Simmons had 329 yards passing but it was 474 yards rushing by the Cowboys that played a huge factor in the game.

Howard Payne for the first time this season did not turnover the ball and would also pick off Hardin-Simmons twice in the game.

Down 21-0 in the second quarter, the Jackets would get their first score with 13:38 left in the second when Gage McClanahan found Jordan Bryant for a 75 yard catch and run. The touchdown catch capped a two play 76 yard drive taking only :43 seconds off the clock.

The Jackets struck again just a few minutes later when DunTayviun Gross returned a kickoff 86 yards for a touchdown. The score 35-14 HSU with 10:38 left in the half. 

Howard Payne had several other opportunities to score but would come up short also having two field goal attempts blocked by Hardin-Simmons.

HPU's Jordan Bryant had four catched for 116 yards and one TD, Kaidrion Latson led the Jackets with 11 carries for 37 yards. DunTayviun Gross finished with five kick returns for 183 yards including the one 86 yard TD return.

Austin Killgore led the HPU defense and all tacklers with 11 (one for loss) followed by Tevin Dawson with 10 and Elijah Washington with nine.

Howard Payne is now 1-2 overall and 1-1 in American Southwest Conference action. Hardin-Simmons stands at 3-0 overall and 2-0 in league play. The Jackets will be back at home next Saturday to play Belhaven University. It will be a 1:00 pm kick off.