BROWNWOOD, Texas – The Howard Payne University football team faced a tough challenge on Saturday afternoon, falling 54-24 to nationally ranked No. 8 Hardin-Simmons University at Gordon Wood Stadium. The contest began following a 98-minute weather delay that started just two minutes before the scheduled kickoff.
After the extended pause, Hardin-Simmons jumped out to an early lead, scoring 22 points in the first quarter and extending its advantage to 30-0 midway through the second before the Yellow Jackets broke through. Freshman quarterback Bryce Still capped a seven-play, 77-yard drive with a six-yard touchdown run to get HPU on the board late in the half.
In the third quarter, Still connected with freshman wide receiver Jamel Toney-Black for a 39-yard touchdown pass, trimming the deficit to 37-14. Toney-Black continued his breakout performance in the fourth, hauling in a 64-yard touchdown strike from Glendon Casas-Willis for his second score of the afternoon.
Sophomore kicker Osvaldo Gomez added a 23-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter and finished a perfect 3-for-3 on extra-point attempts.
Toney-Black led all receivers with 10 catches for 183 yards and two touchdowns. Still completed 18 of 30 passes for 192 yards and one touchdown while adding 34 yards and a score on the ground. The Jackets totaled 366 yards of offense, including 292 through the air.
Defensively, senior linebacker Cade Rochinski and junior safety Justin Kay each tallied six tackles, while senior cornerback Kadarius Carr added six stops and a pass breakup.
Hardin-Simmons was led by running back Noah Garcia, who accounted for five touchdowns and 210 total yards of offense as the Cowboys improved to 8-0 overall and 4-0 in American Southwest Conference play.
Head Coach Coby Gipson praised his team's effort despite the tough result, saying, "I love the fight of this team. We just need to clean some things up. Every week it comes down to five or six plays that make or break the game. We're learning what it takes to compete at a championship level for all 60 minutes, and I'm proud of the progress we're making."
Howard Payne moves to 3-5 on the year and 1-3 in conference action. The Yellow Jackets will travel to Marshall next Saturday, November 8, to take on East Texas Baptist University before returning home on November 15 to close out the regular season against Mary Hardin-Baylor on Senior Day and Youth Sports Day at Gordon Wood Stadium.
