BROWNWOOD, Texas – The Howard Payne University football team opened the 2025 season with a 21–13 victory over Pacific University Thursday evening at Gordon Wood Stadium, marking the first win of the Coby Gipson era.

The Yellow Jackets leaned on a balanced offensive attack and a dominant defensive performance to secure the season-opening win. Running back Blessing Ngene led the way with 57 yards rushing on 20 carries and two touchdowns, including the decisive one-yard score in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Andon Mata added 71 yards through the air on 7-of-8 passing and broke free for a 45-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.

Howard Payne built a 14–3 halftime lead before Pacific responded in the third quarter to narrow the margin. The Jackets answered with a grinding 18-play, 73-yard drive capped by Ngene's second touchdown run to extend the lead to 21–10. Pacific added a late field goal but the HPU defense sealed the win, holding the Boxers on two fourth-quarter turnovers on downs.

The Jackets' defensive front was the story of the night, producing seven sacks and nine tackles for loss, while limiting Pacific to just 37 yards rushing on 29 attempts. Jerwayne Parker posted a team-high nine tackles with three pass breakups, while Cade Rochinski, Cameron Hall, and Justin Griffith each recorded sacks in key moments.

Howard Payne finished with 255 yards of total offense, including 134 yards on the ground, and held a five-minute advantage in time of possession. The Jackets also converted all three of their fourth-down attempts in the contest.

With the victory, Howard Payne improves to 1–0 on the season, while Pacific falls to 0–1.

The Yellow Jackets continue non-conference play next week with an in-state trip to Texas Lutheran University.