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Howard Payne back from bye to host #6 Hardin-Simmons

| By: Jonathon Langdon | SID
BROWNWOOD, Texas – The Howard Payne University football team returns home for their biggest challenge of the season, according to D3football.com. The Yellow Jackets welcome the sixth-ranked team in Division III to Gordon Wood Stadium on Saturday, October 31—the Hardin-Simmons University Cowboys.


THE ESSENTIALS
  • WHO: Howard Payne Yellow Jackets (5-1, 1-1 ASC) vs. Hardin-Simmons Cowboys (6-0, 2-0 ASC)
  • WHERE: Brownwood, Texas | Gordon Wood Stadium
  • WHEN: Saturday, October 31 | 1:00 PM CT
WHERE TO FOLLOW ALL-TIME AGAINST THE COWBOYS
  • Howard Payne is 24-50-4 all-time against Hardin-Simmons University, dating all the way back to 1925.
  • The Yellow Jackets looking to break a 20-game losing streak to the Cowboys, with their last win coming in an overtime 48-47 victory back in October of 2007.
  • Coby Gipson's unit will kick off on Saturday with their best record heading into a Hardin-Simmons match up since 2022 (6-1).
HOWARD PAYNE TEAM STATS
  • Howard Payne ranks top three in the American Southwest Conference in both points (38.8) and total offense per game (467.7).
  • The Yellow Jackets are second in the league with 6.9 yards per play.
  • In all of Division III, Howard Payne is up to fourth in the country in time of possession, holding the ball over 34 minutes per game.
  • Defensive coordinator Will Snyder's defense leads the ASC in fumble recoveries, including two games (Wayland Baptist, Schreiner) with multiple recoveries.
  • The defensive line has seen two named to the D3football.com "Team of the Week" thanks to their run defense ranking third in the conference (94.5 yds/game).
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS FOR THE JACKETS
  • Bryce Still leads the ASC in passing yards per game (283.8), while ranking second with 16 total touchdowns on the year.
  • Blessing Ngene leads the running game for the Jackets, sitting in the ASC's silver position for total rushing yards (539) and rushing touchdowns (5).
  • Deuce Martin leads the receiving corps with 630 yards and five touchdowns, while ranking second in the country with an average of 36.5 yards per kickoff return. The receiving room could grow stronger if Preztynn Harrison is cleared to play this Saturday after a three-week absence.
  • On defense, linebacker Armani Franklin is a top-ten tackler in the ASC, averaging 6.0 tackles per game. Hezekiah Parker, averaging 5.7 tackles per game, ranks 14th.
  • Defensive tackle Elijah Flowers-Goodloe has been a menace in the backfield, accumulating 7.0 tackles for loss, tied for fifth in the league.
  • In the secondary, Kevin Jacobs boasts seven pass breakups and a league-best two interceptions, cementing himself as one of the top corners in the conference.
  • On special teams, Osvaldo Gomez is now just one of four Division III kickers still perfect on field goals this season, going six-for-six in his first six games of the year.
HARDIN-SIMMONS TEAM STATS
  • The Cowboys have the top offense in the American Southwest Conference, averaging 48.8 points per game. HSU is also second in total yardage per game (493.8).
  • No one in the ASC compares to the Hardin-Simmons ground game that ran all over Nelson University last week for 392 yards, earning the offensive line ASC Player of the Week honors for Week 8.
  • On the national stage, Hardin-Simmons is second in the country on third down, converting at a 62% clip.
  • The run defense for the Cowboys ranks second in Division III as well, giving up just 39.8 yards per week.
  • Much like Howard Payne, the Cowboys are menaces on special teams, averaging 30.8 yards per kickoff return, placing them fourth in Division III.
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS FOR THE COWBOYS
  • Ty Thompson will lead the charge at quarterback. The dual-threat sophomore in the backfield is fifth in the ASC in total rushing yards, scampering into the endzone four times this year. Through the air, Thompson put together 171 yards against Nelson on 10-31 passing.
  • On the ground, Hardin-Simmons will run a backfield committee including Cayden Jones and Guy Powell, who both ran for over 50 yards against Nelson. Jones ranks third in the ASC with 510 rushing yards, just behind HPU's Bill Ngene.
  • Defensively, Kaiden Roden runs the show for the Cowboy defense, averaging a second-best 9.2 tackles per game in the ASC, while leading the conference in tackles for loss (10.0) and sacks (5.5).
  • In fact, Hardin-Simmons boasts the top three pass rushers in the entire ASC, including Roden and Chuks Ikwuemesi and Tyett Morris who are just behind him in the sack category with 4.5.
  • The term "field goal range" does not apply to the Cowboys, Pedro Altamirano, their senior kicker, is 11-for-12 on field goals this season with a long of 51 yards.
UP NEXT: Howard Payne hits the road one final time in the regular season for another American Southwest Conference battle, this time with the Warhawks of McMurry University on Saturday, November 8, in Abilene, Texas. Kickoff is currently set for 1:00 p.m. Central Time.
 
 
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