BROWNWOOD, Texas — Bryce Still threw four touchdown passes and Blessing Ngene rushed for 169 yards and two scores as the Howard Payne University football team defeated Nelson 44-16 on Saturday, October 3 at Gordon Wood Stadium.
Still completed 17 of 24 passes for 243 yards and four touchdowns, helping the Yellow Jackets compile 487 yards of total offense. Ngene led the ground game with 169 yards on 16 carries, including a 72-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
Howard Payne struck first on its opening possession when Ngene capped a nine-play drive with a 1-yard touchdown run. A 19-yard field goal extended the lead before Still connected with Deuce Martin for a 79-yard touchdown pass to make it 16-0 midway through the second quarter.
Nelson got on the board with a 15-yard touchdown pass from Judah Holzclaw to Justin Beaudion, but the Yellow Jackets answered before halftime. Still found Ellis Myers for a 20-yard touchdown pass to complete a 75-yard drive and send Howard Payne into the locker room with a 23-10 advantage.
The Yellow Jackets seized control after halftime. Martin opened the third quarter with a 74-yard kickoff return that set up a 20-yard touchdown pass from Still to Jamel Toney-Black. Later in the period, Still connected with Cameron Hall on a 1-yard scoring pass to push the lead to 37-10.
Ngene's 72-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter stretched the margin to 44-10 before Nelson added a late touchdown through the air for the final score.
Martin finished with five catches for 97 yards and a touchdown, while Myers added three receptions for 37 yards and a score. Howard Payne converted six of 11 third-down opportunities and controlled the tempo throughout the contest.
Holzclaw accounted for 351 total yards for Nelson, throwing for 253 yards and two touchdowns while adding 98 rushing yards. James Spivey led Nelson receivers with six catches for 60 yards, while Gage Rice added five receptions for 52 yards.
Defensively, Hall paced Howard Payne with six tackles, while Braeden Dozier contributed five stops and two pass breakups. Landry Leggett recorded 10 tackles and a sack to lead the Nelson defense.
The win gives the Yellow Jackets five straight wins to start the year, completing a perfect non-conference schedule at 4-0.
UP NEXT: Howard Payne hits the road again, traveling to Belton and opening up play in the American Southwest Conference against #20 Mary Hardin-Baylor. Kickoff is set at Crusader Stadium for 1:00 p.m. Central Time.
