BROWNWOOD, Texas – The Howard Payne University football team takes the field one final time in 2026 at Gordon Wood Stadium for an American Southwest Conference battle against the East Texas Baptist University Tigers on Saturday, November 14.


THE ESSENTIALS

• WHO: Howard Payne Yellow Jackets (5-3, 1-3 ASC) vs. East Texas Baptist Tigers (3-6, 1-3 ASC)
• WHERE: Brownwood, Texas | Gordon Wood Stadium
• WHEN: Saturday, November 14 | 1:00 PM CT

WHERE TO FOLLOW

• WATCH LIVE ON FLOCOLLEGE ($)
• LISTEN LIVE ON 101.3 KOXE
• FOLLOW THE LIVE STATS

ALL-TIME AGAINST THE TIGERS

• Howard Payne and East Texas Baptist are deadlocked at 14-14 in the all-time series.
• The Yellow Jackets have won four of the last five meetings, including a 34-27 win over the Tigers last year.
• In the 2020s, the Jackets are averaging 33 points per game in those previous five games against ETBU.

HOWARD PAYNE TEAM STATS

• Howard Payne only trails East Texas Baptist in the ASC for passing efficiency (178.5 rating), while the Yellow Jackets boast the top passing offense with 305 yards/game.
• On the national stage, the Jackets are holding the football about 34.5 minutes per game, ranking them third in Division III.
• The Jackets have been opportunistic on defense, leading the conference in fumble recoveries (7).
• Howard Payne also ranks first in fourth down defense, only conceding a first down 37.5% of the time.

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS FOR THE JACKETS

• Bryce Still has a chance to put his name in the record books with one more efficient passing game. He ranks 15^th nationally in completion percentage (69.2%), well above the current single season record for the Yellow Jackets set by Adam King (64.8%) in 2002.
• Deuce Martin is a top-15 receiver in the country with a total of 906 yards while leading the ASC with 112.1 receiving yards/game.
• Bill Ngene ranks among the top running backs in the ASC. The senior will play his final game while ranking third in the league with 675 yards on the ground.
• Senior Hezekiah Parker at linebacker is coming off his best game of the year against McMurry, making 11 tackles against the War Hawks.
• Antonio Ross, a junior defensive back, made a crucial third quarter interception against McMurry. His return to injury two weeks ago has been crucial for Howard Payne.
• Kicker Osvaldo Gomez remains among the top kickers in the country as he looks to keep his perfect 7-for-7 streak going until the final whistle.

EAST TEXAS BAPTIST TEAM STATS

• The Tigers hold the best offense in the American Southwest Conference, averaging 48.4 points per game. The total yardage (537.2 yards/game) also sits at the top of the league.
• ETBU's offensive game excels once they reach the red zone, scoring on 39 of 44 trips, with 31 resulting in touchdowns. The 88.6% efficiency ranks second behind No. 4 Hardin-Simmons.
• On special teams, the kickoff return game has set up the Tigers well all season long, running for over 1,000 yards at an average of 33.3 yards per run back (third in Division III).

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS FOR THE TIGERS

• Jack Crawford is Bryce Still's primary competition for a spot on the ASC First Team at quarterback. Crawford leads the ASC in passing touchdowns (26) and passing efficiency rating (188.8).
• On the ground, Paul Woodard is the only back in the conference over 1,000 rushing yards. Averaging 110 yards per game, his threat has opened up the passing game all season for the Tigers.
• Through the air, Crawford's top target is Eric Stovall, who ranks 30^th in the country with 808 receiving yards paired with 10 touchdowns.