PLAINVIEW, Texas — The Howard Payne University football team overcame an early deficit and used a dominant second quarter to pull away for a 37-17 victory over Wayland Baptist on Saturday, September 19 at Greg Sherwood Memorial Stadium.
Wayland Baptist took an early 10-7 lead after a first-quarter field goal and touchdown run, but the Yellow Jackets responded with 13 unanswered points before halftime to seize control of the game.
Howard Payne grabbed the lead for good when quarterback Bryce Still capped a 92-yard drive with a touchdown run early in the second quarter. Moments later, the Yellow Jackets capitalized on a turnover on the ensuing kickoff, converting the takeaway into a touchdown pass from Still to Deuce Martin for a 20-10 advantage.
The Yellow Jackets carried that momentum into the locker room after recovering a Wayland fumble in the closing minutes of the first half.
Howard Payne continued to build its lead after halftime. Running back J.D. Mays helped spark a third-quarter scoring drive with a long run before finishing it with a touchdown rush, extending the advantage to 27-10. Osvaldo Gomez later connected on a field goal to make it a three-score game.
Wayland Baptist trimmed the deficit to 30-17 early in the fourth quarter when Aidan Crawford found Reggie Hurley for a touchdown pass, but Howard Payne answered immediately. Still connected with Ellis Myers on a long touchdown strike to restore a 20-point cushion and put the game out of reach.
The Yellow Jackets also made several key plays on defense and special teams. Donte Zeno forced a kickoff fumble that led directly to a touchdown, Justin Griffith recorded a strip-sack and recovered the loose ball before halftime, and Armani Franklin blocked a fourth-quarter punt.
Still accounted for four total touchdowns in the victory, throwing three touchdown passes and rushing for another. Myers finished with two touchdown receptions, while Mays added a rushing score.
Crawford threw for Wayland Baptist's lone passing touchdown, and Kye Callicoatte added a rushing touchdown for the Pioneers.
UP NEXT: Howard Payne football will become the first team to ever host a regular season college football game in Frisco, Texas at the Ford Center at the Star. The Yellow Jackets welcome Simpson College (IA) on Saturday, September 26 with a kick-off time of 3:00 p.m. Central Time.
