ABILENE, Texas – Hardin-Simmons' football team overcame a slew of injuries and found a way to come up with a hard-fought 40-33 win in a pivotal American Southwest Conference game against Howard Payne on Saturday afternoon at Shelton Stadium.
The game was back and forth and featured five lead changes. The Cowboys jumped out to a 14-0 lead. Colton Marshall capped an 11-play, 59-yard drive with a 1-yard run with 4:12 to play in the first half. HSU then used its timeouts to force Howard Payne to punt into the wind before the quarter change to set up a short field. On the first play of the second quarter, A.J. Hawkins hit Goddy Pyeatt on a 57-yard touchdown pass to make the score 14-0.
Howard Payne wasted no time getting on the scoreboard as Landon McKinney hit Deon Collins on a 10-yard touchdown pass, after McKinney had set up the score with a 55-yard pass to Gus Charles. Rider Davila scored on a 24-yard field goal with 8:35 to play in the first half.
The Yellow Jackets took the lead right before halftime when Jordan Carroll scored on a 10-yard pass from McKinney. The drive was extended by a fourth-down roughing the passer penalty after the Cowboys had knocked away the pass.
HSU was able to open up the ground game in the second half and Noah Garcia capped an 8-play 58-yard drive with a 19-yard touchdown run and Grayson Bearden's PAT made it 21-17. Howard Payne came right back with a score as Charles got free over the top and scored on a 70-yard pass from McKinney to give the Jackets the lead back.
It didn't last long as K.J. Peoples returned the ensuing kickoff 81 yards for a touchdown to make it 28-24 with 6:52 to play in the third quarter.
This time it was the Cowboys' defense that stepped up big with HPU driving Braden Hargrove stripped Reece Rodgers and Evan Tapp recovered it at the HSU 42. Tailon Garrett then set the Cowboys up in the red zone with a 50-yard catch-and-run. Marshall scored on the next play from eight yards out but Bearden missed the PAT to make the score 34-24 with 2:03 to play in the third quarter.
The Jackets answered with a 33-yard Davila field goal to cut the deficit to 34-27 with 14:41 to play. The two teams traded fourth-down stops by the defense and then the Cowboys had to punt again. Howard Payne then went down and scored on a 36-yard Javian Myles touchdown run to cut the deficit to 34-33.
On the touchdown, HSU had a facemask and Howard Payne decided to move the ball to the 1-yard line on the PAT and go for two. The pass was incomplete and HSU maintained the 34-33 lead.
HSU then went on a 10-play, 78-yard drive that took 5:50 off the clock. Marshall scored from 1-yard out for his third touchdown of the game but again the PAT missed, giving HPU hope.
On the first play of the ensuing possession, DeMarcus Coleman stepped up and picked off McKinney to give the Cowboys the ball back with 2:00 to play. HSU ran the clock down and HPU used its timeouts and the Cowboys were facing a fourth-and-one from their own 34. The Cowboys called a timeout and sent Marshall out to take the snap under center, but all along it was an attempt to hard count and get HPU to jump offsides and on the third attempt HPU did jump, HSU received a first down and then were able to kneel out the victory.
The game marked the third straight that the Cowboys trailed at halftime but just like against UW-La Crosse the offense regained the lead in the third quarter and the defense came up with a crucial fourth-quarter interception to seal the game.
HSU played the game without starting quarterback Gaylon Glynn and starting center Michael Callahan who were down with injuries. On defense, the Cowboys had three new starters at linebacker and the most veteran of those three Cason Hanna, who was filling in for All-American Matt Mitchell, was ejected in the game on a targeting call.
The win was the Cowboys' 16th straight over Howard Payne. HPU outgained the Cowboys 470 to 371 in the game.
Hawkins went 14of-24 for 168 yards and a touchdown in his first career start. Garcia had 112 yards and a touchdown on the ground and Marshall added 75 yards and three touchdowns. Marshall jumped ahead of Patrick Baca into 10th place on the HSU career rushing touchdown charts with his 22nd. Garrett had six catches for 84 yards and Pyeatt had three catches for 74 yards and a score.
Tray Ervin had seven tackles and a sack in his first career start. Justin Bingham also had seven tackles.
McKinney was 25-of-50 passing with three touchdowns and an interception. Charles had six catches for 172 yards and a score. Former Cowboy K.J. Kelley led HPU with 13 tackles.
The Cowboys are 3-1 on the year and 1-0 in league play and Howard Payne fell to 3-1 overall and 0-1 in conference action.
HSU goes across town next week for the Wilford Moore Trophy game against McMurry at 6 p.m. on Saturday at Wilford Moore Stadium. The suddenly hot War Hawks are 2-2 on the year and are looking for their first three-win season since 2016.
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