SHERMAN – It was anything but easy, but the Howard Payne Yellow Jackets snapped a two-game skid and secured a second straight 7-3 campaign in Saturday’s season finale, edging the American Southwest Conference rival Austin College Kangaroos, 23-20.
Howard Payne (7-3, 6-2) spotted Austin College (1-9, 1-7) the first 17 points of the contest before making a roaring comeback, which was capped with 33 seconds left on a 12-yard touchdown pass from Landon McKinney to Otis Lanier.
Down 20-17 and taking over at their own 15 with just 2:55 left in the contest, the Yellow Jackets ventured 85 yards in 11 plays on the game-winning drive.
The Yellow Jackets overcame three turnovers and finished with 377 yards of total offense – 240 passing and 137 rushing.
McKinney completed 27 of 36 passes for 240 yards with a pair of scoring tosses and one interception. Lanier again led the air assault with 10 receptions for 94 yards and the decisive score, Jordan Carroll chipped in six grabs for 61 yards and scored once, and Deon Collins added six catches for 39 yards.
On the ground, Tauren Bradley rushed for a team-high 61 yards trailed by 31 yards and a touchdown from Javian Myles, 28 yards from McKinney and 11 from Billy Reagins.
The Kangaroos netted just 217 yards – 186 on the ground and 30 through the air – and coughed up the ball twice.
Ben Meraz rushed for 62 yards and a touchdown, Keenon Magers chipped in 51 yards with a trip to the end zone, and Tiger Dietz added 48 yards.
Tyler James was 2 of 11 through the air for 9 yards, while Meraz completed his only pass attempt to Grant Yudizky for 21 yards.
For the Howard Payne defense, Kyle Bell logged 11 tackles followed by Peyton Lowe with nine, Jarett Brown and Nicholas Acker – who also recovered a fumble – with eight each, Jessie Paris with seven and a sack, Aaron Alderete with six, and James Jakubowski recorded five tackles.
The Kangaroos scored on their first drive of the game, as John Auldridge booted a 48-yard field goal to put HPU in a 3-0 hole just 1:46 into the contest.
Meraz then scored on a 5-yard carry at 6:13 of the first period, capping a 10-play. 63-yard drive, to boost Austin College’s edge to 10-0.
At the 12:29 mark of the second quarter, the Kangaroos extended the advantage to 17-0 on Magers’ 4-yard run, which ended a 10-play, 59-yard trek.
Howard Payne was able to trim to deficit to 10 points at halftime, 17-7, as Myles scored on a 12-yard carry to put the finishing touches on a six-play, 59-yard drive with 10:16 left in the second quarter.
The Yellow Jackets’ first drive of the second half resulted in a 30-yard Harrison Pustilnik field goal, which trimmed Austin College’s lead to 17-10. HPU was unable to further capitalize on a short field as the Jackets covered just 13 yards in their five snaps on the possession.
With 10:57 left in the contest, the Yellow Jackets finally drew even at 17 on a 4-yard scoring toss from McKinney to Carroll, which capped a 12-play, 63-yard journey.
Austin College regained a 20-17 lead on Aldridge’s 45-yard field goal with 2:58 let, but the Kangaroos were unable to fend off HPU’s comeback, as the Yellow Jackets led for just under a minute the entire contest.
***
| ASC FOOTBALL FINAL STANDINGS |
Conference Wins |
Conference Losses |
Overall Wins |
Overall Losses |
|
| Mary Hardin-Baylor | 8 | 0 | 9 | 1 | |
| Hardin-Simmons | 7 | 1 | 9 | 1 | |
| Howard Payne | 6 | 2 | 7 | 3 | |
| East Texas Baptist | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | |
| Sul Ross | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | |
| Texas Lutheran | 3 | 5 | 4 | 6 | |
| Southwestern | 2 | 6 | 3 | 7 | |
| McMurry | 1 | 7 | 1 | 9 | |
| Austin College | 1 | 7 | 1 | 9 |
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Week 11 Games (Nov. 10-12)
Howard Payne 23, Austin College 20
Mary Hardin-Baylor 62, McMurry 3
Hardin-Simmons 45, Texas Lutheran 16
Sul Ross 44, Southwestern 41
East Texas Baptist 43, North American 6
END OF REGULAR SEASON