SEGUIN – The Coby Gipson coaching era of Howard Payne football is off to a 2-0 start following Saturday night’s first road test of the season, as the Yellow Jackets upended the Texas Lutheran Bulldogs, 28-18.

After spotting Texas Lutheran (0-2) the first touchdown of the contest, Howard Payne (2-0) reeled off 21 consecutive points to seize control.

A 48-yard touchdown carry by Ellis Myers with 20 seconds left in the first period allowed the Yellow Jackets to draw even at 7.

HPU forged in front, 14-7, with 9:47 remaining in the first half on an 11-yard touchdown run by Blessing Ngene.

Leading by seven at intermission, the Yellow Jackets started the second-half scoring with a 26-yard touchdown pass from Kahliq Paulette to Mateo Hernandez, extending the advantage to 21-7 with 8:19 left in the third quarter.

Texas Lutheran – which scored first on a 69-yard pass from Reece Deitrick to Weston Guzman – attempted to rally in the fourth period behind a 35-yard field goal from A’jean Augustine with 4:54 left, cutting the deficit to 21-10. Then, with 1:50 to go, Ja’Mare Nichols caught a 6-yard touchdown pass from Micah Casson, and Guzman added the two-point conversion, to close the gap to 21-18.

Howard Payne put the game out of reach with 40 seconds left, however, as Ngene scored again on a 33-yard carry for the final 10-point margin.

The Yellow Jackets finished with 303 yards of total offense – 190 rushing and 113 passing – with one turnover, while Texas Lutheran ended the night with 374 yards – 240 through he air and 134 on the ground – with a pair of turnovers.

Ngene chalked up a team-high 78 yards rushing for Howard Payne, followed by 48 from Myers, 36 from Paulette, and 23 from JD Mays.

Paulette was 10 of 14 through the air for 86 yards, while Chance Hehman grabbed four catches for 36 yards, and Hernandez finished with three receptions for 39 yards and the trip to the end zone.

Defensively for HPU, Justin Kay tallied nine tackles followed by Jerwayne Parker with seven, Cade Rochinski, Cameron Hall and Derrick Lewis with six each, and Michael Brown and Jayden Sellers with five apiece. Lewis also recorded a sack, while Ryan Campbell picked off a pass.

Next week, the Yellow Jackets return to Brownwood as they welcome Wayland Baptist (0-2) – which fell to Louisiana Christian, 43-37, Saturday night – for an 11 a.m. contest at Gordon Wood Stadium Saturday, Sept. 20.