Looking to make noise on the national level, the Howard Payne Yellow Jackets fell short in their bid for a crucial non-conference victory as the Oregon-based George Fox Bruins left Gordon Wood Stadium with a 42-39 win Saturday night.
The Yellow Jackets (1-1, 1-0 in ASC) were forced into catch-up mode in the second half as a 14-3 scoring edge for George Fox (2-0) in the second period put Howard Payne in a 21-10 halftime hole.
HPU compiled 539 yards of total offense on 98 plays, but committed three turnovers with two interceptions and a lost fumble. George Fox produced 427 yards on 59 snaps and did not commit a turnover.
The Yellow Jackets rushed for 281 yards as Tauren Bradley generated 115 yards on the ground, Billy Reagins chipped in 93 yards, quarterback Landon McKinney added 42 yards and two scores, and Javian Myles racked up 28 yards and scored once.
Through the air, McKinney completed 25 of 42 passes for 249 yards with two touchdowns and a pair of interceptions. Leading receivers included Otis Lanier (10-115), Jordan Carroll (4-43, TD), Hunter Cheek (3-47, TD), Deon Collins (3-25), Samuel Sims (3-21) and Gavin Rountree (3-7).
Defensive standouts for the Yellow Jackets were K.C. Cornelious with seven tackles, Kyle Bell with five, Jessie Paris with four, and Jarret Brown, Peyton Lowe, Jimmy Jakubowski and Dylan Zeno with three tackles each.
George Fox quarterback Haiden Schaan connected on 19 of 35 passes for 351 yards with five touchdowns as leading receivers included Leon Johnson IV (7-152, 3 TDs) and Dillan Dobbins (7-132, TD).
Logan Candanoza sparked the ground game with 51 yards, while Schaan chipped in 15 yards and a rushing touchdown.
Howard Payne struck first just 2:22 into the contest on a 37-yard scoring toss from McKinney to Cheek, but George Fox responded with the next two touchdowns – a 12-yard pass from Schaan to Johnson and a 9-yard toss from Schaan to Josh Hausenstein – as the Bruins grabbed a 14-7 lead just 38 seconds into the second quarter.
The Yellow Jackets’ only points of the second quarter came on a 20-yard Samuel Rodriguez field goal at the 6:32 mark, which capped a 20-play. 62-yard march.
George Fox extended its lead to 21-10 – which it carried into the halftime locker room – thanks to an 18-yard connection from Schaan to Johnson at the 2:35 mark of the second quarter. The touchdown was set up by a sack against McKinney, who coughed up the ball at the HPU 13.
The two teams traded touchdowns throughout the second half, but the Yellow Jackets could never surge ahead.
Carroll’s 3-yard touchdown pass from McKinney closed the gap to 21-17 at 11:01 of the third period; McKinney’s 2-yard run and a two-point pass to Lanier made the score 28-25 with 8:46 left; McKinney’s 12-yard sprint with 5:10 remaining brought the Yellow Jackets within 35-32; and Myles’ 3-yard touchdown carry with 2:07 to go resulted in the final 42-39 score.
The Yellow Jackets will be back in action at 3 p.m. Saturday in Prosper as they battle Hendrix (1-1) – which was thumped by Washington (Mo.), 52-7, Saturday – in a neutral site non-conference tilt.
