HPU dismantles Texas Lutheran, 43-17, in season opener

September 4, 2021 at 5:00 pm Updated: September 6th, 2021 at 11:06 am Derrick Stuckly

Howard Payne head coach Jason Bachtel stated earlier this week the Yellow Jackets’ 39-38 loss to Texas Lutheran in the closing seconds during the COVID-mandated spring football season opener had lingered within the program for months.

On Saturday afternoon at Gordon Wood Stadium, the Yellow Jackets took out those frustrations as they pummeled the Texas Lutheran Bulldogs, 43-17, in the American Southwest Conference and traditional fall season opener.

Offensively, Howard Payne (1-0, 1-0) churned out 655 yards of total offense – 431 passing and 224 rushing – with only a late turnover. Defensively, the Yellow Jackets yielded 358 yards – 222 on the ground and 136 through – but just three scoring drives to Texas Lutheran (0-1, 0-1), while forcing a pair of takeaways.

HPU quarterback Landon McKinney, the ASC Freshman of the Year in the spring, completed 20 of 31 passes for 353 yards with three scoring tosses, while Nick Infante added 62 yards and a touchdown, completing 4 of 6 attempts.

All-American receiver Jake Parker caught two of the HPU touchdown passes and finished with a team-high five grabs for 93 yards. Fourteen Yellow Jackets caught at least one pass as Jordan Harris and Casey Dufner contributed scoring receptions of 40 and 8 yards, respectively. Otis Lanier finished with three grabs for 43 yards, Josh Aldama added two for 80, and Hunter Cheek (30 yards), Brazos Gadler (29 yards), Collyn Shipley (28 yards), and Javonte Russell (23 yards) also caught two passes apiece.

The Jackets’ ground game was anchored by Stephen Willis with 93 yards, Tauren Bradley with 88 yards and a touchdown, Derrick Berry with 45 yards and Peter McFarlin with 20 yards.

On the defensive end for HPU, Peyton Lowe logged a team-best 10 tackles including one for loss, followed by Jarrett Brown, Kyle Bell and Riley Butts with six tackles apiece. Butts finished with two tackles for loss, and the Jackets recorded eight as a team.

Texas Lutheran quarterback Seth Cosme passed for 136 yards and rushed for 38, DaKory Willis and Jacob Forton chipped in 79 and 73 rushing yards, respectively, and one touchdown apiece, and Trent Stefka grabbed six receptions for 96 yards.

After yielding a field goal on the opening drive of the game, HPU answered with a short boot from Blake Phipps to knot the score at 3 just 4:30 into the contest.

The Yellow Jackets took the lead, 10-3, with 1:25 left in the first quarter as Parker caught a 9-yard slant route from McKinney to cap a nine-play, 80-yard drive.

HPU tacked on a 24-yard field goal from Phipps with 1:36 left in the second period as the Yellow Jackets owned a 13-3 halftime edge.

The Yellow Jackets pulled away in the third quarter thanks to a trio of touchdowns. Parker caught a 10-yard touchdown from McKinney, Bradley added a 1-yard dive, and Harris caught his 40-yard touchdown at the 4:36 mark of the third.

TLU mustered just a 10-yard touchdown run by Willis in that span and trailed 33-10 heading into the fourth period.

Just 12 seconds into the fourth quarter, Alexandro Hernandez booted a 30-yard field goal for the Jackets, while Dufner added an 8-yard scoring reception from Infante with 8:13 left to cap the HPU scoring.

Next week, Howard Payne hits the road for the first of three straight games away from Brownwood, venturing to McMurry for a 1 p.m. Saturday ASC tilt. The War Hawks’ scheduled season-opener against Trinity on Saturday was cancelled due to COVID concerns.

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AMERICAN SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE

Conference Overall

Howard Payne 1 0 1 0

Belhaven 0 0 1 0

East Texas Baptist 0 0 1 0

Hardin-Simmons 0 0 1 0

Mary Hardin-Baylor 0 0 1 0

Austin College 0 0 0 0

McMurry 0 0 0 0

Sul Ross 0 0 0 0

Southwestern 0 0 0 1