UMHB’s 44-yard field goal on final snap thwarts HPU’s upset bid, 27-24

November 5, 2022 at 5:13 pm Derrick Stuckly

Jordan Carroll (82) wrestled this pass away from Mary Hardin-Baylor’s Dorian Williams (27) for a 6-yard touchdown catch with 31 seconds left, which brought the Yellow Jackets within 24-22 Saturday afternoon.

The Howard Payne Yellow Jackets drove 78 yards in 15 plays to score a touchdown and covert a two-point conversion to pull even with reigning national champion Mary Hardin-Baylor with 31 seconds remaining.

But in half a minute, the third-ranked Cru marched 48 yards in five snaps to set up Anthony Avila’s game-winning 44-yard field as time expired, and Mary Hardin-Baylor escaped with a 27-24 victory Saturday afternoon at Gordon Wood Stadium.

The loss prevented the Yellow Jackets (6-3, 5-2) – which last defeated Mary Hardin-Baylor, 24-20, in Brownwood in 2005 – from potentially securing a share of the American Southwest Conference championship, which would have been HPU’s first league title since 1995. Instead, UMHB (8-1, 7-0) clinched its 17^th consecutive ASC championship – two of which were vacated due to NCAA violations.

Howard Payne edged Mary Hardin-Baylor in total yards, 311-308, but the Yellow Jackets committed a pair costly turnovers that resulted in short fields and two Crusader touchdowns. Meanwhile, the Yellow Jacket created one takeaway, which resulted in a field goal for HPU.

Jacket quarterback Landon McKinney completed 23 of 38 passes for 201 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. Otis Lanier caught a team-high seven passes for 48 yards followed by Samuel Sims with five grabs for 48 yards, Tauren Bradley with four for 45, Deon Collins with three for 25, and Jordan Carroll with two for 20 yards and a score. On the ground, Billy Reagins compiled a team-best 45 yards followed by Bradley with 30 yards and a touchdown and McKinney with 27 yards.

Defensively for HPU, K.C. Cornelious recorded seven tackles and a sack followed by Jarett Brown, Kyle Bell and Jessie Paris with six tackles apiece. James Jakubowski and Brevin Wilson both contributed five tackles, and Wilson was credited with a sack and a half. Dylan Zeno recorded the takeaway for the Yellow Jackets with an interception.

UMHB quarterback Kyle King connected on 18 of 29 passes for 195 yards with two touchdowns and a pick. Jamaal Hamilton led the way with seven catches for 67 yards, Brandon Jordan added four for 51 and a touchdown, and Jerry Day caught a 17-yard scoring reception. Kenneth Miller Jr. rushed for a team-high 40 yards while Aphonso Thomas Jr. chipped in 29 yards and a score on the ground.

Brownwood High School graduate Tommy Bowden collected six tackles for the Crusaders, which trailed only Durand Hill (18 tackles), Johnny Smith-Rider (10 tackles, 1 interception), Tristan Green (nine tackles) and Titus Dunk (eight tackles).

Trailing 24-16 with 6:38 left, Howard Payne took over on its own 22 following a 49-yard punt. The Yellow Jackets methodically moved down the field and eventually faced a third-and-goal at the UMHB 6. There, McKinney tossed up a jump ball in the back right corner of the end zone that appeared to be picked off by Crusader Dorian Williams. But Carroll was able to reach around the defender and wrestle away the ball, securing an unlikely touchdown with 31 seconds to go.

Needing a two-point conversion to tie and possibly force overtime, McKinney connected with Lanier on a slant in the end zone which evened the score at 24.

Taking over at their own 25, the Crusaders picked up 24 yards on the first snap of the series as King scrambled to near midfield. King then completed passes of 9 and 13 yards to Hamilton on the sideline, which moved the ball to the HPU 27 with two seconds left and set up the decisive field goal.

Howard Payne struck first with a 15-play, 58-yard drive that resulted in a Harrison Pustilnik field goal – the first of his three – that staked the Yellow Jackets to a 3-0 lead with 8:47 left in the first quarter.

UHMB responded with a seven-play, 58-yard scoring drive that ended with Jordan’s 7-yard catch from King that boosted the Crusaders in front, 7-3.

The Yellow Jackets regained the edge, 10-7, when Bradley scored on a 5-yard carry on the final play of the first period.

Howard Payne added a field goal with 7:33 left in the half, as Pustilnik was successful from 18 yards out. The drive was set up by Zeno’s interception at the UMHB 16 after the Crusaders began their possession at their own 1. HPU wiped a field goal off the board earlier in the scoring drive due to a roughing the kicker penalty, but the Yellow Jackets were still unable to push the ball across the goal line.

Leading 13-7 with less than a minute left in the first half, it appeared HPU would take its second straight lead over a Top 10 foe into the halftime locker room. But McKinney was picked off by Smith-Rider on third-and-6 from the Yellow Jacket 12 with 38 seconds left before the break. King then connected with Day from 17 yards out on the very next play, and UMHB carried a 14-13 edge into intermission.

The two teams traded field goals in the third period as Avila was good from 24 yards out at the 6:11 mark to stretch the UMHB edge to 17-13, while Pustilnik answered with a 41-yard boot with 15 seconds left in the quarter.

Mary Hardin-Baylor then capitalized on a second HPU miscue, as a screen pass attempt by McKinney was deflected and picked off by Kobe Giles at the Yellow Jacket 20. A 19-yard pass on first down set up Thomas’ 1-yard touchdown carry, which extended the UMHB cushion to 24-16 with 10:35 remaining.

The Yellow Jackets will conclude their second straight season with a winning record at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12 at Austin College (1-8, 1-6), which is coming off a 31-3 loss at No. 8 Hardin-Simmons (8-1, 6-1).

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American SW Conference	Conference Wins	Conference Losses	Overall Wins	Overall Losses
Mary Hardin-Baylor	7	0	8	1
Hardin-Simmons	6	1	8	1
Howard Payne	5	2	6	3
East Texas Baptist	4	4	4	5
Sul Ross	3	4	3	6
Texas Lutheran	3	4	4	5
Southwestern	2	5	3	6
McMurry	1	6	1	8
Austin College	1	6	1	8