PLAINVIEW, Texas – Wayland Baptist University Football jumped out to a first-quarter lead against Howard Payne University, but the Yellow Jackets responded with 23 unanswered points as the Pioneers fell 37-17 Saturday at Greg Sherwood Memorial Stadium.
Wayland opened the scoring on its first possession, putting together an 11-play, 71-yard drive. Trent McLemore capped the drive with a 21-yard field goal to give the Pioneers a 3-0 advantage with 11:14 remaining in the opening quarter. Howard Payne answered with a 52-yard touchdown pass from Bryce Still to Ellis Myers to move ahead 7-3.
The Pioneers responded with one of their biggest drives of the night. Quarterback Aidan Crawford connected with Mark Mukiibi for gains of 35 and 41 yards during an 80-yard scoring drive. Kye Callicoatte finished it with a five-yard touchdown run, and McLemore's extra point put Wayland back in front, 10-7, with 4:04 remaining in the first quarter.
Wayland's defense created another opportunity moments later when Chamarion Bush forced and recovered a Howard Payne fumble at the Yellow Jackets' 40-yard line. The Pioneers were unable to turn the takeaway into points, however.
Howard Payne took control during the second quarter. Still scored on a nine-yard run to put the Yellow Jackets ahead 14-10 before connecting with Deuce Martin on a four-yard touchdown pass. Howard Payne carried a 20-10 advantage into halftime.
The Yellow Jackets extended their lead in the third quarter behind J.D. Mays, who broke free for a 62-yard run before scoring from four yards out to make it 27-10. A 37-yard field goal from Osvaldo Gomez later pushed the margin to 30-10.
Wayland continued to fight and found the end zone early in the fourth quarter. Crawford connected with Ethan Palmer for 66 yards to move the Pioneers deep into Howard Payne territory. Four plays later, Crawford found Reggie Hurley for a six-yard touchdown on fourth down. McLemore converted the extra point to cut the deficit to 30-17 with 13:41 remaining.
Howard Payne answered with the final score of the game when Still connected with Myers for a 38-yard touchdown with 7:35 remaining, producing the 37-17 final.
Crawford led the Wayland passing attack, completing 16 of 33 passes for 284 yards and one touchdown without an interception. Mukiibi led the receiving corps with four catches for 114 yards, while Palmer finished with three receptions for 89 yards, highlighted by his 66-yard reception. Dontevius Williams added three catches for 27 yards.
Defensively, Brayden Hamby led the Pioneers with 17 total tackles, including seven solo stops and 10 assists. Tyrone Morgan followed with nine tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss, while Brennen Davis recorded eight tackles. Kacen Anthony added three tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and Wayland's lone sack.
Wayland finished with 344 yards of total offense, including 290 through the air and 54 on the ground. Howard Payne totaled 601 yards, with 405 passing and 196 rushing. The Pioneers were a perfect 3-for-3 in red-zone scoring opportunities, recording two touchdowns and a field goal.
Wayland will return to the road for its next matchup, traveling to Tyler, TX, to face Texas College on Saturday, Sept. 26. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.
