Boxscore
ABILENE, Texas - Hardin-Simmons' football team
has had a lot of dominating wins in the Jimmie Keeling era,
Saturday's 60-13 win over Howard Payne may have been the most
dominant as the Cowboys averaged 11.2 yards per play.
The Cowboy offensive line opened huge holes all day and the HSU
runners took advantage to the tune of a school record 499 yards on
47 carries. The passing game was equally effective as Justin
Feaster went 10-for-11 for 175 yards and two touchdowns in the
first half and he didn't touch the field after halftime as the game
was decided well before then.
Steven Rockwell had 178 yards on 16 carries and scored three
touchdowns. Derrick Grant had eight carries for 126 yards,
including a school-record 93-yard touchdown run.
Howard Payne took the ball on the first drive of the game and
went three and out. Mychal Carrillo returned the ensuing punt 42
yards to the Howard Payne 29 yard line and the Cowboys went the 29
yards in five plays, all on the ground and Grant scored from three
yards out to make it Matt Fields PAT made it 7-0.
Another three-and-out and a short punt gave the Cowboys the ball
at their own 49 and they went the 51 yards in three plays. All were
rushes by Rockwell, including a 28-yarder for the touchdown. HSU
had not thrown a pass and it was 13-0 after a missed PAT.
The Cowboys forced another puny and then HSU went 96 yards in 10
plays and Carrillo scored on a 31-yard touchdown pass from Feaster
to make it 19-0 as the first quarter buzzer sounded. Matt Fields
missed the PAT.
After the defense forced another punt, HSU ran it four times for
78 yards and a touchdown. Carrillo had a 53-yard reverse and then
Rockwell finished the drive with runs of eight, six and 11-yards.
The defense forced its fifth straight punt to start the game and
the Cowboys scored on the first play of the next series. Feaster
found tight end Jerrad Grisham over the middle and he beat his
defender and raced 60 yards for a touchdown. Fields made the PAT
and it was 33-0 with 8:03 to play in the half.
HPU (2-4, 1-3 ASC) went 60 yards in eight plays to get on the
scoreboard on the next drive but HSU came right back with a
seven-play 80-yard drive. Rockwell finished it off with a 27-yard
touchdown run. HPU drove to the HSU 30, but turned it over on downs
and the Cowboys ran one play then took a knee to run out the first
half clock with a 40-6 lead. It was the only drive the Cowboys did
not score a touchdown on in the game, until the final two of the
game.
Freshman quarterback Taylor Byrd started the second half and HSU
took the ball and went right down the field for a score. Rockwell
did most of the work on the drive, but Byrd finished it with his
first career touchdown on a quarterback sneak.
On the next HPU series Ricky Poe intercepted his team-leading
fourth pass of the year as HPU had drive to the HSU five and Grant
took the first play 93 yards for a score. Fields PAT made it 53-6.
The teams traded touchdowns. Jayce Boyd did the honors for the
Cowboys on a 11-yard run with 13:38 to play in the game. HSU
stopped HPU on a goal-line stand on fourth down on the next
possession and then after a punt by the Cowboys, Damien Gradney had
an interception in his first varsity action for the Cowboys. HSU
took a knee to end the game.
The Cowboys rolled up 692 yards of offense in the game and
averaged 11.2 yards per play.
--- HSU ---
