BROWNWOOD, Texas -- Hardin-Simmons' football team won its fifth straight game with a 51-20 win over Howard Payne on Saturday afternoon in American Southwest Conference action at Gordon Wood Stadium.

The Cowboys came out and dominated the first half. On the second possession for HPU James Place picked off Richard Young and it set up a short field. Weston Garner capped a five-play 34-yard drive with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Taylor Rotenberry.

HSU made it 14-0 when Garner scrambled and found Jessie Ramos, who did a 360 move and then kept his balance a couple of times and went 54 yards for a touchdown with 2:20 to play in the first quarter.

Garner again scrambled and found Ramos on a broken play and he scored from 29 yards out and Kerry Sloan made it 28-0 right before halftime with a 3-yard touchdown run.

Aroldo Nandin scored on fourth down for the Jackets from 1-yard out to cap a 14-play 86-yard drive in the third quarter for HPU. Garrett Martin gave the Cowboys their only points of the third quarter when he blocked a punt out of the end zone for a safety to make it 30-6.

Zarron Dove scored for HPU and Sloan answered for the Cowboys to make it 37-13. Young scored for HPU and Stehl Ratliff scored on a 17-yard run for the Cowboys. Ratliff, is a Brownwood native playing in his old high school stadium.

On the next possession Darren Seamster, who tore his ACL earlier in the season, and was in his first game back playing with the torn ACL, returned an interception 33 yards for a score to make it 51-20.

HSU rolled up 477 yards of offense, including 255 on the ground. Garner completed 20-of-26 passes for 222 yards and three touchdowns. Ramos had eight catches for 161 yards and two scores and Sloan had 142 yards rushing and two touchdowns.

Matt Hawkins led the defense with nine tackles, and had two sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss.

HSU is now 5-1 on the year and 2-0 in ASC action and set up a showdown with No. 2 Mary Hardin-Baylor next weekend in Belton for sole possession of first place in the conference. HPU fell to 4-3 overall and 1-1 in ASC action.

--- www.hsuathletics.com ---