Box Score BROWNWOOD, Texas – Hardin-Simmons' football team rolled to a 38-6 American Southwest Conference win over Howard Payne in the season opener on Saturday Night at Gordon Wood Stadium in Brownwood.
After the Yellow Jackets missed a field goal on their opening drive, the Cowboys took the ball and went 79 yards in eight plays for a touchdown. New Cowboy quarterback
Kyle Brown hit former West Texas A&M teammate
Kris Sims on a 21-yard touchdown pass and
Grayson Bearden hit the PAT to give HSU a 7-0 lead with 6:15 to play in the first quarter.
HPU came right back with a 74-yard touchdown pass from Zy Grvitt to Jackson Meller.
Braden Hargrove blocked the PAT. It was the only time HPU scored in the contest.
Noah Garcia put the Cowboys back on the board when he capped a 14-play, 69-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown run. Bearden added a 31-yard field goal to make it 17-6 with 3:51 to play in the first half. The defense then got the offense the ball back and Brown led a nine-play 46-yard drive and Gacia scored on a 9-yard run with :08 to play in the half. Bearden's PAT gave the Cowboys a 24-6 lead at halftime.
Brown found the end zone himself with 4:47 to play in the third quarter with a 13-yard scramble. The TD capped an 11-play, 80-yard drive.
Garcia added his third touchdown of the game with 13:09 to play on a 9-yard touchdown run.
HSU finished the game with 394 yards of offense and held HPU to 272 yards.
Harrison Foster led the Cowboy with 11 tackles and an interception in his first game as a Cowboy.
Charlie Patterson added seven tackles for the Cowboys.
Brown was 22-of-33 for 209 yards through the air.
Noah Garcia had 87 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
The Cowboys will hit the road to Milton, Mass. for an 11 a.m. (CST) game next Saturday at Curry College.
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