Box Score

Hardin-Simmons 59, Howard Payne 24
ABILENE, Texas  — Hardin-Simmons rushed for 381 yards en route to a 59-24 win over Howard Payne in homecoming and American Southwest Conference action at Shelton Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Senior running back Tevin Mitchell ran for 243 yards and two touchdowns and Bryce Johnson added 81 yards and three more scores.

The Cowboys jumped to a quick 14-0 lead as Mitchell capped a six-play 77-yard drive with a 10-yard touchdown run. After a quick defensive stand Josh Christian hit Jessie Ramos on a 30-yard touchdown pass to make it 14-0 with 8:10 to play in the first quarter.

HPU answered with a Joshua Martinez 22-yard field goal after a 79-yard drive stalled in the red zone. Mike Hursh added a 30-yard field goal for HSU on the first play of the second quarter.

Zarron Dove scored on a one-yard run capping a 13-play, 74-yard drive and then Kevin Dominguez scored on a two-yard pass from Richard Young to tie the game at 17 with 6:04 to play in the first half.

Johnson then scored the first of his three touchdowns on an eight-yard run with 3:39 to play in the first half.
Jessie Ramos took the second half kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown. It was his second touchdown on a kick return this season. It was also his fourth career return for a TD, tying Jared May's school record.

Dove scored on a 33-yard run for HPU with 12:38 to play in the third quarter. It was the last time the Yellow Jackets would score.

HSU added a 2-yard touchdown run by Mitchell, a 42-yard fumble return by freshman J.W. Barnes and Johnson scored on runs of 12 and 8 yards to give HSU the final 28 points of the game.

Senior linebacker Jonathan Wilder had 17 total tackles in the game to set a career high. Korey Zavala had five tackles and a pair of sacks. Jordan Shaw led HPU with 13 tackles.

Richard Young completed 36-of-53 passes for 280 yards for HPU and Josh Christian was 14-for-24 for 168 yards and a touchdown.

HSU rolled up 587 yards of total offense in the game.

HSU is now 2-3 on the year and 1-1 in ASC play. Howard Payne fell to an identical 2-3 overall and 1-1 in league play.

The Cowboys play at East Texas Baptist next Saturday at 6 p.m.
 
Box Score
 
Mississippi College 34, Sul Ross State 30
ALPINE, Texas  — The Mississippi College football team spoiled Sul Ross State's "Homecoming" by scoring the final 14 points of the contest to grab a 34-30 win on Saturday afternoon at Jackson Field.
 
For the Choctaws (2-3, 2-0 ASC), it was their second straight win, giving them their first back-to-back wins since beating Howard Payne and Sul Ross State in October of 2010. MC beat Hardin-Simmons last week in Clinton, 49-35.
 
Junior quarterback Jonathon Redd accounted for 250 total yards and four touchdowns, throwing for 232 yards and three scores and adding a nine-yard rushing touchdown. Redd opened the scoring in the first quarter with his third rushing touchdown in the last two weeks, capping off a seven-play, 43-yard drive.
 
The Lobos (0-5, 0-2 ASC) scored the next 17 points, highlighted by a 31-yard pass from wide receiver Cordrick Mobley to Xavier Jefferson in the second quarter. Mobley also caught six passes for 68 yards to go along with the touchdown pass.
 
Sophomore Hunter Estess connected on a 26-yard field goal with 5:21 remaining in the first half, and the two teams went into the halftime break with the Lobos leading, 17-10.  The field goal came after sophomore Trace Lane blocked a punt, giving the Choctaws three blocked punts in two weeks.
 
The Choctaws would tie it up on the opening drive of the second half when Redd tossed his first touchdown pass of the game, a five-yard throw to senior Alex Archer. The Shreveport, La. native led the team with six catches for 91 yards and a score.
 
Estess would give the Choctaws the lead, 20-17, with a career-long field goal of 42 yards with 5:31 remaining in the third quarter. The Laurel, Miss. native was 2-for-3 on field goals in the game and had four touchbacks on seven kick-offs.
 
The Lobos answered right back on the following drive, taking the ball 75 yards on 11 plays and cashing in with a three-yard scoring run by quarterback Jeremy Boatright.  Boatright threw for 180 yards and rushed for 42 yards with two scores.
 
Sul Ross State pushed the lead to 30-20 with 11:09 remaining when Keyon Lee scored on a 34-yard run. Sophomore linebacker Brooks Villarreal blocked the extra point, keeping the Choctaws within the 10-point margin.
 
On the next kick-off, freshman Adrian Cerrato set the Choctaws up with good field position, returning the kick 36 yards to get near mid-field. MC needed just four plays to go 52 yards, scoring on a 43-yard pass from Redd to freshman Dossie Rivers.  The catch and run was Rivers' first career touchdown reception.
 
The MC defense took their turn on the field, forcing the Lobo offense to turn it over on downs and give the Choctaw offense the ball at their own 37-yard line. On 4th-and-3, junior Jake Weddle stopped Boatright's rush attempt and got MC the ball.
 
Weddle led the team with 15 tackles, making it the third straight week he's had double-digit stops. The Frisco, Texas native also had 3.0 tackles for loss for the second straight week.  Freshman Ashford Ashiofu had 10 tackles for the Choctaw defense.
 
The MC offense needed nine plays to go all 63 yards, and the Choctaws took the lead when Redd tossed his third touchdown of the game, a 12-yard pass to junior Jaime Harris with 3:49 remaining on the clock. Rivers caught five passes for 54 yards and the score, while Harris had four catches for 28 yards and the go-ahead touchdown.
 
Sul Ross advanced the ball to the MC 31-yard line and had a 4th-and-1 with just over two minutes to play.  The Choctaw defense again forced a turnover on downs when Weddle forced a fumble that was recovered by Villarreal, who finished the game with seven tackles to go along with the recovery and the blocked extra point.
 
The Lobos forced an MC punt with just over a minute to play and set up shop at their own 37-yard line. They moved the ball to the MC 39, but freshman Reginald Bennett intercepted Boatright's pass in the end zone as time expired to clinch the victory.
 
The Choctaw offense controlled the clock with over 34 minutes of possession, including five possessions of over three minutes. MC held the ball for over 11 minutes in the third quarter.
 
The Lobos hurt themselves by committing 14 penalties for 218 yards. Hassa Lipscombe led Sul Ross State with 121 rushing yards on 12 carries. Keyon Lee also had 104 yards on 15 carries.
 
The Choctaws will return home next weekend to host Howard Payne at 1:00 p.m. at Robinson-Hale Stadium.
 
Box Score
 
Louisiana College 31, East Texas Baptist 24
PINEVILLE, La. - In a game that saw just about everything – including a lightning delay for more than an hour – the Louisiana College Wildcats overcame another shaky first half to defeat East Texas Baptist 31-24 in the annual Battle for the Border Claw at Wildcat Stadium.

Behind freshman quarterback Trevor Spear, who was making his first collegiate start, the Tigers jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead. Spear connected with Jamaine Sherman for a 65-yard touchdown pass on ETBU's first offensive play of the game, then, on the Tigers' next possession, Spear capped a 12-play, 92-yard drive with a touchdown run from the one.

The Wildcats, who struggled again on offense in the first half, finally got on the board early in the second quarter when freshman quarterback Easton Melancon hit Ladarius Gardner with a 16-yard touchdown pass to cut ETBU's lead to 14-7.

LC's defense, keyed by 11 first-half tackles from senior linebacker Dominic Graham, held Spear and the ETBU offense in check until the final play of the half. That's when Spear connected with DJ Williams for a 33-yard touchdown "Hail Mary" pass as the clock struck zero – ETBU took the lead and the momentum into half, 21-7.

"We said, 'this has got to stop – we need to fix this,'" senior linebacker Daniel Hebert said. "We said, 'we can't fight each other – we need to fight them. We need to come together,' and that's exactly what we did in the second half."

Despite giving up 411 yards to ETBU for the game, the Wildcats limited the Tigers to just three points in the final two quarters – a field goal by Cory McNeil midway through the third quarter.

In the meantime, the LC offense finally got into a rhythm – keyed by senior running back Ryan Montague. On the Wildcats' first offensive series of the third quarter, Montague rushed for 43 yards to help set up fellow senior running back Reggie Sims' seven-yard touchdown run with 12:16 to cut the ETBU lead to 21-14.

Following McNeil's field goal, the Wildcats got another strong push from Montague. An eight-play, 55-yard drive was capped by Montague's 14-yard touchdown run – the 28th of his LC career – breaking the previous career rushing touchdown mark set by Wayne Davis. That score had the Wildcats within three, 24-21. Montague would finish the game with 161 yards on 28 carries.

"To get that record with the win, that made me feel better," Montague said. "I couldn't have done it without my team."
 
The end of the third quarter and start of the fourth saw two key defensive stands for the Wildcats. The first was an ETBU drive that ended at the LC 14 when McNeil missed a 31-yard field goal attempt. The next stop came after a Melancon pass was tipped and intercepted by the Tigers' Drew Benge at the LC 29. But, two key ETBU penalties and the inability to pick up a first down saw the Tigers have to punt to end that opportunity.

As the fourth quarter began, LC would take its first lead of the game with an impressive 13-play, 83-yard drive. LC coach Dennis Dunn, who began the game by coaching from the press box, returned to the sideline to call one of his patented trick plays. With sophomore cornerback Richard Jefferson taking a direct snap from the "Wildcat" formation, Jefferson pitched to running back Percy Johnson who then flipped the ball to Melancon – Melancon then finding an open Kyle Galyon in the end zone for the 19-yard score to give LC its first lead at 28-24.

"The middle of the field was open all game," Galyon said. "When I turned around, I saw Easton kind of fumbling it because it was wet, but once he got a grip on it and let it go, I knew it was going to be a touchdown."

Following another LC defensive stand, the Wildcats sealed the game when Adan Olivares connected for a 27-yard field goal to increase LC's lead to 31-24 with 1:22 left in the game.

Any thoughts the Tigers had of stealing a win came to an end with successive sacks of Spear by Preston Thibeaux and Daniel Hebert. On fourth and 23, Spear's final pass fell into the arms of junior safety Shaquille O'Neal who returned it 33 yards to the ETBU seven.

With two seconds left on the clock, Melancon took the final snap from the victory formation to give the Wildcats the 31-24 win and the right to maintain possession of "The Border Claw" – the trophy that symbolizes the rivalry between the two schools.

For the game, Melancon finished 17-of-33 for 224 yards and two touchdowns. Galyon remained Melancon's favorite target with five catches for 86 yards. Cole Crook added five catches for 63 yards.Spear was 13-of-25 for 230 yards and two TDs for ETBU.

Spear was also ETBU's second-leading rusher with 24 yards on 17 carries. Toi Glover led the Tigers with 153 yards on 32 carries. Sherman was ETBU's leading receiver with 110 yards on four catches.

With the win, the Wildcats improve to 4-1 on the season, 2-0 in the American Southwest Conference. ETBU feel to 2-3/0-1. LC's next game will be their toughest to date as the Wildcats travel to Belton, Texas to face Mary Hardin-Baylor Saturday, Oct. 19 at 1 p.m. The Cru, who are 5-0 and ranked No. 3 in the latest D3Football.com poll, had a bye this week. LC has never beaten UMHB since its return to college football in 2000.

"We're not worrying about the name, it's just another game," Galyon said. "We plan to work on us, and work on our game."