ABILENE, Texas – Hardin-Simmons’ football team rallied for a 28-19 win over Howard Payne on Saturday afternoon in American Southwest Conference action at Shelton Stadium.
The Cowboys trailed 19-7 at halftime, but pitched a shutout and put 21 points on the board in the second half. The win put the two times in a tie for second place in the ASC title chase.
HSU is now 7-1 overall and 5-1 in league play. Howard Payne fell to 6-2 overall and the Yellow Jackets are also 5-1 in league play.
Howard Payne took the opening kickoff and went 75 yards in seven plays and Landon McKinney hit Hunter Cheek on a 49-yard touchdown pass.
HPU added to the lead with a 20-yard field goal from Harrison Pustinik with 9:55 to play in the first half.
On the ensuing kickoff, Jalen Crawford returned the kick 100 yards for a touchdown to put the Cowboys on the board.
Pustinik added another field goal to make it 13-7 and HPU scored again before halftime on a 39-yard pass from McKinney to Jordan Carroll with :22 to play in the half. The two-point attempt failed.
In the second half, Colton Marshall capped an 11-play, 66-yard drive with a 6-yard touchdown run.
The Cowboys took their first lead off the game with 4:20 to play in the third quarter when Gaylon Glynn hit Gatlin Martin on a 48-yard touchdown pass.
HSU sealed the game with a 14-play 81-yard drive in the fourth quarter. Marshall scored from 1-yard out with 2:50 to play.
HSU held the top offense in the league to 389 yards in the contest and just 102 yards in the second half.
Glynn was 10-for 22 for 206 yards and ran 14 times for a team-high 64 yards.
Terrell Franklin led the defense with 11 tackles and Dee Wheat had a career-best nine stops. HSU will host Austin College next week for senior day at 1 p.m. at Shelton Stadium.
