After trailing by 20 points entering a two hour lightning delay in the second quarter, the Howard Payne University football team was able to pull within two points midway through the fourth only to lose to Mississippi College 42-27 Saturday at Gordon Wood Stadium.
Ultimately, penalties killed HPU, as they had 17 flags for 201 yards. They also only scored four times on seven trips into the red zone.
HPU entered the lightning delay trailing 23-3. Once play resumed, HPU would score 17 unanswered points to make the game 20-23 with 13:30 left in the final quarter. The scores came from a 35-yard Mitchell Bailey field goal, a 20-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown from Chad Madden, and a 3-yard TD pass from Zach Hubbard to Cody Hambrick.
Once HPU was within three, MC would answer back and score on a six play, 65-yard drive in just over two minutes. The score was their first in the second half after being shutout in the third quarter. The drive was capped off with a 5-yard TD pass from Tommy Reyer to Randal Pharr, making the score 29-20, as they fumble their point after snap.
HPU would then answer right back with an eight play, 75-yard drive. Wide Receiver, Nic Morphew would dive and catch a 20-yard pass right up the center of the field from Hubbard to have HPU pull with two, 27-29 with 7:37 left in the game.
MC would deliver the knockout punch next when they answered back with another touchdown on the ensuing drive. It would take three minutes off the clock on seven plays, for 75-yards and would end with Reyer and Pharr hooking up again on a 39-yard TD pass and catch, and taking the score to 36-27.
This time, HPU was not able to answer back, as their next drive would stall out at their 26-yard line. MC would take over possession and finish the game off in three plays, ended with a one-yard run from Austin Divinity, for the final score 42-27 with only 1:46 left in the game.
The Yellow Jackets had four turnovers, all coming from QB Hubbard with four interceptions. MC had five turnovers themselves, with three fumbles and two interceptions.
MC had 396 yards of offense on 70 plays, with 208 passing yards and 188 rushing. HPU had 336 yards of offense on 83 plays, with 318 passing and 18 rushing.
HPU Wide Receiver, Hambrick had 10 catches for 106 yards and a TD. Morphew also had a good day with 5 receptions for 75 yards and a touchdown.
MC running back, Divinity finished the contest 113 yards rushing on 18 attempts for a 6.2-yard average and two touchdowns. WR Pharr had three TD receptions and 119 yards receiving.
MC Safety, Dustin Retherford had three of the Choctaws interceptions on the day, and also finished with three tackles. Luke Pettito led the team with 12 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 5 tackles for loss, and an interception.
HPU Linebacker, Demetrius Cody had 12 tackles and 1.5 for loss. Joey Lewis had two sacks and 10 tackles.
HPU goes to 2-6 overall and 1-5 in the American Southwest Conference. MC gets their first ASC win in the 2010 season and goes to 3-4 overall and 1-4 in the conference.
The next game for the Jackets will be at 2 p.m. Oct. 30, in Belton, Texas against University of Mary Hardin-Baylor.
