BELTON, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor football team closed out the 2024 regular season with a 63-7 win over Howard Payne University Saturday afternoon in Belton. The win improved the Cru to 6-3 on the season and 4-2 in American Southwest Conference action while the Yellow Jackets ended their 2024 campaign at 1-8 overall with a 0-6 mark in league play.
 
Edwin Lopez opened scoring for the Cru, kicking a 35-yard field goal on the Cru's second offensive possession. Dillan Botts forced a fourth-and-23 on Howard Payne's next possession and UMHB responded with another field goal from Lopez.
 
Mason Cavness and Durand Hill forced back-to-back turnovers on the Yellow Jackets' ensuing offensive possessions but UMHB came up empty on both drives. Cavness opened the second quarter with a five-yard sack in the end zone, forcing a safety for an 8-0 Cru lead. UMHB followed with a 41-yard drive, capped by a touchdown pass from Jake Wright to Ranius Daramola for a 15-0 margin.
 
Wright hit Jerry Cephus for a 40-yard completion two offensive drives later before Tyler Woods lined up in the wildcat and punched it in for a one-yard score. UMHB drove late again at the end of the quarter but an interception on a botched trick play ended the threat at the HPU eight yard-line.
 
Lopez opened the second half with another field goal, kicking in a 34-yarder after a six-play, 38-yard drive. UMHB forced a three-and-out on the next series and marched back down the field, capping that drive with another field goal from Lopez (26 yards). Matthew Jackson found the end zone on the next series, returning a punt 46 yards for the first touchdown of the second half. Gavin Brzezinski intercepted a pass on the Yellow Jackets' next play before Wright found Jerry Cephus for 41 yards and another touchdown just 22 seconds after Jackson's return. Lopez added his fifth field goal at 2:11 left in the third, sailing one from 41 yards out before Zha'Mauryon Lofton intercepted on Howard Payne's next possession to give UMHB the ball back headed into the fourth.
 
Lopez answered again, kicking a 23-yard field goal with 14:55 to play. UMHB forced a fumble on the kickoff and used a three-yard rush from Cameron Bibins to take a 54-0 lead less than 20 seconds later. Howard Payne responded with its only scoring drive of the game, using nine plays to go 75 yards and score with a one-yard rush from Jackson Meller.
 
Matthew Jackson struck again on special teams, returning the ensuing kickoff 86 yards for another touchdown and a 61-7 lead. UMHB's defense added one more safety for finality, ending the contest in a 63-7 UMHB win.
 
UMHB totaled 390 yards of offense, anchored by Jake Wright with 158 yards on 10 completions. Eight different receivers caught passes in the contest with Cephus and Daramola each adding touchdowns. Cephus also added a team-high 102 yards on his four grabs. UMHB used nine different rushers to earn 201 yards on the ground with Bibins and Woods each adding scores.
 
Cavness led the Cru defensively, totaling eight tackles with three tackles for loss, one sack and one forced fumble. Dillan Botts added three tackles for loss and a sack while Durand Hill had three tackles, one tackle for loss, one sack and one interception. Hill also completed a pass to Noah Gasque on fourth down to keep one drive alive and converted on another, rushing for 30 yards.
 
Edwin Lopez's six made field goals set a new UMHB and American Southwest Conference record and tied the NCAA Division III mark. He added nine kickoffs for 523 yards and five extra points. Lopez also punted two times for 86 yards.
 
UMHB awaits its fate in the 2024 NCAA Division III Football Playoffs with the selection show scheduled for Sunday, November 17^th at 4 p.m. on NCAA.com