BELTON, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor football team bookended Howard Payne Saturday afternoon in Belton, scoring 14 first-quarter points and 20 fourth-quarter points en route to a 41-17 win over the Yellow Jackets. The win improved the Cru to 4-3 on the season and 2-1 in American Southwest Conference action while Howard Payne fell to 3-4 overall and 1-2 in league play.
 
A total of 24 points were scored in the first quarter as both offenses came out firing. UMHB opened with a 73-yard, eight-play drive, capped by a ten-yard touchdown pass from Kirkland Michaux to Quinci Jones. Howard Payne responded with a six-play drive to tie the game at seven before UMHB's offense took over again, driving 34 yards for another touchdown. Asa Osbourn rushed for 14 yards in that series before Michaux hit B.J. Stewart for back-to-back completions, including the nine-yard touchdown.
 
Howard Payne drove on their next drive but UMHB's defense held them to a 32-yard field goal, giving the Cru a 14-10 lead after the first quarter of action. The Cru tacked on another scoring drive in the second quarter, going 53 yards for a score. Michaux and Stewart teamed up again in the second quarter, connecting on three passes for 51 yards with a 21-yard completion and a 24-yard touchdown. The Yellow Jackets marched back down the field at the end of the quarter but an interception in the end zone by Da'Marion Morris ended that threat, sending the game into halftime with a 21-10 Cru lead.
 
The Yellow Jackets tacked on another score with four seconds left in the third to cut the gap to four but UMHB dominated the fourth quarter, putting up 21 points. Asa Osbourn opened the fourth quarter with a rush, followed by a four-yard grab from Stewart. Michaux found Osbourn for 28 yards on the next pass before firing a pass to the top left corner of the endzone, caught by Stewart for a 32-yard score. Kamerin Ferguson followed, breaking loose for a 27-yard touchdown run with 4:55 to play. Brandon McGruder recorded a 15-yard sack on the next play before JJ Davis forced a fumble, recovered by Gavin Brzezinski. UMHB used just five plays to find the end zone again with Michaux hitting Quinci Jones in the top of the box for a 41-17 UMHB win.
 
Michaux put up 250 passing yards on 16 completions with five touchdowns. Asa Osbourn added 104 yards on the ground with 29 yards receiving, averaging 5.8 yards per carry. Stewart led the Cru receivers with eight grabs for 119 yards and three touchdowns, followed by Will McClintock with 69 yards on three passes and Jones with 33 yards and two touchdowns.
 
Da'Marion Morris anchored the Cru defense with 14 tackles, totaling nine solo takedowns, two tackles for loss and one interception. JJ Davis added eight tackles, one tackle for loss and one forced fumble while Benton McElree also added eight tackles. UMHB totaled nine tackles for loss and two sacks in the contest.
 
UMHB returns to action on Saturday, November 1^st in a 1 p.m. contest against East Texas Baptist University at Crusader Stadium.