MARSHALL, Texas – Taking possession of the football for only 17 minutes, the East Texas Baptist University football team unloaded for 676 total yards of total offense and 54 points as they won their third game of the year besting Howard Payne. ETBU never lost the lead in the 54-28 win over the Yellow Jackets on Tackle Cancer night as they move 3-2 overall and 3-1 in the American Southwest Conference. The 676 yards of total offense is the most that ETBU has gained this year topping 544 yards at Belhaven.

Offensively, Brian Baca went 14-of-26 for 314 yards, including four passing touchdowns. Justin Ward broke the 100-yard rushing barrier with 104 yards while Dominic Haggerty added 99 yards rushing and one touchdown. Richard Johnson led ETBU with 87 yards on four receptions while catching his 34^th career touchdown pass breaking the previous mark of 33 held by Tyler Bates. Kane Johnson, Gavin Raines, and Tarek Beaugard all had a receiving touchdown.

On defense, Garrett Gibson had 14 tackles while Quaylon Beckley added 10 tackles. Zack Walker picked up a sack-and-a-half while Malik Mason intercepted a pass. HPU quarterback Gage McClanahan went 23-of-38 with 279 yards passing while Kaidrion Latson rushed for a team-high 78 yards. Defensively, Britt Boler, collected 11 tackles while Austin Kilgore 1.5 tackles for loss.

ETBU started the game with a score on their opening drive. Two plays into the drive, Haggerty ran from 50 yards for the first touchdown of the night and a 7-0 lead. HPU would put together a drive on their first possession and attempted a field goal that missed wide right. ETBU would take two plays on their next drive to score as Baca connected with Raines for 78 yards to lead 14-0. Mason would end HPU's next drive with an interception while Baca would capitalize with a six-yard scamper in the end zone to lead 21-0 with 6:31 left in the first quarter. After neither team could score on the next two drives, the Yellow Jackets reached the end zone on a quarterback scramble to trail 21-7 at the end of the first quarter.

In the second quarter, ETBU would score again as Baca found Tarek Beaugard for a touchdown of 25 yards to lead 28-7, just 14 seconds in. HPU would answer with a 12 play drive of 75 yards on a score from four yards cutting the lead to 14, 28-14 (5:06). After recovering a fumble, the Yellow Jackets drove down to ETBU's 10-yard line before settling for a field goal attempt that was blocked by Aaron Buckley as ETBU would take over. On the ensuing possession, Baca would collect a 42-yard touchdown pass to Kane Johnson as ETBU took a 35-14 lead going into halftime.

HPU's first drive in the second half led to a punt. However, ETBU fumbled the put giving the ball back to the Yellow Jackets. Five plays later, the HPU trailed by two scores, again, at 35-21 following another touchdown run. ETBU would get two big plays on a 29-yard rush by Haggerty and a 43-yard reception by Richard Johnson to get to HPU's 18-yard line. It took another two plays before Baca found Richard Johnson for the record-breaking touchdown reception and a 42-21 lead (10:08). HPU scored on their next possession to trail by 14 again, 42-28. ETBU punted on their next possession but HPU fumbled giving the ball back to the Tigers. Jeremiah Robertson would rush in from 21 yards out for a 48-28 (3:17) by the end of the third quarter.

Baca would secure ETBU's 54^th point of the game with a one-yard sneak in the fourth quarter with 14:45 left to play in the game. The next two drives led to no score when HPU would start their next drive at the 34-yard line. The Yellow Jackets took 12 plays to get to the ETBU 13 before an incomplete pass on fourth down gave the ball back to ETBU. ETBU would take the ball and ran out the clock preserving the win.

ETBU travels to Seguin, Texas, next Saturday facing Texas Lutheran at 2:00 p.m. in ASC play.