The Howard Payne University football team opened the 2022 season with a 59-45 conference victory at Texas Lutheran University Saturday afternoon. Yellow Jackets racked up 610 yards of total offense against the Bulldogs.

Howard Payne’s Hunter Cheek recorded 157 yards receiving on three catches and two touchdowns. Cheek’s TD catch of 75 yards came on the second play of the game from Landon McKinney setting the tone for the game. He hauled in a 78-yard TD reception in the third quarter.

McKinney finished going 20 of 33 passing for 496 yards and four touchdowns. Wide receiver, Jordan Carroll, had two catches for 108 yards which included a 63-yard TD reception in the third quarter. Semahj Brown added two catches for 42 yards.

Otis Lanier had four catches for 32 yards and a TD. Lanier’s game highlight came when he returned a punt 77 yards for a TD in the first quarter. He would also return two kickoffs for 44 yards.

HPU’s Jarett Brown led tacklers with 10 followed by Kyle Bell with nine and Jaden Elie and Peyton Lowe with seven each. Elie also had 2.5 tackles for loss.

The game started with the Yellow Jackets opening up a 21-0 advantage on the Cheek 75-yard reception, the Lanier punt return, and a Javian Myles 16-yard TD run.

HPU recorded three more scores in the second quarter this time a 20-yard TD catch by Lanier, a Harrison Pustilnik 31-yard field goal, and a Stephen Willis 14-yard TD run with a 1:26 left in the first half. Jackets led 38-17 at the half.

The TD passes of 78 yards to Cheek and 63 yards to Jordan Carroll in the third. HPU rounded out its scoring for the game with a one-yard run by Tauren Bradley in the fourth quarter.

The Yellow Jackets will play next at home on Sept. 10th versus George Fox University at 7:00 pm at Gordon Wood Stadium.

Ticket prices for HPU home football games – Gordon Wood Stadium
$5 – Adults, $3 – Senior Citizens, $2 – kids ages 12-18, Kids under 12 – Free
All tickets can be purchased at the gate – No advanced sales

(story and photo courtesy HPU Sports)