Big plays on special teams highlight UMHB Football’s 63-7 win over Howard Payne

Photo by Luke Zayas/True To The Cru/LukeZayasMedia

BELTON — Larry Harmon has spoken multiple times during this season about the pride UMHB takes in its special teams play. And with their playoff hopes on the line on Saturday against Howard Payne, the Crusaders put that on full display. 

Edwin Lopez became the first kicker in UMHB history to make six field goals in a single game. Durand Hill, a linebacker, successfully converted on not one, but two fake punts. Matthew Jackson returned a punt for a touchdown, then added a kick return touchdown for good measure. Then there was the fumble forced by Jordan Daniel on a Howard Payne kick return, with Emariyee Stewart’s recovery setting up a three-yard rushing score by Cameron Bibins one play later.

The special teams effort was at the center of the action time and time again, more prominently than it had been in any game previously this fall. And with that phase of the game going in their favor, along with superior play from the defense and 390 yards of total offense, UMHB emerged with a 63-7 victory. 

It marked UMHB’s largest margin of victory in the 2024 season, putting The Cru in the win column in the regular season finale for the 25th straight season. The Crusaders did their job on Saturday, winning the game in front of them. Several results from around the country went in their favor too, as they look to claim one of the 12 at-large bids to the national tournament. Marietta lost to John Carroll, UW-Oshkosh lost to UW-River Falls, Wabash lost to DePauw, and those three results put The Cru in a favorable position in regards to the playoff picture. 

“It was a lot of extra motivation,” Hill said postgame, when asked about knowing UMHB needed a win to have a shot at the postseason. “Our whole thought process this week was, ‘We have to win this game’, no matter what else happens.” 

On Senior Day, Hill put forth an exceptional performance, and had his hand in a good portion of UMHB’s memorable plays. The linebacker stepped up with the first of four interceptions on the day for the Crusader defense with 2:17 left in the opening quarter, as a pass to HPU receiver Ellis Myers bounced off Myers’ hands and into Hill’s. Then came the second quarter. UMHB’s drive had seemingly stalled out on its own 36-yard line, as the punting unit trotted on with the arrival of fourth down. 

But it was Hill, not Lopez, back to punt, and long-snapper Noah Gasque lined up with the entire rest of the line to his left. When the ball was snapped, Hill immediately rolled to his right, and in a flashback to his days as a high school quarterback, found Gasque running right. The completion went for 31 yards to the HPU 33-yard line, a morale-boosting play as UMHB continued its drive. 

Just one quarter later, and with UMHB facing fourth down yet again, this time five yards inside HPU territory, Hill came on to punt. But he didn’t punt. And he didn’t throw it. Instead, he displayed his athleticism and speed by running upfield with the ball, cutting right towards the HPU sideline as he churned up yardage, eventually tackled at the HPU 15. It eventually led to a 26-yard field goal from Lopez, with Hill successfully recording a pass and a run of at least 30 yards in addition to an interception. And for good measure, with HPU facing a 3rd & 11 from its own 23, Hill raced into the backfield and sacked Yellow Jacket quarterback Gage Powell for an eight-yard loss. 

“I always tell Coach Harmon, I’m a jack-of-all-trades,” Hill said with a smile. “Whatever you ask me to do, I can get it done.”

Harmon added insight into the unique punt package when he talked with the media postgame, noting that UMHB ran the same kind of package in 2014 against Linfield. 

“We’re out [at practice] on Tuesday, and usually one of the first things we do is special teams,” Harmon said. “Durand was running right by where the punters were punting and he goes, ‘Let me punt one.’ And he just boomed one. I go, ‘You can punt?’ He goes, ‘Well, I think I can.’ For the next two days, he punted and was booming them. 

“I said, ‘We have to put a package together,’ because he can punt it if we want to. We can do the same thing and not fake anything. Coach Nick Brace did a great job putting it all together and getting it taught. Our kids did a great job executing it.” 

Hill noted that it was a read play in both scenarios, as he read the HPU defense and evidently, made the right decision both times. Matthew Jackson was in a similar spot as a returner, with his athleticism setting him up for two huge returns in addition to his ability to read the blockers in front of him. With 5:55 left in the third quarter, and UMHB leading 28-0, HPU’s Jackson Coulson sent a spiraling punt down to the HPU 46-yard line, where Jackson awaited the ball. 

He caught it, ran laterally behind a handful of blocks before turning the corner and sprinting up the right sideline. There was little HPU could do. Coulson, the last line of defense, was overtaken by a block as Jackson crossed the goal line untouched. It was his second career punt return touchdown and his first since 2022. 

With just under 11 minutes left in the contest, HPU made its way into the end zone on a nine-play, 75-yard drive, capped by Jackson Meller’s rushing touchdown. But Jackson promptly returned the favor on the ensuing kickoff. He fielded the ball on a bounce, raced forward, then turned to his left and reached the far sideline. In a footrace with several HPU players, Jackson outran them all, bursting forward and pushing on the accelator as the end zone got closer and closer. His touchdown put UMHB over the 50-point mark for the first time this season, giving The Cru a 54-7 lead. 

“I’m very happy for Matt,” Harmon said. “He hung in there when things weren’t going his way. A lot of kids would’ve gotten frustrated and probably hung them up, but he didn’t. He loves his teammates and his team. When he got his opportunity, he made good on it. He did some things in practice, and we took him [to Hardin-Simmons] last week. We didn’t block well enough last week to really get him going, but he took control today.” 

Those plays were a microcosm of the majority of the contest for UMHB. The Crusaders had a number of players step up in different ways, and while it took a few drives for the offense to get going, UMHB performed well in all three phases. Even when the offense struggled to find the end zone in the first half, Lopez was right there, consistent every time he stepped on the field for a field goal attempt. His six made field goals, which included a 47-yarder midway through the first quarter, are the most ever in a single game in American Southwest Conference history.

And then there was the defensive effort, which held a struggling HPU offense, who was without starting quarterback Zy Gravitt, to just nine first downs. For the first time this season, HPU had fewer than 150 passing yards in a game, with just 73 on a mere seven completions. In fact, the Yellow Jackets didn’t even have 150 yards as an offense, finishing with just 149, which was also a season-low. 

“They really took it upon themselves, because there’s a lot of seniors, especially with the front seven, that if this was the last game, the last time they play with each other, they weren’t going to let it be negative,” Harmon said of the defense’s mentality. 

“We didn’t have the greatest practice Tuesday, but we really lit it up Wednesday, and on Thursday, they were pretty loose. That means they either have it and they’re ready to go, or they’re not really that locked in. Talking with Durand and Johnny [Smith-Rider], they assured me, ‘We’re ready to go. You’ve kept the plan pretty simple and we know what we’re doing.’ They went out and sure played today.” 

Update: The NCAA released its final NPI rankings, used to determine the 12 at-large bids for the 2024 playoffs, on Saturday night. UMHB was No. 11 amongst at-large teams, earning a spot in the field. The bracket, which will include The Cru’s first round opponent, is set to be announced on NCAA.com at 4 p.m. CT on Sunday.

UMHB stat leaders:

Passing: Jake Wright (10-of-26, 158 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT)

Rushing: Jake Wright (6 carries, 37 yds), Daunte Blake (9 carries, 36 yds)

Receiving: Jerry Cephus (4 rec, 102 yds, 1 TD), Myller Royals (2 rec, 42 yds)

Tackles: Mason Cavness (8), Zha’Mauryon Lofton (5), Dillan Botts (4)

Interceptions: Zha’Mauryon Lofton (1), Durand Hill (1), Samuel Steffe (1), Gavin Brzezinski (1)

Kicking: Edwin Lopez (6/6 FGs, Long of 47 yds)