BROWNWOOD, Texas  — Noah Garcia ran for 124 yards and four touchdowns and added a 74-yard touchdown reception, leading No. 5-ranked Hardin-Simmons to a 54–24 win over Howard Payne on Saturday at Gordon Wood Stadium.

The win was the 50^th all-time for HSU over its Baptist rival, pushing the all-time series to 50-24-4.  It was also the 25^th straight in the regular season and the 23^rd straight in conference play.  

Garcia scored three times in the opening quarter as the Cowboys (8–0, 4–0 American Southwest) jumped out to a 22–0 lead and never looked back. He opened the scoring with a 74-yard catch from Kyle Brown, then added rushing scores from 13 and 22 yards before halftime. Garcia's fourth rushing touchdown — a 46-yard sprint midway through the second quarter — made it 30–0 before the Yellow Jackets (3–5, 1–3) finally got on the board.

Brown completed 19 of 26 passes for 225 yards and two touchdowns and didn't throw an interception. His other scoring pass went to Wes Douglas from four yards out in the third quarter. Guy Powell added a 13-yard touchdown run in the final minute, and kicker Pedro Altamirano hit a 34-yard field goal and all five of his PATs.

Hardin-Simmons rolled up 517 total yards — 292 on the ground — and scored on all six trips inside the red zone. The Cowboys' offensive line did not allow a sack.

Freshman receiver Jamel Toney-Black caught 10 passes for 183 yards and two touchdowns to lead Howard Payne, including scoring receptions of 39 and 64 yards from quarterbacks Bryce Still and Glendon Casas-Willis. Still finished 18-of-30 for 192 yards and a touchdown and also ran for a 6-yard score.
The Cowboys' defense held the Yellow Jackets to 74 rushing yards and recorded three sacks. Linebacker Kaiden Roden led HSU with nine tackles, while Micah Henderson added an interception.

Garcia moved up in the record books with his big day as he now has 40 rushing touchdowns and moved past Colton Marshall, Quinton Jones and Lance Moore for second all-time. He is six behind all-time leader Jaquan Hemphill.

Hardin-Simmons can clinch its third straight American Southwest Conference title with a win at Mary Hardin-Baylor next Saturday at 1 p.m.
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