PINEVILLE, La. – The Louisiana College Wildcats, No. 21 in Div. III and fresh off a 31-24 win over East Texas Baptist, travel to Howard Payne this week for a game against the Yellow Jackets. 

The game will be broadcast live online at www.kbuck1055.com and on the local airwaves at 105.5 FM KBCK Alexandria.

The last time LC traveled to play HPU, they had to go to triple overtime to defeat the Yellow Jackets, 51-45. Last year, at home, the Wildcats beat Howard Payne 62-28.

This year, Howard Payne (1-5, 1-3 in the ASC) is on a three-game skid and has lost five of their last six games - most recently to Hardin Simmons 33-14.

Sophomore running back Adrian Lighteard was HPU's leading rusher with 15 carries for 84 yards in the loss. For the season, Lighteard has 334 yards rushing, while D.L. Brake has rushed for 144 yards and one touchdown.

Quarterback Marcus McAdoo is the leader of the offense. McAdoo leads the Yellow Jackets with 351 yards rushing and two scores while also throwing for 184 yards and two more scores.

Offensively, the Wildcats find themselves in a familiar position with one of the best in the conference once again. The Wildcats lead the ASC in total offense (478 yards per game); they also are second in rushing (211.8), passing (266.2), and points per game (36.2).

“ We just need to keep doing what we do as an offense to move the ball down the field and score,” junior quarterback Jamie Bunting said. “Making good decisions and putting our team in the best place to win the game”

If there is one thing keeping this offense from being even better, it has been turnovers. The Wildcats lead the ASC in interceptions with 13.

Bunting looked his best and most comfortable while running a no huddle, fast-paced offens against ETBU.  In those circumstances Bunting completed five of his eight passing attempts for 59 yards.

“Anytime that we feel like we need to pick up the pace of the game we'll use it,” Bunting said.

LC's defense is ranked number one in the ASC in total defense (316.2). They will be put to the test this week in stopping Howard Payne's offense.  The Yellow Jackets run a triple option-based offense similar to what Division I Air Force uses.

“We will need to play assignment football,” defensive coordinator Buck Buchanan said. “They'll force you to play fundamentals and wait for you to make a mistake.”

One thing the Wildcats will be more conscious of – getting out of the gate with the kind of intensity they showed in the second half against ETBU and not the lethargic pace they brought to the first half of that game.

“We just need to keep playing fast and do our jobs,” said junior linebacker Nate Janzen. “ We will continue to get better week by week.”

A week ago, on the heels of a loss to No. 4 Mary Hardin-Baylor, LC came out flat in the first half and found themselves down 24-14 at the half but rallied but rallied for the win.

“I just challenged them,” LC coach Dennis Dunn said, “Are we gonna play with passion? Are we gonna still have a dream?”

The Wildcats responded well in the second half by pitching a shut out in the final two quarters to keep the “Border Claw” in Pineville.

PREGAME CAPSULE:
No. 21 Louisiana College (4-1, 2-1 American Southwest Conference) at Howard Payne (1-5, 1-3 ASC)
Kickoff: 2 p.m.
Listen Online: www.1055kbuck.com
Where: Brownwood, Texas (Gordon Wood Stadium).
Coaches: LC, Dennis Dunn (6th season); HPU, Steve Fanara (4th season).
Mascots: Louisiana College Wildcats, Howard Payne Yellow Jackets
All-Time Record: Howard Payne leads 7-4.
Last Year: LC won 62-28.
Current Streak: LC has won four straight.
Last Win for HPU: 2006, 47-45.
Last Week: Louisiana College defeated East Texas Baptist 31-24. Howard Payne lost 33-14 to Hardin-Simmons.
Series notes: Louisiana College and Howard Payne have played 11 consecutive years and streaks have been the rule. Howard Payne won the first seven games of the series by an average of 44-21. In the past four seasons, Louisiana College has won by an average of 48-29 ... Although the averages don't indicate it, there have been several close games between the Wildcats and Yellow Jackets. Five of the 11 meetings have been decided by  eight points or less ... In 2009, the last time LC visited Brownwood, the game was decided in triple-overtime with Louisiana College edging out a 51-45 win.
Louisiana College notes: An overall record of 4-1 is LC's best start since the 1950 season, a year in which the Wildcats went 5-5 ... Junior quarterback Jamie Bunting is averaging 234 yards passing per game. He's completed 94-of-168 passes for 11 touchdowns and 11 interceptions ... The receiving trio of Darnell Williams, Dayne Reeves and D'Mario Parker continues to produce the type of balanced numbers most coordinators yearn for. Reeves has caught 32 passes for 376 yards (11.8 avg.) and one touchdown, Williams 26 passes for 382 (14.7 avg.) and four touchdowns and Parker 25 passes for 303 (12.1 avg.) and three touchdowns ... LC's running game is producing at its highest rate in the Dennis Dunn era. The Wildcats are averageing 211 yards per game on the ground. Leading the charge have been Ryan Montague and Daron Bartholomew. Montague has rushed 60 times for 479 yards (7.7 avg.) and four scores and Bartholomew 55 times for 276 (5.0 avg.) and three touchdowns.
Howard Payne notes: The Yellow Jackets have lost three straight going into this weekend's game ... Howard Payne, playing in a severe rainstorm, attempted just one pass versus Hardin-Simmons. It fell incomplete ... The Yellow Jackets did have success running the ball last week. Adrian Lighteard rushed 15 times for 84 yards (5.5 avg.) and D.L. Brake three times for 51 yards (17 avg.) and a touchdown ... Howard Payne will be celebrating its Homecoming on Saturday, the same situation as 2009 when the Yellow Jackets forced LC to triple-overtime ... Quarterback Marcus McAdoo, who was held to 33 yards rushing last week, has been the most productive weapon for Howard Payne. On the year, he has rushed for a team-high 351 yards and two touchdowns and passed for 186 yards and two touchdowns.