NCAA DIII Recap: No. 1 Mary-Hardin Baylor drops 82; Trinity stays perfect in conference; Howard Payne's big win over Sul Ross

Courtesy of Howard Payne football

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NCAA DIII Recap

No. 1 Mary Hardin-Baylor Crusaders (8-0, 7-0)

Last Week: UMHB made a statement last Saturday as they went on the road and defeated Louisiana College, 82-0. Jase Hammack completed 12-of-18 passes for 183 yards and two touchdowns while Jonel Reed had eight receptions for 133 yards and two touchdowns. Tommy Bowden had three rushing touchdowns as seven players combined to gain 274 yards rushing for the Cru. Tevin Jones once again led the defense with eight tackles, six solo, and 1.5 tackles for loss.

The Verdict: The Cru coaching staff knew they were exposed two weeks ago and escaped with a win. That made for a rough week of practice for the defending national champs and they responded with a dominating performance on the road. UMHB can secure its 17th ASC title on Saturday.

This Week: UMHB plays its final home game of the regular season at 1 p.m. on Saturday afternoon against Texas Lutheran.

 

Texas Lutheran Bulldogs (7-1, 7-0)

Last Week: TLU came out focused on the task at hand and finished with a 34-14 win at home over Belhaven last Saturday. CJ Romero had an incredible day receiving as he gained 155 yards and two touchdowns on four catches. Chris Monroe had 92 yards rushing and a touchdown on 14 carries while Austin Mathews and Ian Leslie each added rushing touchdowns for the Bulldogs. Sam Guzman led the TLU defense with 10 tackles, four solo, and one-half tackle for loss.

The Verdict: The Bulldogs took care of business last week and have set up the showdown they have been wanting since they defeated Hardin-Simmons earlier this year. To win the ASC title this week, TLU will need to hand UMHB a historic loss. Be careful counting out the Bulldogs as they’ve been on quite a run this year.

This Week: TLU travels to play No. 1 Mary Hardin-Baylor at 1 p.m. on Saturday afternoon.

 

Trinity University (Tex.) Tigers (6-2, 5-1)

Last Week: Trinity scored a touchdown with 36 seconds remaining on a 42-yard pass from Wyatt Messex to Austin Bertness to earn a thrilling 20-17 win on the road over Hendrix. Messex finished the day completing 17-of-24 passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns while Bertness finished with 51 yards receiving on two catches. Caleb Hamel led the Tigers stout defensive effort with 11 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, one-half sack and an interception.

The Verdict: The Tigers were pushed to the brink on the road last week and their challenge this week will be against another good team. Trinity will need its defense to play well against a potent offense and a win will keep them alive for a possible at-large playoff berth.

This Week: Trinity plays its final home game of the regular season on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. when they host Birmingham Southern.

 

No. 14 Hardin-Simmons Cowboys (6-2, 5-2)

Last Week: HSU was angry, and they took out their anger on its crosstown rival last Saturday as they dominated McMurry 91-29 to win the Wilford Moore Trophy. Quarterback Kyle Jones led the offense by completing 17-of 23 passes for 362 yards and four touchdowns. Rae Millsap gained 128 yards receiving and a touchdown on four catches while Jay Crawford added 124 yards and two touchdowns on three receptions. Kolby Youngblood gained 109 yards and a touchdown on five carries for the Cowboys. Hunter Creasey had a great game with 10 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and three sacks.

The Verdict: The Cowboys know that if they have any chance at all of earning an at-large playoff berth that they must dominate their remaining opponents. The process started last week but the next two weeks present better teams. HSU will continue to try and make a statement.

This Week: HSU travels to play East Texas Baptist at 2 p.m. on Saturday afternoon.

 

East Texas Baptist Tigers (5-3, 5-2)

Last Week: ETBU had a strong second half in defeating Southwestern 49-23 on the road last Saturday afternoon. Quarterback Brian Baca set the school record for career passing touchdowns by completing 13-of-19 passes for 212 yards and a touchdown. Justin Ward gained 110 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries while Jeremiah Robertson added 104 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries. Linebacker Justin Henson had a big game with 10 tackles, eight solo, for the Tigers defense.

The Verdict: The Tigers continue to roll as they have won three straight and five of their last six games. ETBU will be heavily tested on Saturday against a team that remains angry. However, the Tigers are never out of a game with their senior quarterback leading the way.

This Week: ETBU plays its final home game on Saturday at 2 p.m. against No. 14 Hardin-Simmons.

 

Austin College Kangaroos (4-4, 3-3)

Last Week: Austin College went score for score with one of the top offenses in the SAA last week before falling late 52-42 to Birmingham Southern. Senior quarterback Colt Collins was outstanding once again as he completed 17-of-35 passes for 349 yards with two touchdowns and an interception while adding 62 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries. Maika Brinkerhoff led the receivers with 138 yards on six catches while Aaron Rideaux added 115 yards and a touchdown on three receptions. Keegan Nichols was once again the defensive leader with 10 tackles, seven solo, one tackle for loss and one-half sack.

The Verdict: The ‘Roos have played every opponent very tough this season and last week was no different. Austin kept pace throughout most of the game with the BSU offense. The ‘Roos will celebrate the career of Colt Collins and their other seniors on Saturday.

This Week: Austin College plays its final home game at 1 p.m. on Saturday afternoon against Rhodes.

 

Southwestern University Pirates (4-4, 3-4)

Last Week: Southwestern was unable to hold onto a slim lead at halftime as they lost 49-23 at home to East Texas Baptist. Quarterback Austin Emery completed 5-of-19 passes for 54 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions while adding 111 yards rushing on 28 carries. Elijah Smith scored a rushing touchdown and David Brandenburg added a rushing and receiving touchdown for the Pirates. Defensive back Jackson Reece had 11 tackles, nine solo, one tackle for loss and broke up a pass for the defense.

The Verdict: The Pirates had their starting quarterback return from injury last week, but the offense was unable to gain any traction after the second quarter. It has been a tough season for Southwestern on the injury front which has led to some tough and inconsistent results.

This Week: Southwestern will play its final home game at 1 p.m. on Saturday afternoon against Howard Payne.

 

Sul Ross State Lobos (3-5, 3-4)

Last Week: A tough third quarter led to a 31-20 loss for Sul Ross State last Saturday on the road to Howard Payne. Williton Grear had a tough day running the ball as he gained 63 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries. Trey Johns completed 10-of-27 passes for 145 yards and an interception while Dre’Chon Moody had a touchdown and 52 yards receiving on four catches. Dominic Gaines recorded 10 tackles, four solo, and one tackle for loss for the Lobos defense.

The Verdict: This loss will be disappointing to the Lobos coaching staff as their young team was making good strides throughout most of the year. It will be interesting to see how the team bounces back on the road this week against a team in a game they can win.

This Week: Sul Ross State concludes a two-game road trip when they play Belhaven on Saturday at noon.

 

Howard Payne Yellow Jackets (3-5, 2-5)

Last Week: A 21-point third quarter led HPU to a big 31-20 homecoming win over Sul Ross State last Saturday. McGwire Martin completed 14-of 16 passes for 299 yards and two touchdowns. Thomas Williams caught three passes for 110 yards and a touchdown while DunTayviun Gross added 101 yards and a touchdown on five receptions. Stephen Darden and James Jakubowski led the Yellow Jackets with seven tackles each.

The Verdict: This was a huge win for the Yellow Jackets as they have rebounded nicely from an injury-filled season last year. Head coach Braxton Harris is building a program at HPU that will be able to sustain success and that process has taken some positive strides this season.

This Week: HPU travels to play Southwestern on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m.

 

McMurry War Hawks (0-8, 0-7)

Last Week: McMurry took a tough 91-29 loss to crosstown rival No. 16 Hardin-Simmons last Saturday afternoon. Dee Robinson gained 116 yards rushing on only nine carries while Kevin Hurley caught eight passes for 62 yards and two touchdowns and Nicolas Porras added two touchdowns and 60 yards on two receptions. Carlos Garibay completed 11-of-20 passes for 171 yards and three touchdowns. Dakota Russell-David and Westen Halcom each recorded eight tackles for the War Hawks defense with Halcom also forced a fumble.

The Verdict: The odds of a win were long for the War Hawks last week and they faced a very angry rival. The good news for McMurry and their fans is that the team fought until the end of the game which is a sign of their respect for their first-year head coach.

This Week: McMurry plays its final home game of the season on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. against Louisiana College.

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