With at least a share of the American Southwest Conference Championship already locked up, the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor football team will hit the road again this weekend looking to notch another victory. The Cru will travel to Jackson, Mississippi to take on Belhaven University in the final road game of the regular season.
The Cru is 8-0 overall and 5-0 in ASC play after topping Sul Ross State 59-10 last Saturday in Alpine. That win guaranteed UMHB at least a share of a 12th straight ASC title. A win over the Blazers this Saturday won’t help the Cru clinch the outright title since games against Belhaven do not count in the conference standings. But a victory would keep UMHB undefeated and on track for a berth in the NCAA Division III National Championships.
Belhaven is 1-7 on the season and is coming off a 55-21 loss to Hardin-Simmons last Saturday. The Blazers have lost seven straight games after opening the year with a 28-25 win over Millsaps College. Belhaven has lost three straight meetings with the Cru after winning the initial two contests between the two teams. UMHB will also be the fifth nationally-ranked team the Blazers have faced through the first nine games of the season. With Cru making a long road trip for the second straight week and having to face Belhaven’s high-powered “Air Raid” passing attack, UMHB coaches are expecting to have their hands full on Saturday.
“They do so many things you always see from a Hal Mumme coached team,” Cru Football Coach Pete Fredenburg said. “They take wide splits on the offensive line and throw the ball quickly to try to get it into the hands of their playmakers as soon as possible. They are a little unorthodox in some of the things they do so you have to really prepare and focus on your assignments. That is always a concern when you play them.”
UMHB will enter the contest ranked #3 in the country by both the AFCA and D3football.com. The Cru leads the all-time series with Belhaven 3-2 and is 19-4 all-time against schools from the state of Mississippi.
Saturday’s game will also be broadcast live on K101.7 FM and through the station’s web site with the pre-game show starting at 12:30 PM. UMHB will provide live video streaming and Belhaven University will offer live statistics for the game with links to all live coverage available on the Cru Athletic Department web site at www.cruathletics.com.
