The National Champion University of Mary Hardin-Baylor football team was a consensus #2 pick in both of the major Division III polls following the 2017 season. The Cru matched the second-highest final ranking in program history after closing out the season with a 12-0 loss to Mount Union in Stagg Bowl XLV last Friday in Salem, Virginia.
UMHB totaled 1,219 total points to finish as the country’s #2 team in the final American Football Coaches Association Top 25 Poll. The Purple Raiders were a unanimous #1 pick with all 51 first-place votes and 1,275 total points. The Cru posted postseason victories over #4 St. Thomas, #5 Brockport, and #7 Linfield College. UMHB added regular season wins over Linfield and 11th-ranked Hardin-Simmons University. Hardin-Simmons was the only other American Southwest Conference programs mentioned in the AFCA Poll.
The Cru claimed votes worth 597 total points to rank second in the final D3football.com Top 25 Poll of the 2017 season. Mount Union was also a unanimous #1 selection with all 25 first-place votes and 625 total points. D3football.com had St. Thomas at #4, Brockport #5, Linfield at #6, and Hardin-Simmons ranked 11th.
“Winning 14 games this season was an incredible accomplishment,” Cru Head Coach Pete Fredenburg said. “There was a tremendous amount of pressure coming off of winning the National Championship last year and it was almost like starting over. I told our players to appreciate that, but to also hold on to the way they are feeling right now so that it can drive them into the off season and through next season.”
The Cru finished the 2017 season with a 14-1 record and played in the Stagg Bowl for the second consecutive season. UMHB won its 15th ASC title after posting a 9-0 league record this year.
