The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor football team can check off a pair of major goals as the Cru hosts Louisiana College in the 2016 regular season finale this Saturday. UMHB will take on the Wildcats in a 1:00 PM kickoff at Crusader Stadium in the 17th meeting between the two programs.
The Cru is 9-0 overall and has a 5-0 record in American Southwest Conference play this season. A win over Louisiana College would clinch the outright ASC title for UMHB and would also wrap-up the seventh overall undefeated regular season for the Cru. It would be the sixth undefeated regular season in the last seven years for UMHB and would also likely lock up a #1 seed for the Cru in the upcoming NCAA Division III National Championship.
Louisiana College will bring a 4-5 overall record and a 1-4 mark in ASC play into Saturday’s game. The Wildcats have not beaten UMHB in 16 previous meetings between the two teams, but with a veteran squad, LC presents a challenge for the Cru. The other challenge for UMHB will be to stay focused on the opportunities that present themselves with a win on Saturday.
“I remember years ago putting pictures of rings in everyone’s locker to motivate them,” Cru football coach Pete Fredenburg said. “Now we are at the point where everyone has raised their level of expectation. It is so much harder to maintain the level of effort it takes to stay at that level than it does to put things together to get there for the first time.”
UMHB will enter the game ranked #2 in the country by D3football.com. The Cru is ranked 3rd nationally in this week’s American Football Coaches Association’s Top 25 Poll. UMHB will also observe Senior Day on Saturday, with 13 seniors playing the final home regular season game of their careers.
Saturday’s game will also be Military Appreciation Day at Crusader Stadium. All active duty or retired military and their families will be admitted free of charge. There will be a tent at Gate #2 (Southwest Corner of stadium) for military tickets. The UMHB softball team is also pairing up with the Belton Fire Department for a Santa Pal Toy Drive. Anyone bringing a new, unwrapped toy to donate to the campaign will receive a free general admission ticket to the football game. Toys are needed for infants through age 14. For more information on parking, traffic flow and game day events, please visit the following link: http://www.umhb.edu/stadium/directions-and-parking. Louisiana College fans are encouraged to enter the stadium through ticket window #3 at the southeast corner of Crusader Stadium.
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 live statistics for the game with links to both available by clicking here: http://portal.stretchinternet.com/umhb/. Tickets are still available and the ticket windows are scheduled to open at 11:00 AM on Saturday. Reserved tickets are $12. General admission tickets will be free at the ticket windows on Saturday, but you must still pick up a ticket. The stadium gates will open at 11:30 AM on Saturday. Tickets left at Will Call will be available for pickup at any ticket window on game day.
