ASC shootout turns defensive
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D3football.com
The fans who flocked to Gordon Wood Stadium in Brownwood last Saturday for a clash of the American Southwest Conference titans did not go home disappointed.
They might have gone home bewildered, however.
For two teams that came into the conference averaging more than 750 yards of total offense between them, most onlookers expected a shootout similar to last year's 38-34 thriller when Hardin-Simmons and Howard Payne squared off. Sure, both teams are among the ASC leaders in defense as well, but that hasn't seemed to matter much in years past.
Well it certainly mattered this time.
The explosive Hardin-Simmons offense, which had been averaging a hair under 500 yards of total offense per game, was held to just 216 yards -- only 114 through the air. The Cowboys, who are renowned for a dominant air attack, completed just 11 passes and found the end zone only once after breaking the 25-point barrier in each of their last 27 games.
All this spells upset for the Yellow Jackets, right?
Think again.
Howard Payne managed to hold off Howard Payne by a score of 10-9 -- that's right, a combined score that still falls 14 points shy of HSU's per-game average this season.
The annual matchup between the two conference powers was as exciting as ever, but for the first time in awhile it was not decided by offensive superiority. It should be no surprise that there was a safety in the game, or that the contest ended up hinging on a huge defensive stand by HSU.
After Howard Payne tailback Richard Green fumbled the ball on the HSU 1-yard line while trying to dive in for a score, the Cowboys recovered to save a touchdown. But two plays later Hardin-Simmons fumbled it right back, and HPU took over with first-and-goal from the 1.
What came next? Four plays. Four stuffed runs. A big, big win and the inside track for the conference crown.
Rushing to the record books
Austin College running back Aaron Kernek, who leads the ASC in rushing, moved into the top spot in school history for career rushing yards. Kernek gained 227 yards and scored three touchdowns in a 35-14 rout of Texas Lutheran last week.
Kernek now has 2,732 yards in his three-plus years, topping the total of 2,720 set by Mike Maloney from 1964-67.
Games of the Week
DePauw at Millsaps, 2 p.m.
With almost everybody playing out of conference this week, this is left as the biggest Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference game. Millsaps is standing at 4-2, and needs to roll up big wins if it has any aspirations of keeping pace with an undefeated Trinity team. DePauw might not be the biggest of tests, but it should be a good game nonetheless.
Howard Payne at Mary Hardin-Baylor, 2 p.m.
Even though they are coming off a tough loss to two-time defending conference champion Hardin-Simmons, the Yellow Jackets still have a good shot to take the title. But the first step will come against the only other undefeated team in the ASC in Mary Hardin-Baylor. The Crusaders are coming off a 24-6 win against a tough Mississippi College team, and need a victory against Howard Payne to prove they are for real.