Conference leaders clinch bids
|
|
D3football.com
Two big games. Tremendous stakes on the line. Exact same result.
And I mean exact.
For the second time in four weeks, the No. 2-ranked Hardin-Simmons University football team faced an undefeated American Southwest Conference opponent with first place on the line, and the two games were nearly identical.
Though a few more points were put on the board in Belton than in Brownwood a month ago, the Cowboys managed to overcome a sloppy offensive performance and drive past Mary Hardin-Baylor 21-7 with stunning defense last weekend to claim its third consecutive ASC crown.
And as frightening as it might be to those who bleed purple and gold that the offense has been sluggish in big games against good defenses, that fear is smothered by the exhilaration that must follow yet another incredible stand on defense.
The Crusaders, who fell for the first time this season and fell from No. 20 to No. 23 in the AFCA national polls, were limited to a paltry 214 yards total offense, almost 150 yards below their previous average.
UMHB was so stunted by the Hardin-Simmons pressure, the Crusaders racked up more punts than they did points, kicking the ball away 11 times while scoring a solitary touchdown.
HSU has made a name for itself defensively this season, allowing just 10.9 points per game, though they have yet to post a shutout. That makes the stat even more impressive, as it shows the Hardin-Simmons has been consistent all year, and has not surrendered more than 21 points in a game.
That type of titanic effort should come in quite handy in the NCAA Division III postseason -- where HSU is now headed after securing an automatic berth by winning the conference. Mary Hardin-Baylor still has a shot at making the playoffs with an at-large bid, though current projections do not have them among the lucky 28 without help.
On another front
Hardin-Simmons isn't the only South region school to have guaranteed itself a spot in the postseason with a victory last weekend.
The Trinity Tigers walloped Sewanee 43-26 Saturday to clinch at least a share of the 2000 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference title, and the automatic berth that comes with it.
The Tigers must only beat a Millsaps team that is 4-5 on the season and 1-4 in conference play to seal up sole possession of the conference title.
Technically a Tigers loss this weekend coupled with a win by either Sewanee or DePauw would mean a tie for the SCAC championship, but Trinity holds all the tiebreakers and therefore earns the automatic bid.
With injured starter Roy Hampton sidelined, sophomore signal caller Cory Schwartz filled in admirably with five touchdown passes to lead Trinity to victory.
Games of the Week
Trinity at Millsaps, 2 p.m.
With the SCAC playoff bid sealed up, there aren't any truly meaningful games this weekend (in the standings, that is. For a Monon Bell game preview, see our Great Lakes column). But if Trinity can beat Millsaps -- which they did by a 49-7 margin last year -- the Tigers will not have to share the conference crown with anyone. Not that it really matters.
McMurry at Hardin-Simmons, 2 p.m.
The American Southwest Conference title is decided as well, but this end-of-the-year crosstown showdown should still be every bit as exciting to watch as it has been the past two years. Hardin-Simmons was victorious in both 1998 and 1999 when both teams entered the game undefeated in ASC play.