Trinity still standing in SCAC
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D3football.com
After a wild week in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference, the Trinity Tigers were the only team to walk away with an unblemished league mark.
But not by much, that's for sure. While both Rhodes College and University of the South limped out of Week 6 with conference losses, the Tigers managed a furious fourth-quarter rally on the road to upend Washington (Mo.) University 18-17 on Saturday.
And while it might have been only a non-conference affair, the near loss did not have an adverse effect on Trinity's national ranking. In fact, the Tigers even jumped up a spot in the AFCA poll to No. 2 after Rowan, the
previous No. 2 team, dropped a game at Buffalo State.
Quarterback Roy Hampton capped a brilliant comeback bid by hitting wideout Jason Hunt on a 36-yard scoring strike with just 11 seconds left to play, giving Trinity its sixth victory in as many games this season. It took 12 points in the final quarter, when they had the wind at their back on a cold day in St. Louis, to overcome a 17-6 deficit. Washington U. scored 10 points in the third quarter when they had the wind advantage.
Trinity had to drive 57 yards for the winning touchdown, and the victory was the 35th consecutive regular season win for the Tigers. In recent years, Trinity has owned the series with the Bears, winning the last five.
In other SCAC action, Rose Hulman pulled off a stunner against Rhodes College, who had not lost a conference contest until falling to the Engineers. Rose Hulman pounded its way to a 24-10 victory for its first appearance in the win column this season. Meanwhile, the University of the South dropped its first league game by a score of 19-16 to DePauw, who had also been winless.
On the other hand ...
While things were getting shaken up in the SCAC, the American Southwest Conference landscape went almost unchanged over the weekend. Three teams -- No. 3 Hardin-Simmons, Howard Payne and Mary Hardin-Baylor -- remained undefeated in ASC play with big wins. HSU rolled over Mississippi College 35-21, while Howard Payne pounded Sul Ross State 27-7. Mary Hardin-Baylor waltzed to a 38-16 win over first-year program Louisiana College.
The only change in the ASC was McMurry, who picked up its first league win of the season with a 51-10 crushing of Texas Lutheran. Coach Steve Keenum's squad had suffered through losses to UMHB, East Texas Baptist and Austin College before finally snapping the skid with a powerful performance against the Bulldogs.
The Indians put up 500 yards of total offense, including an incredible 297 yards on the ground -- just 34 fewer than they had posted the entire season up to that point. Tailback Chris Rodgers rambled to 178 yards to aid the breakout effort.
Games of the week
Rhodes at Sewanee, 2 p.m.
These have been the two teams to give Trinity the most competition record-wise this season, and even though both are coming off losses, this should be a big-time matchup. If last year's game is any indication -- the Lynx pulled out a 23-21 thriller at home -- this should be a key game to decide who has a shot to dethrone Trinity.
Hardin-Simmons at Howard Payne, 2 p.m.
This will likely be the game to decide the ASC title chase. Sure, Mary Hardin-Baylor is undefeated as well, but these two teams have the experience that will make a big difference down the stretch. Hardin-Simmons has not lost a league game in more than two years now, but that streak was almost snapped last October when the Cowboys needed a furious 17-point fourth-quarter rally to overcome the Yellow Jackets.