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| Blake Jackson gets congratulations from center Colton Hall after his second-quarter TD run. It was the Cru's only TD. Photo by Larry Radloff, d3photography.com |
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| Dylan Hecker gets the ball into the end zone for a UW-Oshkosh touchdown on its opening drive. Photo by Larry Radloff, d3photography.com |
SALEM -- Twelve years after getting its first taste of Salem, Mary Hardin-Baylor hoisted the Walnut & Bronze at Stagg Bowl XLIV.
The undefeated and No. 1-ranked Crusaders overcame a turnover deficit to beat UW-Oshkosh 10-7 on Friday evening. It was the first national championship for the UMHB program, which was founded in 1998 and led since then by current head coach Pete Fredenburg.
All-American UMHB quarterback Blake Jackson was chosen as the game’s Most Outstanding Player.
Amid the biting chill of the Virginia mountain air, it was the defenses that often dominated while the offenses struggled to find opportunities to make anything happen. The game was the second-lowest scoring Stagg Bowl in history, and the teams came nowhere close to the nearly 500 yards of offense that they each average per game -- UMHB was held to 332, while Oshkosh was at 215.
UMHB played a deliberate game of patience and adaptability, improving upon a slow start on both sides of the ball. The opening drives for each team couldn’t have been more different: Mary Hardin-Baylor stumbled to a three-and-out while UW-Oshkosh running back Dylan Hecker found the end zone, capping a 64-yard drive. Hecker’s score would ultimately end up being UW-O’s only points of the game.
Momentum then changed; the Crusaders, who have eight All-Americans on the team, controlled much of the remainder of the game. They strung together 17 first downs and stopped the Titans twice on downs deep in Cru territory. Despite the edge that UMHB appeared to hold, the Titans remained in the game partly because of Cru penalties and forced turnovers.
Jackson carried the ball for 28 times totaling 119 yards, far surpassing his season-best 19 carries. He also had 171 passing yards. Defensively, Matt Cody led the team with 10 tackles, including two tackles for loss. His interception with 35 seconds to go in the game sealed UMHB’s win.
"Going into the week we knew that was how the game was going to be," Jackson said. "Coaches harped on being patient all week. I thought we did a great job of doing that."
"This has been an incredible journey for all of these guys and for our football team, and what a gratifying win," said UMHB coach Pete Fredenburg.
For Oshkosh, Cody Yoder and Jake Thein each had eight tackles; Thein also had a fumble recovery. Quarterback Brett Kasper went 20-for-31 passing for 185 yards.