Above image of Louisiana College logo courtesy of Louisiana College, Image of UMHB logo courtesy of UMHB
BELTON, Texas- The regular season finale has arrived for the UMHB football team as the Cru will host Louisiana College (2-1) in an ASC East Division showdown on Saturday at 12 p.m. CT. Read all about the upcoming matchup, check out our projected two-deep depth charts and preview what Louisiana College brings to Belton in this week’s “Coach’s Clipboard”.
Two Deep Depth Charts:
Offense
| QT | QG | C | SG | ST | TE |
| John Kazmierski, JR | Jesse Hoke, FR | Steven Selllers, SR | Jeffery Sims Jr., JR | Ethan Ruckman, FR | Gary Ruckman, SR |
| Reuel Tandoh, FR | Wyatt Crawford, FR | Matt Sanders, SO | Lance Jones, JR | John Kazmierski, JR | Connor Mullins, FR |
| WR | QB | RB | WR | WR | |
| Brenton Martin, SR | Tommy Bowden, SO. | Montana Miller, FR | KJ Miller, JR | Kadarius Daniels,SR | |
| Brandon Jordan, JR | Kyle King, JR | Melek Hamilton, SO | Jaylan Jenkins, SR | Romello Cook, JR |
Defense
| DE | DT | DT | DE |
| Khevon Shepard, SR | Sante Parker Jr, JR | Kobe Giles, FR | E’Monte Smith, |
| Caleb Johnson, SR | Tristan Green, FR | Josh Patteson, FR | Glenn Thornton, JR |
| WLB | MLB | SLB | |
| Mikkah Hackett SR | Akeem Jackson SR | Jacob Mueller SR | |
| Nicholas McDaniel,FR | Eli Huron, SO | Jackson Sennie FR | |
| CB | Cru | FS | CB |
| Titus Dunk SO | Jayden Smith JR | Jefferson Fritz SR | Drake Johnson SO |
| Tavion Page SO | Courtney Patridge-Lee SO | Omari Frazier FR | Jordan See FR |
About the Opponent: Louisiana College Wildcats
- Louisiana College enters the matchup with a 2-1 record, having defeated ETBU 23-17 in the season opener and Southwestern last week 34-31. Belhaven earned a 33-24 win in week over the Wildcats on March 6.
- This will be the final meeting between the UMHB and LC, as the Wildcats will move to the NAIA after this spring. The football program will compete in the Sooner Athletic Conference.
- In the last meeting between the two teams in 2019, UMHB dominated in an 82-0 victory in Pineville, Louisiana. The Cru leads the all-time series 20-0.
Storylines to watch:
- ASC East Division Championship on the line– UMHB leads the East Division standings with a 3-0 record, but LC is just behind the Cru, and with a win, would earn a trip to the ASC Championship game next week in Abilene against Hardin-Simmons. With identical records, the East Division title would be determined by the result of Saturday’s game, and in order for that to occur, LC needs a win, as the Wildcats would also win the tiebreaker.
- UMHB defense will need to be on its toes: The Cru defense struggled in its last game, a narrow 30-28 win over ETBU on March 6. LC presents a similar, if not stronger, offensive threat than that of the Tigers, averaging 27.0 points, 146.0 yards rushing, 198.0 yards passing, and 344.0 total yards of offense per game. The Wildcats have converted 36 percent of their third down attempts, and are 5-of-6 on fourth down. At the same time, UMHB’s defense has forced 11 turnovers this season, and is holding opponents to an average of 11.7 points per game.
- LC’s playmakers: QB Sal Palermo III has spread the ball around on offense, as seven different players have caught at least one pass, though he has a completion rate of 47 percent. WR Caanan Leon is Palmero III’s top target, as he has 20 catches for 255 yards. RB Devin Briscoe runs the ball well, with 215 yards on 37 carries. On defense, the Wildcats are led by DE Micah Latin and LB Ernest Simon, who each have a team-high 19 tackles.
- Can the perfect record remain through another season?: As the regular season wraps up this weekend, UMHB is aiming to continue its current 45-game regular season winning streak. The last time the Cru lost a game that was not played in the postseason was in week eight of the 2015 season in a 29-26 loss to Hardin-Simmons. UMHB has also never lost a regular season game at Crusader Stadium.
