BELTON, Texas- The UMHB football team will open the NCAA D-III playoffs by facing an in-state opponent on Nov. 20, as it was announced Sunday afternoon that the Cru’s first round matchup is against Trinity (TX).
The matchup is set for noon on Nov. 20 in Belton.
The Tigers are also undefeated entering the postseason, having won the Southern Athletic Association title with a 9-0 record. Trinity, ranked No. 16 in the most recent D3football.com Top 25 poll, earned notable wins over No. 19 Birmingham-Southern (second in the SAA), and Centre (third in the SAA). The Cru and Tigers also have one common opponent this season, as both defeated Texas Lutheran. Trinity won on the road at TLU by a score of 51-14 on Sept. 18, while UMHB defeated the Bulldogs 49-3 on Oct. 16 in Belton.
Trinity is led offensively by running back Winston Hutchinson, who has 447 rushing yards this season, and quarterback Tucker Horn, who posted a 70.9 percent completion rate and had 33 touchdowns along with one interception. Defensively, three different players have tallied at least two interceptions, and linebacker Caleb Harmel leads Trinity with 54 total tackles, 28 of those solo.
UMHB won the American Southwest Conference regular season title with a 10-0 record, defeating McMurry in the season finale on Saturday by a score of 77-3. The Cru were ranked No. 2 in the nation in the most recent Top 25 poll from D3football.com.
UMHB and Trinity have met on nine occasions in program history, with the Cru’s first two seasons beginning against the Tigers in 1998 and 1999. UMHB lost both of those contests, as well as the first two playoff meetings between the programs in 2001 and 2002. UMHB notched its first victory over Trinity during the 2004 playoffs, winning 32-13. The Cru went on to defeat the Tigers twice more in the postseason, coming up victorious in 2005 and 2007. The opponents also played in 2012 and 2013, with UMHB winning in each of those contests. UMHB is 5-4 all-time against Trinity, having won the last five.
Ticket Information per a release from the UMHB Athletics Department:
“Tickets will go on sale Monday, November 15th at Ticket Window 1 of Crusader Stadium or by phone at 254-295-4455. Sales will be open to season ticket holders Monday, November 15th – Tuesday, November 16th from 10 a.m. – noon and 1 p.m. – 6 p.m. Sales will open to the general public Wednesday, November 17th – Friday November 19th from 10 a.m. – noon and 1 p.m. – 6 p.m. Ticket windows will open at 10 a.m. on Saturday. Presale tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for students. Game day tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for students.”
Riley Zayas is the managing editor of True To The Cru. He has worked in sports journalism since 2016 and can be contacted at rileyzayas@truetothecru.com.
