MCKENZIE, Tenn.– On an afternoon in which UMHB put up its lowest point total since Dec. 7, 2019, the Crusaders took a season-opening loss for the second straight year, bested by Bethel (TN), who lived up to its preseason ranking as the NAIA’s eighth-ranked team.
The 20-10 defeat at the hands of the Wildcats saw a defensive battle play out for much of the game’s first three quarters, as UMHB’s defense kept The Cru in contention. But with the score tied at 10-10 early in the fourth, Bethel scored on consecutive possessions, putting the game out of reach. It was yet another banner day for the Bethel defense, who has allowed just 16 points over its first two games of 2024, as the Wildcats are 2-0.
Entering the matchup, UMHB was well aware of how tough the opposition would be, especially with Bethel playing in a comfortable environment at home. Even head coach Larry Harmon acknowledged the difficulty in facing a Top 10-ranked NAIA program, noting at his press conference on Monday that “all our kids have to do is watch the film to see that they have a big test on their hands.”
And that more than proved to be the case on a day in which The Cru lost its season opener for the fifth time in program history, with its lowest offensive scoring output in a regular season game since losing to UW-Whitewater, 7-3, on Oct. 28, 2006.
UMHB led 3-0 early, as Edwin Lopez connected on a 32-yard field goal with 1:23 left in the opening quarter. It seemed The Cru would add to that lead when UMHB marched into Wildcat territory on its ensuing possession, but Bethel’s defense came up with its first of five takeaways on the day.
On the Bethel 30-yard line and facing a 2nd & 10, UMHB quarterback Isaac Phe found Kamerin Ferguson on a short pass out of the backfield. But as Ferguson turned to run upfield, Bethel’s Jaylon Beasley charged in and delivered a textbook hit to Ferguson’s midsection, jarring the ball loose. Jacious Clark, sprinting up the sideline from his spot at cornerback, grabbed the ball in stride and raced straight into the end zone. The 70-yard touchdown return gave Bethel the lead, as UMHB never led at any point for the remainder of the contest.
That advantage grew to 10-3 by halftime, on Oziel Hernandez’s 26-yard field goal late in the second quarter. But UMHB’s offense answered on the other side of the intermission, with its lone touchdown drive of the game on its first second-half possession. The Cru ran the ball eight straight times before Phe took to the air for back-to-back completions to tight end Christopher Gacayan.
The Axtell, Texas native was one of UMHB’s leaders in receiving production, with a team-high five catches for 60 yards, and also hauled in The Cru’s only touchdown on a 15-yard pass from Phe. Seconds after Gacayan pulled in a 21-yard reception in the middle of the Bethel defense, he backpedaled and grabbed a high pass from Phe with his left hand. As he brought the ball down, Gacayan turned to face the end zone, brushed past Bethel linebacker Tyson Hornbuckle, and knotted the score at 10-10, much to the excitement of the UMHB fans in the crowd. It was undoubtedly The Cru’s top offensive play of the game, for the importance of the score and the difficulty of the catch.
But while the tied score stayed through the third quarter, Bethel took charge in the fourth. After forcing a UMHB punt with 10:47 to play, the Wildcat offense marched 77 yards in six plays, finding the end zone for the first time in the second half. Jordan Cason’s 26-yard touchdown run came with 6:27 left, nearly solidifying Bethel’s win. And the Wildcat defense did its part in securing the victory, too, as Phe threw interceptions on each of UMHB’s last two drives.
So that’s how Saturday’s season opener unfolded. But here are some additional notes and observations from the 20-10 loss, and a look at both the positives and negatives that contributed to the result.
Bethel’s run game was the real deal
One of the specific notes Harmon had about Bethel at Monday’s press conference surrounded the strength of the Wildcats’ run game.
“They have three running backs that could probably start for any team we’ve played or will play this year,” Harmon pointed out.
Between explosive ball carriers and a stout offensive line, Bethel’s offensive attack was both patient and relentless. The Wildcats ran the ball 48 times on Saturday for 224 yards, 74 more than they had in last week’s season opener against Point University. That came out to an average of 4.7 yards per carry, with Cason’s 8.1 yards/carry playing no small role in boosting that statistic. He ran for 121 yards on 15 carries, Jarvis Stockton added 32 yards, and quarterback Avaun Rucker recorded 18 rushing attempts, gaining 51 yards.
The Wildcats kept the ball on the ground for the most part, with 10 of their 13 first-downs coming on running plays, and seemed to wear down the Crusader defensive front. Perhaps that was best seen by the fact that Bethel accumulated just 68 rushing yards over the first two quarters—a credit to UMHB’s defensive toughness, especially on the line—before gaining 156 rushing yards in the second half.
That difference from first half to second half was one of the major reasons Bethel walked away with the win, with the coaching staff’s reliance on the run game putting the Wildcats in a position of strength. It certainly stabilized Bethel’s offense, who struggled throwing the ball effectively for much of the afternoon, and UMHB’s challenges in stopping the run over the final two quarters only furthered the role Bethel’s rushing attack played in the outcome.
Turnovers proved to be a significant detriment to UMHB’s offense
Don’t let the final score fool you. While issues with passing accuracy and overall consistency were present, UMHB’s offense wasn’t nonexistent. Five of the Crusaders’ drives spanned 40 yards or more, and they held possession for 29 minutes, six seconds. By comparison, Bethel had the ball for 30 minutes, 54 seconds, so time of possession was far less of a factor than the score might suggest. Instead, turnovers held UMHB back throughout all four quarters, halting promising drives on multiple occasions.
In fact, UMHB’s offense tallied 332 yards to Bethel’s 285 and had 19 first downs to the Wildcats’ 13. The Cru tallied 100+ rushing yards for the ninth-straight game, with 146, led by Ferguson’s 77. Phe finished 19-of-33 for 186 yards through the air, on par with his averages from last season in those two categories. Yet, UMHB put up just half of the Wildcats’ point total, and found the end zone only once.
A turnover on downs ended UMHB’s first possession, and all three second-quarter drives concluded with a turnover. Bethel’s talented secondary, which tallied four interceptions in last week’s win and led the Mid-South Conference in interceptions in 2023, rose to the occasion yet again, as Phe was intercepted on each of UMHB’s final two possessions in both the second and fourth quarters. To put that into context, Phe threw just five interceptions in 10 games last fall. And in terms of the value of those takeaways? Two of the four interceptions came with UMHB already into Bethel territory. Combined with the fumble that Bethel returned for a touchdown, UMHB’s five total turnovers had far more to do with the low offensive output than any other aspect.
Bethel is now leading the NAIA in interceptions this season, with eight, and ranks No. 11 in the NAIA in fewest points allowed per game, at 8.0. Needless to say, the Wildcat defense very well may be one of the toughest defenses The Cru will have faced during the 2024 season.
When talking about the offense, it should also be noted that The Cru’s inability to convert on third down plays had a significant role in the loss as well. While Bethel was 5-of-14 on third downs, UMHB’s conversion rate ended up even lower, at 2-of-13 (15%). The last time UMHB had just two third-down conversions in a game was Nov. 19, 2022, against Huntingdon in the second round of the playoffs. But The Cru was 2-of-4 in that game, far different from 2-of-13. Within the last four years, the closest UMHB’s offense came to a percentage that low within the last four seasons was against Belhaven in 2021, when a 29-0 shutout saw The Cru go 2-for-10.
Against the pass, The Cru defense was solid
While the Wildcats had a handful of notable big-yardage plays—chief amongst them Cason’s fourth-quarter touchdown run—UMHB’s defense held its ground, specifically against the pass. Under the direction of new defensive coordinator Mark Carey, the Crusaders sacked Bethel quarterback Avaun Rucker twice, and Rucker completed just six passes for 61 yards, with his longest completion going for 23 yards.
By and large, UMHB took away the pass from Bethel’s playbook. In a key first quarter highlight, sophomore safety Gavin Brzezinski, in his first career game with the Crusader varsity, intercepted Rucker, setting up for UMHB’s first points on Lopez’s field goal.
And on Bethel’s first drive of the game, the Wildcats marched to The Cru’s 32-yard line, opting to keep the offense on the field, facing a pivotal fourth down. But as Rucker rolled to his left, looking for a receiver down field, Johnny Smith-Rider broke from his spot at linebacker and made the initial hit on Rucker, stopping his progress. Justin Hines-Moore then finished the play, bringing Rucker down for a sack, as Bethel squandered its first trip into UMHB territory.
If there is one positive to be taken away, UMHB’s pass defense proved it will once again be amongst the ASC’s best. Remember, The Cru led the league in fewest passing yards allowed per game last season, and Bethel’s passing yardage on Saturday was the lowest for a UMHB opponent since a run-heavy Austin College squad tallied just 24 yards on Oct. 1, 2022. The last time The Cru allowed less than 75 passing yards in a game in which the opponent threw the ball more than 10 times was even further back; Oct. 16, 2021, when Texas Lutheran had just 55 yards on 19 passing attempts.
And it can’t be overstated what UMHB has found in Brzezinski. The Leander native stepped up big from his spot at safety in his first collegiate varsity start, tying for the team-high in tackles, with nine solo takedowns, in addition to registering The Cru’s lone interception. Additionally, cornerback JJ Davis, in just his second career varsity game, had three solo tackles, including a 19-yard tackle for loss, and safety Trystin Brown both a tackle for loss and a pass breakup.
What’s next for The Cru?
The home opener awaits, with UMHB hosting Westgate Christian University next Saturday at Crusader Stadium. The 6 p.m. kickoff will be The Cru’s lone game in Belton under the lights this season, with the other four home contests set to kickoff at 1 p.m. WCU is a first-year independent program out of Houston, and faced NAIA Texas College in its season opener on Saturday.
As a reminder, UMHB’s loss on Saturday does not affect The Cru’s NCAA playoff resume from a primary criteria standpoint, considering only D3 vs. D3 games are counted. The same will be true for next Saturday’s duel against Westgate Christian.
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