BELTON— After back-to-back seasons of the annual showdown between Mary Hardin-Baylor and Hardin-Simmons taking place in Abilene, Crusader Stadium is set to host a highly-anticipated Top 15 matchup between the longtime rivals on Saturday. Sixth-ranked Hardin-Simmons makes the trip to Central Texas, facing No. 13/17 UMHB in a contest that Division III fans from across the country will certainly be watching, as it is one of just two Top 15 matchups on the Week 6 slate.
This marks the first of two regular season meetings between the two programs this season, as UMHB heads to Abilene at the tail-end of a three-game road stretch on Nov. 9.
If you haven’t already, be sure to check out our feature on the 2019 edition of the rivalry, the last time UMHB and HSU faced off in the month of October at Crusader Stadium. That 15-14 win for The Cru was highlighted by its dramatic conclusion, which saw the field goal unit race on with the clock ticking down in the fourth quarter, giving way to Anthony Avila’s 43-yard game-winner.
(Thank you to both the UMHB Sports Information Department and the Hardin-Simmons Sports Information Department for their comprehensive game notes and insightful statistics, which are included within this preview)
Quick Facts
Kickoff Time: 1 p.m.
Place: Belton, Texas (Crusader Stadium)
Records: HSU (4-0, 1-0 ASC), UMHB (3-1, 1-0 ASC)
Follow the Action
WATCH: The game will be broadcasted live on cruathletics.com.
LISTEN: Ward Whites (play-by-play) and Jon Wallin (color commentary) will have the call over the airwaves (and on the UMHB broadcast). The game can be heard locally on KMIL105.1 FM. Fans outside of the local area can listen live at cruathletics.com/listen.
STATS: Live stats are available on cruathletics.com.
All-time series history
UMHB and Hardin-Simmons have played 31 times in total since 1998, with The Cru controlling the series 24-7. That includes a 12-3 record in Belton and an 11-3 record against HSU in games played in the month of October. For the first six years, The Cru and Cowboys met in early November, with the first October game played on Oct. 23, 2004 in a 49-22 HSU win. A month later, HSU returned to Belton in the second round of the D-III playoffs, and UMHB got its revenge, winning 42-28. UMHB is 8-2 in the last 10 meetings, with HSU currently holding the most recent win in the rivalry with its 24-14 victory last season in Abilene.
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A look at The Cru
UMHB opened ASC play last Saturday in Belton, and gets the first two games of its league slate at Crusader Stadium before heading on the road for three straight contests. The Cru slowed down ETBU’s high-octane offense in a 42-28 win, pulling away in the fourth quarter after the Tigers claimed a brief lead. UMHB rose one spot in the D3football.com Top 25 poll on Sunday, moving up to No. 13. The Crusaders are also ranked No. 17 in the AFCA Top 25.
After a difficult start to the season against Bethel (TN), UMHB’s offense stepped up in its last three contests, balancing the rushing and passing attacks well. Last week’s win was the first time this season that The Cru tallied 200+ yards both through the air and on the ground against a countable opponent, with 212 passing yards and 244 rushing yards. QB Isaac Phe, in his second year as the starter under center, has thrown a touchdown pass in 13 of the 14 games he has seen action in, with the only exception being the 24-14 loss at HSU in 2023. Phe has thrown for 597 yards this season and completed 63.4% of his passes. The Cru is 6-2 in games against HSU in which they have tallied over 200 passing yards. The run game has found its rhythm as well, best seen in last week’s performance in which three running backs each had at least 60 yards on the ground.
Defensively, under first-year defensive coordinator Mark Carey, UMHB has bounced back from the season opener, and showed significant improvement when it comes to stopping the run. That is key in this matchup, considering the strength of HSU’s offensive line and the fact that the Cowboys are 6-1 against The Cru in games in which they rush for over 100 yards. UMHB’s front seven, led by linebacker Durand Hill, continually put pressure on the opposing QB against Westgate Christian, UWW, and ETBU, and leads the ASC in sacks entering Week 6, with seven. The Crusaders are also No. 1 in the league in fumbles forced (6), fumbles recovered (8), and second in interceptions (6).
3 Players to Watch (by contributing writer Benji Ward)
Kamerin Ferguson, RB: Ferguson has rushed for 289 yards and 3 touchdowns on 44 attempts for the Cru. He is averaging 6.6 yards per carry and will need to be a big part of the Cru offense this weekend.
AJ Willams III, WR: Willams has been a big part of the Cru passing attack so far this season, 133 yards on 6 catches and 2 touchdowns. He averages 44.33 yards per game and provides QB Issac Phe with a reliable target.
Durand Hill, LB: Hill has been outstanding thus far for the Cru, with 30 total tackles along with 4 tackles for loss and 2 sacks. Along with those numbers, Hill has helped create turnovers has he has an interception along with 2 forced fumbles and 2 fumbles recoveries. Hill will look to continue leading the defense in this week’s matchup.
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Scouting the Cowboys
Hardin-Simmons is ranked No. 6 in the country in both Top 25 polls for a reason. The Cowboys are off to a 4-0 start for the first time since the abbreviated Covid season in the spring of 2021, and that record includes a 38-6 win over conference rival Howard Payne as well as last week’s 35-27 statement win against 12th-ranked Endicott in Abilene. Between those two victories, HSU dominated Curry College and North American University, and enters this matchup with plenty of confidence.
The offense has a new leader under center in West Texas A&M transfer Kyle Brown, who has stepped into the starting role well. Brown has completed 76% of his passes for 912 yards, 10 touchdowns, and zero interceptions, commanding an offense that averages 475.8 yards per game. The run game is a big highlight of the HSU offense, with a trio of solid backs who have combined to average 6.0 yards per carry, and 234.3 rushing yards per game. 19 of their 33 touchdowns have been scored on the ground, and the effectiveness of the rushing attack has made HSU one of the best teams in the red zone in Division III. Amongst teams in the top 25 in red zone scoring rate this season, HSU has the most rushing touchdowns, with 16, having scored on 22 of its 23 trips inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. The receiving core is also deep, with five players having tallied at least 10 catches this season, and eight different players with a receiving touchdown. The balance of the passing game certainly makes HSU a tough matchup for opposing defensive backs.
Defensively, we learned more about HSU last week in seeing the Cowboys against a quality offense. Under the direction of new defensive coordinator Craig Neese, who came to Abilene from Illinois College, HSU’s defense ranks 11th in the country in fewest first downs allowed, with just 54 through four games. The Cowboys stopped Endicott three times on fourth down last week, and held the Gulls to their second-lowest passing yardage total this season, with 205 yards through the air.
Notably, HSU is one of just seven programs in D-III to be ranked in the Top 20 nationally in total offense and total defense, with 475.8 yards/game offensively and just 246.2 yards allowed/game.
3 Players to Watch (by contributing writer Benji Ward)
Kyle Brown, QB: Brown has thrown for 912 yards and 10 touchdowns already this season through only four games. Brown has completed 76% of his passes and averages 228 yards per game. Look for him to play a big part in Hardin Simmons offense this week.
Noah Garcia, RB: Garcia has rushed for 370 yards and 9 touchdowns in only 3 games played this season. Garcia gives the Cowboys the option to mix it up and have a great rushing attack to go along with their passing attack. The UMHB defense will have their hands full keeping him out of the end zone.
Harrison Foster, S: Foster leads the Cowboys defense with 18 solo tackles and 16 assisted tackles for 35 tackles overall already this season. Along with that he has 3 tackles for loss. Harrison has helped the Cowboys defense create turnovers as well as he has 1 interception and a forced fumble.
Storylines
On third down: Third-down conversion rate has been key in the past history of these matchups, particularly for HSU. The ability to keep drives alive and move the chains is critical in creating offensive opportunities. For the Cowboys, they are fifth in the nation in third down conversion rate (60.4%). Under head coach Jesse Burleson, HSU is 51-0 when converting at least 50 percent on third downs. UMHB is 14-1 in games with Larry Harmon as head coach in which The Cru has recorded a higher third-down conversion rate than its opponent.
Transfer Impact: Both UMHB and HSU have seen immediate impacts made by transfers this season. HSU’s Brown and Kris Sims, who were previously teammates at West Texas A&M, have combined for 13 receptions and 173 yards in four games thus far. Defensively for the Cowboys, Illinois College transfer Charlie Patterson has the third-most tackles on the team (15.0) and Northeastern State transfer Kaiden Roden has a team-best 5.0 tackles for loss. UMHB has seen significant production from RBs Kamerin Ferguson (Southwest Baptist) and Asa Osbourn (Navarro College) as both have already ecplised the 100-yard rushing mark. Southwest Baptist transfer Samuel Steffe has aided The Cru’s secondary, as the cornerback had an interception against UW-Whitewater and 2.0 tackles for loss on the year.
The role of the run game: Both teams have seen recent success running the football so far this season, and as was mentioned above, HSU has fared well against UMHB in the past when the Cowboys’ run game gets going. Noah Garcia headlines the rushing attack for HSU, having recorded a career-high 26 carries for 116 yards last weekend. The senior has 27 career TDs for the Cowboys, and ran for 124 yards against UMHB last season. Outside of Garcia, HSU has two other capable backs in Braylon Henry and Colton Marshall, both of whom can be expected to get carries as well on Saturday. UMHB has a deep rushing unit as well, led by Ferguson and Osbourn. Ferguson leads the ASC in rushing yards/game, with 96.3 and has 3 TDs, while Osbourn has 122 rushing yards along with serving as a reliable receving option out of the backfield. Osbourn has seven catches this season for 55 yards and a score. Daunte Blake completes UMHB’s backfield trio, coming off a 60-yard performance against ETBU.
CFAA Hall of Honor inductees: The Crusader Football Alumni Association is honoring four UMHB football alums for their contributions to the program, inducting them into the Hall of Honor on Saturday. The quartet is Mark Carey, Matt Bush, Derrick Williams, and Bryson Tucker. All four were multi-year lettermen with The Cru and earned numerous individual honors during their careers along with contributing to conference titles and playoff wins.
Week 6 ASC schedule
Howard Payne at East Texas Baptist, 1:00 p.m.
Hardin-Simmons at Mary Harrdin-Baylor, 1:00 p.m.
