BELTON — In what is presumed to be the first time in Division III history, perhaps even in college football history, a pair of top-caliber programs will meet for a third time in a single season on Saturday.
That is, of course, the second round matchup between Mary Hardin-Baylor and Hardin-Simmons, programs who met twice in the regular season and last faced off just four weeks ago on Nov. 9. For as much as familiarity could be talked about in last week’s matchup at Trinity, whom the Crusaders battled in San Antonio for the third time in as many years, this week’s contest is as storyline-filled as you’ll ever see in a second round playoff matchup.
They know each other better than probably any two other teams in the nation this season. By this point, both coaching staffs are likely digging deep into the playbooks, coming up with wrinkles and modifications to their offensive and defensive sets, based on the previous two meetings earlier this season.
Add to that the fact that these two are bitter conference rivals, programs who have sat atop the American Southwest Conference year after year. And has HSU ever won a playoff meeting against The Cru? Nope. UMHB is 5-0 against the Cowboys in the postseason, including wins in 2004 and 2015, when the Cowboys won the annual regular season duel, but fell to the Crusaders in a mid-November playoff tilt. Yet, HSU comes in as the No. 1 team in the entire 10-team quadrant, the No. 2 overall seed in the tournament per NPI, and a 10-0 squad determined to make 2024 a clean sweep against The Cru. UMHB is more than eager to write hsitory differently, drawing inspiration from the 2004 squad that beat the odds to reach the Stagg Bowl, and brimming with confidence after a 29-22 road win at Trinity last Saturday afternoon.
So with that stage set, UMHB heads into another week of preparation, aiming to extend its season by one more game. The motivation to win in Abilene, a place in which UMHB struggled early, yet recovered to rally late in a 27-19 loss four weeks ago, is very much present. UMHB head coach Larry Harmon took a few minutes to talk about that upcoming matchup with the media on Monday, in addition to his thoughts from Saturday’s win in San Antonio, the dynamics that have helped UMHB seemingly elevate its confidence over the last two weeks, and more.
On the Trinity win
Harmon noted that Saturday’s victory was a fairly solid performance, with UMHB getting out to a 14-0 lead, battling back from a 22-21 deficit to score late, and ultimately sealing the win on Dorien Hill’s interception in the final seconds. The Cru bounced back in San Antonio after losing to Trinity, 35-16, in the regular season last year, and most importantly, got through the opening round of the playoffs with a victory.
“We played really well for most of the game,” Harmon said. “Obviously on both sides of the ball, we had a series or two where we didn’t execute as well as we should have or had a mental lapse, and that’s what made the game closer than what it should’ve been. But overall, the kids played really hard. They played three-and-a-half quarters really well. There were about two series where each side had some mistakes that we shouldn’t make and we have to get that cleaned up if we want to continue.”
On getting the team to mesh
Hill was one of the newer faces that stepped up on Saturday. In addition to his interception, the freshman linebacker tied with his brother, Durand, for the team-high in tackles, with 10. Running back Asa Osbourn, a transfer running back, led the team with 71 yards and scored the go-ahead touchdown. Ranius Daramola, a transfer receiver from Hobart, had one catch for 32 yards, but it was a touchdown reception, putting UMHB up 14-0 in the second quarter. While they aren’t necessarily “newcomers” by this point in the year, the impact of players in the first season in the program on Saturday was evident. One of the recurring themes Harmon has mentioned through his press conferences this fall, going back to Week 1, is a desire to create chemistry and get the team to fully mesh. He was asked about his thoughts on that at this point, coming off a performance where several newcomers had noteworthy contributions to UMHB advancing past Round 1.
“We had a tremendous team win,” he said. “New faces made big plays when we needed them to make big plays. You never want to be down in the fourth quarter, but we were down at one point, and our offense went out, and went 11 plays, 71 yards in a little over five minutes. I was so confident [we were going to score], we were on the one-yard line, and Trinity had called a timeout. I almost took a knee, just so they’d have to burn another timeout, because they were trying to stop the clock to give them enough time to go down and counter the score that we were fixing to get.
“Obviously it was great to see our offense go out there, move the ball, and get a touchdown and two-point conversion after that to make it a seven-point game. And then for us to go out on defense and get a stop to end the game with an interception was great. We feel real good with where we are as a team right now. [The] guys are really bought in.”
On finding traction in the run game
On that go-ahead drive, the rushing attack really stepped into the spotlight. UMHB ran 11 plays as Harmon mentioned, with seven of those being run plays, as The Cru tallied 43 yards on the ground. That drive was capped by back-to-back runs from Osbourn, who followed up a 13-yard carry with a score from one-yard out. UMHB threw the ball just 20 times, a season-low, while running it 45 times. That approach seemingly wore down Trinity’s defensive front, allowing for the lengthy 11-play drive that ultimately won The Cru the game.
“[The] halftime adjustment was that we weren’t going to run as much perimeter stuff,” Harmon said. “We were going to just run right at them and allow our O-Line to have more double teams instead of single blocks. That helped us be a lot more physical.
“Our running backs did a good job of one cut and go, there wasn’t a bunch of dancing around. We ran on purpose, and ran incredibly hard. That allowed our kids to be physical and that was the adjustment that made the big difference in the game. Our time of possession in the second half was incredible.”
Hill brothers leading the defense
One of the unique storylines in the contest involved the Hill brothers, who each made sizable contributions on the defensive side of the ball. As mentioned, Dorien Hill, a true freshman, came up with 10 tackles and the game-sealing interception, the first of his collegiate career. Durand, a senior who is one of the few players on the roster that saw action in the 2021 Stagg Bowl, had 10 tackles, a tackle for loss, and a fumble recovery. Oh, and not to mention, he also punted twice, with one of his two landing inside the Trinity 20-yard line. Harmon was asked about the dynamic of the brothers, one a senior and the other a freshman, making plays for the same defense and doing so alongside each other.
“I think it’s cool for them,” Harmon noted. “I’m sure it was a childhood dream of theirs of ‘Hey, it’d be cool if we could play in college together.’ And I’m sure that was a factor in Dorien coming here, having an opportunity, if he could get himself up in the depth chart, that he’d have a chance to play on the same field with his brother in college. What a neat experience for his family to get to see them play together.
“It took an injury to another player, unfortunately, against Hardin-Simmons. We were in the third quarter, we needed some help, and Durand made the comment, ‘Coach, I can play Will (weakside linebacker).’ Durand had never practiced a single day at Will linebacker and Dorien was one who hadn’t been in the game yet. I said, ‘Well, it’s not going to hurt anything, let’s try it.’
“They went out and played flawlessly and really gave us an opportunity with some big stops to have a chance to come back and win the game there at the end. You can’t say enough about them. Dorien’s doing an incredible job of pushing himself to get better every week. What’s cool is when he makes a great play, he’s excited, but what’s really impressive is that when he doesn’t make the play, or doesn’t get to where he’s supposed to be, he still has that expectation that he needs to make those plays. He’s staying really humble and very coachable, and isn’t getting a big head, like, ‘I have this thing figured out.’ He’s doing a great job with the opportunity he’s been given.”
On a third meeting with the Cowboys
And the Crusaders are aiming to do the most with the opportunity they too, have been given. Rare is it for a team to get a second chance against a conference rival during a season, though it does happen. Mount Union and John Carroll, both in the OAC, are also set to meet in the second round of the playoffs on Saturday. But after going 0-2 against the Cowboys, the Crusaders now have a third chance. They got closer the second time around, not allowing HSU to pull away in the same fashion they did the first time, which made for an intriguing finish when UMHB’s offense finally clicked in the fourth quarter. Originally down 27-3, UMHB scored 16 fourth-quarter points—two touchdowns and a pair of two-point conversions—and had the ball, down eight, with just under two minutes left. The drive was unsuccessful, but The Cru came away from that in a better spot, it seemed. Now, they’ll get an opportunity to build on that, hopefully start quicker on offense, and with a win, advance to the national quarterfinals.
“We’re being blessed with a third opportunity to play Hardin-Simmons,” Harmon said. “They’re a talented team, they’re very well-coached, they have a long history of being a great football program.
“The key to this game is who can be the most physical the longest and that’s something that Hardin-Simmons has been able to accomplish and we haven’t. That’s going to be the message this week. That’s what we have to match. At this time of year, toughness is what wins games.”
Go Cru! We are proud of you! We are also confident you can win!!’