Teams
in Around the South’s coverage area took home four playoff
bids on Sunday. Three of them enter the Division III dance for the
first time in Mississippi College, Huntingdon and DePauw. For Mary
Hardin-Baylor, it is their sixth straight appearance and eighth
time this decade.
This season, for the first time in a long time, there will be no
"Texas sub-bracket" game that matches UMHB with either American
Southwest rival Hardin-Simmons or Southern Collegiate Athletic
Conference power Trinity.
But the Crusaders, who earned an at large bid (Pool C,) hardly got
an easy draw. They were moved to a “West” Bracket that
features four undefeated teams and will travel to Iowa Saturday to
take on Central (10-0.).
If UMHB hopes to return to the Stagg Bowl, a journey they made in
2004 and finished a game away from the past two seasons, they will
have to do it on the road. They were road warriors in 2004 as a
Pool C team losing to Linfield in the Stagg. So another long
playoff run in certainly not out of the question and in my eyes and
those associated with the program it is expected.
"It is bittersweet," Crusaders coach Pete Fredenburg said to the
Temple Daily Telegraph after defeating Sul Ross State
48-16 on Saturday. "Obviously we had to do some things to get back
on track after the Mississippi College loss. We feel like we're
still one of the best football teams in the country, and I just
hope that we get into the playoffs. Unfortunately, it's not in our
hands any more."
And Fredenburg knows that getting in is the key. Without a doubt,
the Crusaders have been the third best team in Division III over
the past two seasons twice bowing out in hard fought semifinal
losses on the tundra of Perkins Stadium at UW-Whitewater.
"I am thrilled to be in the playoffs," said Fredenburg to the
Killeen Daily Herald. "We really and truly don't care who
we play and where. We're tickled to be playing."
And I believe him. This is a team that has been built for the long
haul. They have a fast aggressive, play-making defense. The offense
has three excellent tailbacks in Quincy Daniels, Bryson Tucker and
Desmond Mays. The offensive line is always among the best coached
and deepest in the country and they have play-makers like PiDadro
Davis and Earvin Johnson in receiving corps. I would not be
surprised to see making a trip back to Wisconsin in a few
weeks.
They only potential problem I see is if they get too cute with the
quarterback situation. They have alternated junior Kyle Noack and
freshman LiDarral Bailey throughout the season. Noack has started
six games, including two of the last three, while Bailey has
started four. They have alternated through most games as the Cru
has had a chance to work both during their nine blowout wins.
The present different skill sets also. Bailey is a tremendous
threat running the option leading the team with 828 rushing yards.
Noack has been less effective on the ground gaining just 97.
However, Noack is the more efficient passer completing more than
two-thirds of his passes. While over the last five games, Bailey
has completing just fifty percent of his attempts (19-of-38.)
So it will be interesting to see how the Crusaders manage their
quarterback situation on Saturday. It came back to bite them in
their only loss, 17-14, at Mississippi College. Bailey started and
played most of the game and though he was 6-of-9 for 65 yards and a
touchdown was sacked four times while making some freshman
mistakes. Noack was inserted late in a tie game and threw the
interception that set up the Choctaws winning field goal.
So do they continue to alternate the pair, risking offensive
continuity, while trying to tailor their game plan to each
signal-caller’s strengths or do they just go with one?
Last season, when Noack and Josh Saenz split time most the season,
it was Saenz , a senior, who earned the playoff starts and shined
in leading the Cru to the semifinals.
However, back in 2004, it was freshman Josh Welch, who came off
the bench late in the season and led UMHB all the way to the Stagg
Bowl.
Should the Cru go with youth, experience or both? That is the
question for UMHB as they enter this season’s playoffs. And
it could decide how far they go in the tournament’s deepest
bracket.
Huntingdon will host Mississippi College in a
“South” bracket first round matchup. Expect a shootout.
But teams are averaging right around 37-38 points per game and have
been racking up the total yardage. Huntingdon averages 525 yards a
contest while the Choctaws are over 430. Both defenses are giving
up over 400 yards game too.
They share two common opponents this season in Louisiana College
and Millsaps. Both defeated La College. The Hawks by a score of
34-21, while MC won 54-44. Both also defeated Millsaps. The
Choctaws prevailed in two overtimes 47-44 and Huntingdon knocked
out two quarterbacks to key a comeback from an11-point deficit to
win 47-36.
The question is, are they both limping into the playoffs?
Mississippi College turned the ball over seven times in a loss to
Howard Payne three weeks ago that cost them the outright title in
the ASC. They also didn’t put away a 0-10 Texas Lutheran team
until the fourth quarter last week. (Exciting many Crusader fans
for a while, I am sure.) You are willing to throw out one subpar
performance during the season, but two in three weeks heading into
the playoffs is troubling. They’ll have to play much better
to win there.
The Hawks had their six-game win streak snapped last Thursday
night by South Alabama, a future Division I-FCS program, by a score
of 35-0. Of course, they were playing against scholarship athletes,
so maybe it means nothing. They still racked up more than 460 yards
in their only other loss, 31-13, earlier in the season against
UW-Oshkosh. Turnovers played a huge role in that game.
At any rate, they should put up a great offensive show and you
would think that whoever plays the best on defense -- forcing the
most turnovers will prevail. Both teams have senior leaders at
quarterback, Adam Shaffer for MC and Justin Ridgeway for HC. Enjoy
the show.
DePauw is the also entering the playoff with a loss after falling
in the Monon Bell game to Wabash 32-19. They’ll need to
bounce back as many being facing the toughest defense they’ve
seen this season in Thomas More.
The 10-0 Saints are allowing just 251 yards per game this season,
including just 51 a game on the ground. The Tigers will haveto
take care of the football, they were intercepted three times
against Wabash, and turn any opportunities they get into points.
They came away empty in the red zone twice in last week’s
loss.
In this season’s first Around the South column on Sept. 2,
I previewed the games that I thought would shape how the regional
and conference races would play out. To wrap things up for the
year, I thought I’d take some time to review their impact and
add a few that I may have missed.
THE ASC-SCAC Matchups
Millsaps at Mississippi College. Both teams entered the
season with high hopes in the annual “Backyard Brawl”
and the matchup exceeded expectations. The Choctaws avenged the
previous year’s 42-3 beat down by winning 47-44 in double
overtime. The Majors came back from 24-3 at the half and 34-17 in
the fourth quarter, but Adam Shaffer’s six-yard pass to
Renard Ellis ended the game in the second overtime giving
Mississippi College bragging rights for this year.
Trinity at McMurry. McMurry almost pulled the
upset in Hal Mumme’s debut. The Tigers were protecting a
31-26 lead over McMurry late in the game. McMurry’s Andrew
Wallace forced a fumble and recovered it and appeared to have set
the “Indians” up with good field position to make a
final drive. Furlow, however, stole the ball back for Trinity and
the Tigers were able to run out the clock. Mcurry did end their
17-game losing streak a few weeks later and then won four straight
before losing their final two.
The regional matchups
Whitworth at Hardin-Simmons. The Cowboys overcame a 24-13
halftime deficit to win 48-31 in their home opener. Quarterback
Justin Feaster and wideout ZaVious Robbins connected 11 times for
140 yards and two touchdowns. In all, Feaster completed 26 of 32
passes for 282 yards and four touchdowns. Unfortunately, it was the
last time the pair would play a full game together this season. The
pair both went down with injuries the following week during a 37-22
loss to Linfield. Injuries in the secondary and on the offensive
line contributed to a losing skid that lasted four games -- the
longest losing streak since the school restarted its program 20
years ago.
UW-La Crosse at East Texas Baptist. The Tigers
had hopes of returning to the form that earned them a share of the
ASC title and a playoff berth in 2003. A 28-13 loss to the Eagles
triggered a 0-2 start. They rebounded to start 2-0 in conference
play, but an early October loss at McMurry triggered a five-game
losing streak that didn’t end until last Saturday’s
42-7 win over Howard Payne. They finished a disappointing 3-7, two
wins less than in 2008.
The remainder of the season
Centre at DePauw, Sept. 19. The Colonels built a 34-3
against the preseason favored SCAC Tigers, then held off a late
comeback to win 34-24. The victory moved Centre to 3-0 overall and
showed that they’d be a serious contender in the SCAC
race.
Wesley at LaGrange, Sept. 26. After their
turnaround from 0-20 to a playoff appearance of in 2008, the
Panthers fell to 1-3 after a 56-7 loss at the hands of the
fourth-ranked Wolverines assuring that they wouldn’t be a
factor in the race for a Pool B playoff bid. However, they did
rally to win their next four games.
Trinity at Millsaps, Sept. 26. Millsaps knocked
the Tigers from the ranks of the unbeaten, 24-6 to win their third
straight game. It was Trinity’s fourth straight road game,
while the Majors stayed unbeaten in the SCAC.
Hardin-Simmons at Mississippi College, Sept. 26.
Shaffer drove his team 70 yards in just over a minute before
hitting Ellis for another game winner to give the Choctaws a 39-34
victory. The win was the program’s first over the Cowboys and
set up a de facto ASC Championship game against UMHB in the
following weeks.
Mary Hardin-Baylor at Hardin-Simmons, Oct. 3. A
game that was supposed to be one of the marquee matchups in all of
Division III lost some of its luster due to Hardin-Simmons' injury
problems. The Cowboys' MASH unit still gave a decent account of
itself losing just 23-7. However, the Cru dominated from pretty
much from start to finish. Hardin-Simmons would rally to win its
final five games and finish with another winning season.
Millsaps at DePauw, Oct. 3. The Tigers put
themselves back in the SCAC race and hampered any hopes Millsaps
had of a Pool C bid by handing the Majors their first conference
loss 29-27 DePauw built an early 16-0 lead but had to survive a
late Millsaps rally and failed two-point conversion attempt Spud
Dick passed for 372 yards while completing 28-of-34 and three
touchdowns.
Mary Hardin-Baylor at Mississippi College, Oct.
17. The Choctaws pulled off the upset of the year in the
region and maybe the country by ending the Crusaders 33-game ASC
win streak. Brandon Walls 31-yard field goal with four seconds to
go gave MC at 17-14 victory following the controversial decision by
UMHB coach Pete Fredenberg to insert quarterback Kye Noack late in
the game. Coming off the bench cold late in the fourth quarter,
Noack threw the interception that set up the winning kick. The
Choctaw jumped into the drivers seat in the ASC race and despite a
later upset loss to Howard Payne earned the conference’s
automatic bid.
Trinity at DePauw, Oct. 24. DePauw finally got
the Trinity monkey off its back winning 26-18 and effectively
ending Trinity SCAC title hopes. The Indiana Tigers also stayed in
the SCAC title hunt that looked like it could end in a three-way
tie.
LaGrange at Huntingdon, Oct 31. The Hawks avenged
last season’s final game loss for a Pool B bid with a 51-13
beat down of the Panthers and upped their record to 7-1 while
sporting the top-ranked in Division III.
Huntingdon at Birmingham-Southern, Nov. 7. In
this, the first match between Alabama’s only Division III
football playing schools, the Hawks secured an unbeaten regional
record and Pool B playoff bid with a 59-28 win. In taking home the
first “Wesley Cup,” they also assured themselves a
first round playoff home game.
Wabash at DePauw, Nov. 14. Despite securing the
SCAC’s automatic bid the previous week when Trinity handed
Centre its second conference loss, The Tigers missed some early
opportunities and fell to archrival Wabash in the Monon Bell
game.
Other games that mattered
Centre defeated Sewanee 20-0 on Oct. 3 but lost quarterback Tyler
Osterman for the season with a broken leg. The Colonel offense
struggled to find consistency afterward. The lost two of the final
three games at Millsaps (24-0) and at Trinity (27-17) to dash their
SCAC title hopes.
Louisiana College finished with five straight victories to
complete the second straight 7-3 season. They are still a team
trying to get over the hump however. All three of their loses were
to playoff teams: UMHB (54-20), Mississippi College (54-44) and
Huntingdon (34-21.) It will be interesting to see if they can get
to the next level in 2010.
You can reach me at jason.bowen@capital.k12.de.us, Conrad on Post Patterns or on Facebook at Facebook.com/jasonbowen3. I’ve enjoyed being the Around the South columnist. Enjoy playoff time if your team is in and get ready for season if your offseason has begun.