McMurry doesn't have a nickname, since the NCAA
made it drop 'Indians,' but Jake Mullin and The Nation are off to a
2-0 start. McMurry athletics photo by Gary Rhodes |
The third week of the season represents a chance to begin a new
for teams from the America Southwest and Southern Collegiate
Athletic Conferences. Both begin their conference slates this
weekend. So no matter how a team performed during the first two
weeks of the season, they still have a chance at a conference
championship and the automatic bid to the NCAA III Playoffs that
comes with it.
And perhaps the most interesting place to be this weekend is
Abilene, Texas. The defending ASC co champions, Mississippi College
and Mary Hardin-Baylor, come to town to take on hometown
Hardin-Simmons and McMurry respectively. The four teams currently
have a combined record of 7-0.
In fact, the ASC currently has three teams in the D3football.com
Top 25, including two in the top ten. All three teams moved up in
the rankings this week. Mary Hardin-Baylor moved from sixth to
fifth, while Hardin-Simmons made the largest jump with its win
against Willamette, moving from 14th to ninth. Mississippi College
entered the top 20 for the first time this season moving from 21st
to 19th.
UMHB, who has won or shared the ASC title each of the past six
seasons, and Mississippi College both advanced to the second record
of the playoffs last season. Hardin-Simmons, of course, is usually
in the hunt for a conference title and playoff berth too.
While McMurry, they're a team just one year removed from breaking
a 17-game losing streak. But with a 2-0 start during which they've
outscored opponents 105 to 6, they may be a team that is ready to
join the top contenders in the ASC.
Now sure, the two teams the "Nation" defeated may be suspect when
compared with to the powers of the ASC. But with former Division I
coach Hal Mumme in his second year at the reins, this week's game
against the UMHB should reveal where the program is in its
development.
"They're the elite team in our conference and have been for a long
time," Mumme said of UMHB, who beat McMurry 61-14 last season in
Belton. "When you play them you don't play a team. You play a whole
program. So that's the interesting thing for me, to see how far we
progressed since last year."
Mumme, who has made his coaching name as a pioneer in the spread
offense with the self-titled "Air Raid" package, has again
developed a potent offense. McMurry is averaging over 50 points and
nearly 500 yards of total offense through two games.
But Mumme is not the only innovator on the staff with a Division I
pedigree. And it has been on defense that the "Nation" has perhaps
made the most improvement under former Mississippi State defensive
coordinator Joe Lee Dunn, a pioneer of the 3-3-5 defensive set.
McMurry has allowed just six points through two games and an
average of 138 yards per game.
"They've played great," Mumme said of his defense. "He has always
been a defensive genius. He's great at putting these guys in
positions where they can make plays."
The unit lost just two starters from last season and Dunn seems to
found the right pieces for his scheme which included moving
players, like Austin Cleere, a receiver until midway through last
season, over from offense. Cleere like the rest of the unit
experienced some growing pains last season.
"It took him last year to figure it out for some of them," Mumme
said. "we've also added a couple of guys and grew up a little bit.
Some did play last year but are playing a whole bunch right
now."
One player who has grown up is senior defensive end Josh McKinnis.
The senior, who posted eight sacks last season and has been a solid
performer so far this season.
"He a senior and good leader," Mumme said of McKinnis who plans on
joining the Marine Corps after graduation. ‘He's a guy who
has figured out the system and worked extremely hard."
McKinnis in enjoying the program's recent success after
experiencing a 2-18 record during his first two seasons.
"The turnaround has been incredible," McKinnis said, "It's one of
the best thing things to happen at McMurry in a long time.
"We have people who know how the defensive should be run (this
year). That's been important. They are doing a great job coaching
us on (the scheme).
But according to McKinnis, the coaching staff has also helped
develop the most important thing necessary for playing defense --
desire.
"It comes down to wanting to hit and run to the football,"
McKInnis said.
So with a high-powered offense and much improved defense is
McMurry ready to match up with one of the elite programs in
Division III over the past decade? The Crusaders have won the last
three meetings by a combined score of 168 to 33.
"I think so," Mumme said. "We played them in the fourth game last
year and weren't ready. Hopefully, we should match up better."
McKinnis remembers a time when thoughts of McMurry being in the
game with the Crusaders were a matter of survival.
"The first two games (as a freshman and sophomore), we were just
trying to go out and survive," according to McKinnis. "But now we
have the No. 5 team in the nation coming in. This is what you play
for.
"Honestly, no disrespect to Mary Hardin-Baylor intended, the whole
thing is 'why shouldn't we beat them?' They're another team out
there in the way (of our goals)."
And you get the feeling that that's what Mumme enjoys about his
upstart team.
"The thing I like about this team is that they just enjoy playing
the game," he said. ""They really don't care who they are playing,
they're just glad it's Saturday."
We'll find out how glad this week.
Games of the Week
Mary Hardin-Baylor (1-0) at McMurry (2-0): The
Crusaders scored the last 24 points of the game to defeat UW-La
Crosse , a team that lost to ASC rival East Texas Baptist in Week
1. Is UMHB vulnerable this year or was it just first game mistakes
against a team that had already played a game?
DePauw (1-0) at Centre (1-1): DePauw didn't miss
Spud Dick in its first outing as Michael Engle threw for six
touchdowns. Centre bounced back from a disappointing opening loss
to Hanover. The two contenders for the SCAC title both need a win
in this game.
Mississippi College (2-0) at Hardin-Simmons
(2-0): The Choctaws beat the Cowboys for the first time
last season on their way to the ASC championship. However,
quarterback Justin Feaster and receiver ZaVious Robbins, back from
season-ending injuries last year, have been tearing it up against
tough nonconference opponents so far.
Austin (2-0) at Millsaps (0-2): Two new coaching
staffs in this matchup. The Majors, SCAC co-champs last season, are
off to a tough start but are still dangerous. The Roos, after a 4-6
record a year ago, could show they're ready to compete for the
title with a win here.
Contact Info
Feel free to send me your comments at jason.bowen@d3sports.com.
You can also find me on Facebook and twitter @d3jason. Hope you
have a great weekend.