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| Michael Jewett is just one piece of a defense which has helped Trinity (Texas) get off to a 5-0 start. Trinity (Texas) athletics photo |
By Greg Thomas
D3sports.com
Often times sports timelines can be circular. D3football.com has now been around long enough to see programs ebb and flow and ebb again. The site is old enough that players that were covered in the site’s infancy are now veteran head coaches. Such is the case with Trinity’s Jerheme Urban, now in his eighth year leading his alma mater and starting to produce results that remind people of the Trinity Tigers of Urban’s playing days.
Our more seasoned readers will remember that in this website’s earlier years, the kings of the South were not Crusaders from UMHB or Wesley Wolverines -- no, the Trinity Tigers flew their Black Flags all over the South Region in the late 1990s and early 2000s and were one of the premiere teams in the division. Urban’s 2021 Tigers are off to a dominant 5-0 start and rekindling memories of the nationally competitive teams that he was a part of two decades ago.
Urban’s build up for this 2021 season began well over one year ago during the competition pause for the COVID-19 pandemic. “We looked at [the pause] with a long range calendar starting in September of 2020. What are we going to do on a 365-day calendar to get prepared for August 2021?” Urban said.
Even the SAA’s spring season were building blocks for this fall for Urban’s Tigers. “From how we trained last fall to what our camp looked like last January and the games were there [in Spring 2021],” Urban continued. “As competitors, we’re there to try and win that modified spring championship, but everything was with a mindset toward this fall.”
Those building blocks have been evident in Trinity’s play this fall, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. Trinity ranks near the top of the division in most major defensive statistical categories including having the top ranked scoring and rushing defense in the division. Senior linebacker Michael Jewett credits the bond formed during the long offseason for much of the Trinity defense’s success.
“With the spring season leading to now, everybody got really close and tight over that time,” said Jewett, twice a first team all-conference selection. “We have each other’s backs no matter what.”
Jewett also acknowledges the importance of this season for Trinity superseniors Matt Willis and Campbell Miller. Willis and Miller set the tone for the nation's top rush defense along the Tiger defensive line. “They have a goal and we’re here to help them achieve it,” Jewett said.
While the preparation for this season has been months in the making, the week-to-week preparation has also shown up for a Tiger defense that has allowed less than 200 yards in four of their five games. “Our coaches put together a great game plan for us and help us devise how we’re going to handle certain situations,” Jewett said. “They help through the entire week so that nothing new is thrown at us.”
Indeed, Trinity’s defense hasn’t been caught off guard by much this season.
Urban also notes that it isn’t just Trinity’s defense getting the job done in San Antonio this fall. “We’re playing complementary football. The defense is doing a good job getting off the field and the offense has been very methodical,” Urban said. “While we have some explosive guys outside, we also know that if we can keep the guys on defense fresh they’ll be hard to beat which will make us hard to beat. If everyone continues to have this selfless mentality, I think they have a chance to build on what could be a special year.”
Indeed, Trinity is second in the division in time of possession and has faced fewer offensive snaps than any other team in the division. “What I’m most proud of is the selflessness and the team embracing the mindset ‘don’t count your reps, make your reps count’”, Urban said.
Trinity has also been counting top 25 poll votes at a volume that they haven’t done in some time. The Tigers entered the D3football.com Top 25 this season for the first time since 2012. The Tigers are also 5-0 for the first time since 2011. These necessary steps bring Trinity closer to heights that the program achieved in the early 2000s.
“We talk about it. The guys came here to reestablish something that was pretty strong for a while,” Urban said. “We openly talk about how where we are right now isn’t where our goals are either. It’s a step in the process. We know we have a program that has some very strong history.”
When asked how he would compare the 2021 Trinity Tigers that he coaches to the 2002 Trinity Tigers that he played in a Stagg Bowl with, Urban was candid in his analysis. “Offensively we’re about as talented across the board as any team I’ve been around here. We have the ability to stretch the field and do some things.”
“Defensively it starts in the box and reminds me of the old days in terms of being able to stop the run and make people one-dimensional,” Urban said. While he did compare his current team favorably to the teams he played on, it was made clear that these are different teams.
“A lot of the old guys still ask me if we still have the Black Flag,” Urban said. The current iteration of Trinity’s defense doesn’t use that symbol from decades ago. ““It’s one of those things that our guys are trying to create their own name and thriving on the challenge of being their best.”
Being nationally competitive may or may not require a team to come from a competitive league (that debate rages on), but the anecdotal evidence suggests that it doesn’t hurt. The SAA has steadily climbed in our conference rankings and now keeps company in the top ten with conferences that tend to place teams into the later rounds of the postseason. On playing in the SAA Jewett said, ““We love the challenge. No week is ever easy because every team brings something different to the table. There’s no point in looking for Week 8 or 9 when you still have Week 3 and 4 in front of you.”
“Nationally, I think it’s an underappreciated conference,” Urban said. “To get in the top four of our conference, you have to be a really good football team.” Three SAA teams have been ranked in the top 25 this season, a fourth has received votes.
Urban’s connection to this conference also connects to his playing days when many of these same teams were in the SCAC. “As an alum who has a deep history with a lot of the schools in this conference, it’s been fun to get to know Hendrix and Berry. I appreciate their institutions, they do things right,” Urban said. “It’s been fun for me to get back with a league that, from an academic standpoint, everyone is aligned and then to see the product on the field, it really is a quality league both on and off the field.”
Trinity has a top flight defense, an efficient offense, and a conference that tests the team and hones their sharp edges. The pieces are in place for a bit of an early 2000s renaissance for the Tigers. Of course there is a month to play and significant SAA hurdles left to clear, but Trinity’s play so far in 2021 reasonably invites a conversation about Trinity circling back around to the early 2000s, which is high praise indeed.
Rising/falling
We talked a bit on the Around The Nation podcast about UW-La Crosse losing three poll positions despite winning against UW-Platteville which is probably the most notable fall of the week. The biggest tumble on my ballot this week was Johns Hopkins, who I moved all the way to 22. My biggest riser may be a surprise- Susquehanna. The River Hawks moved up seven spots because I have them tethered one spot ahead of Muhlenberg. Ranking the Centennial Conference teams is a bit messy at the moment, but clarity is on the way in Weeks 9 and 10 where Susquehanna will square off against Johns Hopkins and Muhlenberg.
Not so much falling on my ballot but slowly eroding has been Aurora. The Spartans reached 17 on my ballot in Week 4, but have been sliding a little bit ever since. As teams around the nation have racked up quality wins and played their way in to the Top 25, somebody has to be displaced. Aurora, through no fault of their own, has slid back to 24 on my ballot and is really in danger of slipping off in the next two weeks. The further we get away from that Week 1 near miss at St. John’s, the less impact the result has. However, after seeing the Johnnies post three consecutive shutouts, maybe voters (myself included) need to reconsider the Spartans position.
I’d like to thank...
Special thanks this week to Trinity student-athlete Michael Jewett and head coach Jehreme Urban for taking time to talk to Around The Nation this week as well as Trinity University Associate Athletic Director Justin Parker for helping to coordinate the conversation!
On tap
It is time to put those tray tables in the upright and locked position as the regular season begins its descent toward Selection Sunday in just four weeks. We’ve got you covered seven days per week with Division III content to get you all the way to that final destination. Here’s what you can watch for every week at D3football.com:
Tomorrow: Quick Hits featuring our panel’s predictions and insights into this weekend’s games
Saturday: Game day. Get thee to the scoreboard and feast.
Sunday: New Top 25 poll
Monday: Around The Nation podcast. Pat Coleman and Greg Thomas recap the weekend that was and preview the weekend to come in Division III football.
Tuesday/Wednesday: Team of the Week honors, features columns
Thursday: Around the Nation column
Read options?
Small college football is actually pretty massive. Division III is home to 239 teams, many thousands of student-athletes and coaches. There are so many more stories out there than I can find on my own. Please share your stories that make Division III football so special for all of us! Reach out to me at greg.thomas@d3sports.com or on Twitter @wallywabash to share your stories.
