2024 Hardin-Simmons bracket previews
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Hardin-Simmons Cowboys
| Seed: | No. 1, Hardin-Simmons bracket, No. 2 overall |
| Last Top 25 ranking: | No. 4, Week 11 2024 |
| Location: | Abilene, Texas |
| Enrollment (FT undergrads): | 1262 |
| Stadium: | Shelton Stadium (4000) |
| Playing surface: | Turf |
| Conference: | ASC |
| Head coach: | Jesse Burleson (Hardin-Simmons) |
| Career record: | 107-33 (.764) |
| Base offense: | One-back spread |
| Base defense: | 3-3-5 |
| Record in NCAA playoffs: | 4-12 (1999-2001, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2015-18, 2022-23) |
| NCAA D-III championships: | None |
• D3football.com team page: Schedule and results, more news
| Points for | Points against |
| 451 | 175 |
| How they got here: | Automatic bid: ASC |
| You'll know they're playing well if: | The running game is drawing most of the attention from the opposing defense. With consistent gains on the ground, defenses are forced to load the box, which then gives QB Kyle Brown free rein through the air, taking advantage of one-on-one matchups down the sidelines. The defense is getting off the field on third down, and the opponent is punting from deep inside its own half of the field. |
| You'll know they're playing poorly if: | The offense fails to move the chains on third down plays. While HSU has had a solid conversion rate for much of this season, the few games in which they've had a higher number of empty possessions were instances when they also struggled to execute on passing downs and convert on third down |
| This season's turning point: | In their fourth game, the Cowboys backed up their high national ranking for the first time with a 35-27 win over Endicott in Abilene. HSU's defense shut out the Gulls in the first and third quarters, and the Cowboy offense became the first team since Catholic on Sept. 18, 2021 to record at least 400 yards of offense against the Endicott defense. |
| NPI (rank): | 79.091 (2) |
| Rushing/passing yards per game: | 184.7/223.4 |
| Rushing/passing yards allowed: | 103.5/191.6 |
| Yards per play/allowed per play: | 6.5/4.9 |
| Leading passer: | Kyle Brown, 218 ypg |
| Leading rusher: | Noah Garcia, 81.67 ypg |
| Leading receiver: | Tailon Garrett, 64.7 ypg |
| Leading tackler: | Kaiden Roden, 88 (41 solo) |
| Leader in sacks: | Charlie Patterson, 8.0 |
| Leader in interceptions: | Harrison Foster, 3 |
| How far can they go? | HSU is the favorite in this bracket and should be comfortably in the quarterfinals, probably the semifinals. |
DePauw Tigers
| Seed: | No. 2, Hardin-Simmons bracket |
| Last Top 25 ranking: | No. 9, Week 11 2024 |
| Location: | Greencastle, Indiana |
| Enrollment (FT undergrads): | 1725 |
| Stadium: | Blackstock Stadium (4000) |
| Playing surface: | Turf |
| Conference: | NCAC |
| Head coach: | Brett Dietz (Hanover '04) |
| Career record: | 40-6 (.870) |
| Base offense: | Spread/multiple |
| Base defense: | 3-4 |
| Record in NCAA playoffs: | 1-5 (2009-10, 2021-23) |
| NCAA D-III championships: | None |
• D3football.com team page: Schedule and results, more news
| Points for | Points against |
| 528 | 114 |
| How they got here: | Automatic bid: NCAC |
| You'll know they're playing well if: | The defense can keep the opponent off the scoreboard early in games -- the Tigers allowed just 14 points in first quarters this year and they have trailed for only 13:02. Plus, the offensive line protects Nathan McCahill, as the Tigers' offensive line has allowed just seven sacks all season. |
| You'll know they're playing poorly if: | They make turnovers or mistakes on special teams. The Tigers have taken really good care of the ball, turning it over only seven times all season. McCahill has thrown only three interceptions in 258 attempts. On defense, if they allow opposing quarterbacks to consistently complete passes downfield. |
| This season's turning point: | After a disjointed first half saw DePauw up 10-0, the Tigers got a three-and-out on defense coming out of the locker room for the second half against Berry. DePauw drove 61 yards for a touchdown, then forced a punt and McCahill hit Jaylon Smith on a short pass he took 53 yards to the house to make it quickly 24-0. DePauw went on to win 33-0 and picked up a nice victory at the end of a long road trip that was designed to get the Tigers out of their comfort zone. |
| NPI (rank): | 75.218 (7) |
| Rushing/passing yards per game: | 192.1/318.9 |
| Rushing/passing yards allowed: | 26.8/164.8 |
| Yards per play/allowed per play: | 7.6/3.4 |
| Leading passer: | Nathan McCahill, 285.4 ypg |
| Leading rusher: | Caden Whitehead, 95 ypg |
| Leading receiver: | Robby Ballentine, 84.5 ypg |
| Leading tackler: | Johnathan Bruder, 62 (41 solo) |
| Leader in sacks: | Luke Nolan, 9.0 |
| Leader in interceptions: | Christian Troupe, 3 |
| How far can they go? | To get deep in this playoff, eventually DePauw has to beat someone from a strong conference in the postseason. That's the next level in this competition, and it might or might not happen this year. |
Johns Hopkins Blue Jays
| Seed: | No. 3, Hardin-Simmons bracket |
| Last Top 25 ranking: | No. 19, Week 11 2024 |
| Location: | Baltimore, Maryland |
| Enrollment (FT undergrads): | 5633 |
| Stadium: | Homewood Field (8500) |
| Playing surface: | Turf |
| Conference: | CC |
| Head coach: | Dan Wodicka (Johns Hopkins '14) |
| Career record: | 9-1 (.900) |
| Base offense: | Multiple one-back |
| Base defense: | 4-2-5 |
| Record in NCAA playoffs: | 12-12 (2005, 2009, 2011-18, 2021, 2023) |
| NCAA D-III championships: | None |
• D3football.com team page: Schedule and results, more news
| Points for | Points against |
| 245 | 113 |
| How they got here: | Automatic: Centennial |
| You'll know they're playing well if: | The defense is spending very little time on the field. JHU's defense closed the regular season with consecutive shutouts and eight of their 10 opponents were held to 13 points or fewer, with punts ending the majority of drives against the Blue Jays. Offensively, you'll see the run game finding traction, with Geoff Schroeder constantly picking up yards after contact. |
| You'll know they're playing poorly if: | The defense is giving up big passing plays. While uncharacteristic, we've seen it a few times this season where a long gain comes through the air and immediately gives the opposing offense a spark. And offensively, if JHU is turning it over on fumbles, an issue that was more prevalent early but could rear its head against a top defense in the postseason. |
| This season's turning point: | When JHU bounced back from a disappointing 28-point home loss to Salisbury with a 20-13 win over Rowan on Oct. 4. With Centennial Conference play starting the next week, that win ? and more specifically, PJ Penders' game-winning fourth-quarter pick-six ? seemed to give JHU a surge of momentum that sparked a seven-game win streak. |
| NPI (rank): | 72.817 (11) |
| Rushing/passing yards per game: | 144.7/203.5 |
| Rushing/passing yards allowed: | 103.9/185.6 |
| Yards per play/allowed per play: | 5.6/4.5 |
| Leading passer: | James Rinello, 176.29 ypg |
| Leading rusher: | Geoff Schroeder, 55.4 ypg |
| Leading receiver: | EJ Talarico, 71.1 ypg |
| Leading tackler: | Cole Peters, 72 (39 solo) |
| Leader in sacks: | Matthew Konkol, 6.5 |
| Leader in interceptions: | Carson Bourdo, 3 |
| How far can they go? | A favorite in the NPI, but not the Top 25. |
Linfield Wildcats
| Seed: | No. 4 seed, Hardin-Simmons bracket |
| Last Top 25 ranking: | No. 14, Week 11 2024 |
| Location: | McMinnville, Ore. |
| Enrollment (FT undergrads): | 1573 |
| Stadium: | Maxwell Field (2250) |
| Playing surface: | Turf |
| Conference: | NWC |
| Head coach: | Joe Smith (Linfield '93) |
| Career record: | 165-30 (.846) |
| Base offense: | Single-back spread |
| Base defense: | 4-2-5 |
| Record in NCAA playoffs: | 29-16 (2000, 2002-05, 2009-17, 2019, 2021-22) |
| NCAA D-III championships: | 2004 |
• D3football.com team page: Schedule and results, more news
| Points for | Points against |
| 465 | 108 |
| How they got here: | Automatic bid: NWC champ |
| You'll know they're playing well if: | They cover the middle of the field well, contain the opposing run defenses and don't let big plays turn into touchdowns. On offense, the ball moves efficently no matter which quarterback is taking snaps. |
| You'll know they're playing poorly if: | Luke McNabb has to throw more than anyone would prefer and they settle for Gavin Dalziel field goal attempts. He's an extremely effective kicker and has a range out to about 50 yards, but let's face it; they're still only worth three points. |
| This season's turning point: | Fully locking down on Whitworth's offense after the Pirates' opening drive of the game and avenging last season's Week 11 loss with authority to clinch the automatic bid from the Northwest Conference. |
| NPI (rank): | 69.089 (18) |
| Rushing/passing yards per game: | 163.5/281.6 |
| Rushing/passing yards allowed: | 61.2/176.6 |
| Yards per play/allowed per play: | 6.6/3.9 |
| Leading passer: | Blake Eaton, 219.4 ypg |
| Leading rusher: | Luke McNabb, 40.5 ypg |
| Leading receiver: | Connor Wolfe, 54 ypg |
| Leading tackler: | Blake Rybar, 70 (46 solo) |
| Leader in sacks: | Caleb Sell, 9.5 |
| Leader in interceptions: | Chance Sparks, 5 |
| How far can they go? | If the Wildcats get hot, there's no reason they couldn't play in the national semifinals. |
Grove City Wolverines
| Seed: | No. 5 seed, Hardin-Simmons bracket |
| Last Top 25 ranking: | No. 12, Week 11, 2024 |
| Location: | Grove City, Pa. |
| Enrollment (FT undergrads): | 2400 |
| Stadium: | Robert E. Thorn Field (3000) |
| Playing surface: | Turf |
| Conference: | PAC |
| Head coach: | Andrew DiDonato (Grove City '10) |
| Career record: | 59-31 (.656) |
| Base offense: | Spread/multiple |
| Base defense: | 4-2 |
| Record in NCAA playoffs: | 1-1 (2023) |
| NCAA D-III championships: | None |
• D3football.com team page: Schedule and results, more news
| Points for | Points against |
| 429 | 109 |
| How they got here: | At-large: PAC |
| You'll know they're playing well if: | Logan Pfeuffer is connecting with Scott Fraser on deeper passing routes. Fraser is Pfeuffer's unquestioned top target, with good hands and a crisp route-running ability that has yielded plenty of yardage for the Wolverine offense this fall. When those two are in sync, the rest of the offense seems to follow suit. The defense will be stringent against the run, forcing the opposing quarterback to risk throwing the ball against a defense that tallied a PAC-best 17 interceptions in the regular season. |
| You'll know they're playing poorly if: | The defensive line struggles to get pressure on the quarterback, and allows the opposing offense to string together a series of short completions. For as good as the Wolverines are in the secondary, they've had stretches where a lack of breaking up those short passes becomes problematic and compounds itself. The offense may struggle to finish promising drives, turning the ball over on downs in opposing territory instead of getting into the end zone. |
| This season's turning point: | The first half shutout of Case Western Reserve in Week 10 victory. This one might be up for debate -- GCC's biggest win came over then-No. 10 Carnegie Mellon four weeks earlier -- but after losing to Washington & Jefferson in Week 7, the CWRU game was a must-win for the Wolverines to stay in the PAC title hunt. Facing the league's top passing attack, the GCC defense stepped up, paving the path to a key 30-20 win. |
| NPI (rank): | 68.945 (19) |
| Rushing/passing yards per game: | 201.2/243.4 |
| Rushing/passing yards allowed: | 40.6/182.3 |
| Yards per play/allowed per play: | 6.7/4.1 |
| Leading passer: | Logan Pfeuffer, 201.3 ypg |
| Leading rusher: | Nico Flati, 104.2 ypg |
| Leading receiver: | Scott Fraser, 107.6 ypg |
| Leading tackler: | Caleb Brubaker, 66 (36 solo) |
| Leader in sacks: | Ben Bladel, 10.0 |
| Leader in interceptions: | Caleb Brubaker, 5 |
| How far can they go? | Could be one-and-out or could make quarterfinals. |
Texas Lutheran Bulldogs
| Seed: | No. 6, Hardin-Simmons bracket |
| Last Top 25 ranking: | No. 18, 2015 Week 1 |
| Location: | Seguin, Texas |
| Enrollment (FT undergrads): | 1265 |
| Stadium: | Bulldog Stadium (4000) |
| Playing surface: | Turf |
| Conference: | SCAC |
| Head coach: | Neal LaHue (Texas A&I '85) |
| Career record: | 15-15 (.500) |
| Base offense: | Spread/multiple |
| Base defense: | 3-4 |
| Record in NCAA playoffs: | 0-1 (2014) |
| NCAA D-III championships: | None |
• D3football.com team page: Schedule and results, more news
| Points for | Points against |
| 359 | 159 |
| How they got here: | At-large, SCAC |
| You'll know they're playing well if: | They have success against the run defensively and generally adjust to whatever gets thrown their way on either side of the ball, and special teams is its usual stellar self. |
| You'll know they're playing poorly if: | Two-way threat QB Caden Bosanko ends up being the only person who can run the ball effectively and DB Troy Tomaselli is unable to have a big impact on the game as teams work around him. |
| This season's turning point: | When the Bulldogs went to local opponent Trinity (Texas) on the first Saturday night of the season and came away with a 35-20 win. Even though Trinity lost a ton of talent from its 2023 team, the win put TLU on the map and started the Bulldogs along on a path that would see them gain seven wins over last season. |
| NPI (rank): | 66.190 (26) |
| Rushing/passing yards per game: | 212.6/192.2 |
| Rushing/passing yards allowed: | 113.4/214.8 |
| Yards per play/allowed per play: | 6.3/4.8 |
| Leading passer: | Caden Bosanko, 184.8 ypg |
| Leading rusher: | Weston Guzman, 65.4 ypg |
| Leading receiver: | Caleb Camarillo, 68.4 ypg |
| Leading tackler: | Troy Tomaselli, 56 (35 solo) |
| Leader in sacks: | Tyler Ward, 4.0 |
| Leader in interceptions: | Troy Tomaselli, 4 |
| How far can they go? | This is probably a one-and-out but a valuable experience for a program that wasn't even on the radar when September started. |
Berry Vikings
| Seed: | No. 7 seed, Hardin-Simmons bracket |
| Last Top 25 ranking: | No. 22, Week 1 2024 |
| Location: | Mount Berry, Georgia |
| Enrollment (FT undergrads): | 2219 |
| Stadium: | Valhalla (5000) |
| Playing surface: | Turf |
| Conference: | SAA |
| Head coach: | Tony Kunczewski (Grove City) |
| Career record: | 82-36 (.695) |
| Base offense: | Multiple |
| Base defense: | 4-3 |
| Record in NCAA playoffs: | 2-3 (2017-19) |
| NCAA D-III championships: | None |
• D3football.com team page: Schedule and results, more news
| Points for | Points against |
| 492 | 137 |
| How they got here: | Automatic bid, SAA |
| You'll know they're playing well if: | The offense is balanced, flipping between formations with QB Christian Lewis under center and in shotgun, with plenty of variation between the run and the pass. At their best, the Vikings can throw for 250 yards and run for 150 more, keeping defenses in limbo. And defensively, the Vikings will be keeping the opponent out of the red zone (SAA opponents averaged just 1.7 red zone trips per game) and stopping any running plays at the line of scrimmage. |
| You'll know they're playing poorly if: | They end up in several third down and long scenarios, needing 7-10 yards for a first down. The Berry offense is explosive, but in a few of their tougher days on that side of the ball, they not only struggled to convert on third down, but simply faced a higher quantity of long yardage situations throughout the game, which stalled out some promising drives. |
| This season's turning point: | There were a couple this season, but the Nov. 2 win over Centre stands out because of its importance in the SAA title race. Coming off a deflating loss at Trinity, Berry reset with its back against the wall, defeating Centre, 28-21. Lewis put an exclamation point on the victory with his 84-yard fourth quarter touchdown pass to break the tie. |
| NPI (rank): | 68.455 (22) |
| Rushing/passing yards per game: | 179.4/293.6 |
| Rushing/passing yards allowed: | 82.7/154.3 |
| Yards per play/allowed per play: | 7.0/3.7 |
| Leading passer: | Tyler Adkins, 255.8 ypg |
| Leading rusher: | Zackery Russell, 58.9 ypg |
| Leading receiver: | Trey Urwiler, 64.2 ypg |
| Leading tackler: | Andrew Nordland, 71 (44 solo) |
| Leader in sacks: | JP Chaney, 8 |
| Leader in interceptions: | Quintarius Davis, 6 |
| How far can they go? | They will get a preview of next year with a look at new SAA opponent Maryville, and might advance to an unfortunate rematch. |
Trinity (Texas) Tigers
| Seed: | No. 8, Hardin-Simmons bracket |
| Last Top 25 ranking: | No. 13, 2024 preseason |
| Location: | San Antonio, Texas |
| Enrollment (FT undergrads): | 2462 |
| Stadium: | Trinity Multi-Sport Stadium (3500) |
| Playing surface: | Turf |
| Conference: | SAA |
| Head coach: | Jerheme Urban (Trinity, Texas '03) |
| Career record: | 79-29 (.731) |
| Base offense: | Pro spread |
| Base defense: | 4-3 |
| Record in NCAA playoffs: | 14-15 (1994, 1997-2005, 2007, 2011, 2021-23) |
| NCAA D-III championships: | None |
• D3football.com team page: Schedule and results, more news
| Points for | Points against |
| 322 | 192 |
| How they got here: | At-large: SAA |
| You'll know they're playing well if: | The offensive line can open gaps for the running game as it has most of the season, the defense can contain the run, and the passing game stretches the field. QB Ryan Back (2312 yds/18 TDs/6 INT) has come on as of late but needs time to find his receivers. LB Cade Robson (12.5 tackles for loss) is by far the team's leading tackler and will need to perform at a high level. |
| You'll know they're playing poorly if: | Cru defensive pressure forces the team to abandon the run and resort to short passes in the flat, or if flaws in pass coverage by the Tiger defensive backfield yield big plays as they did earlier this season. If they're forced to resort to field goals instead of scoring touchdowns, it could be a very long day, no matter how good K Tyler Huettel is. |
| This season's turning point: | Trinity forced five turnovers to overcome a 234-yard, four touchdown performance from Berry's Brandon Cade in a 38-35 overtime win against the SAA co-leading Vikings. The final turnover, Anthony Njoku's interception on Berry's initial possession of overtime, gave Trinity the freedom to put the game on Huettel's capable foot, and he easily converted the game winner from 33 yards out. |
| NPI (rank): | 64.161 (34) |
| Rushing/passing yards per game: | 150.7/243.3 |
| Rushing/passing yards allowed: | 103.9/176.7 |
| Yards per play/allowed per play: | 6.1/4.7 |
| Leading passer: | Ryan Back, 231.2 ypg |
| Leading rusher: | Winston Hutchinson, 48.33 ypg |
| Leading receiver: | Alejandro Tavarez, 71.57 ypg |
| Leading tackler: | Cade Rabson, 109 (33 solo) |
| Leader in sacks: | Johnathan Nwobodo, 6.0 |
| Leader in interceptions: | Delvin Gantt, Tyson Cornett, 3 |
| How far can they go? | Their best effort of the season may not be enough to get by a UMHB team looking for a third shot at Hardin-Simmons, but if it is, no further. |
Mary Hardin-Baylor Crusaders
| Seed: | No. 9, Hardin-Simmons bracket |
| Last Top 25 ranking: | No. 24, Week 9 2024 |
| Location: | Belton, Texas |
| Enrollment (FT undergrads): | 2822 |
| Stadium: | Crusader Stadium (8766) |
| Playing surface: | Turf |
| Conference: | ASC |
| Head coach: | Larry Harmon (South Dakota State) |
| Career record: | 23-9 (.719) |
| Base offense: | One-back spread |
| Base defense: | 4-3 |
| Record in NCAA playoffs: | 51-17 (2001-02, 2004-19, 2021-22) |
| NCAA D-III championships: | 2016*, 2018, 2021 |
• D3football.com team page: Schedule and results, more news
| Points for | Points against |
| 258 | 157 |
| How they got here: | At-large: ASC |
| You'll know they're playing well if: | The defense is forcing multiple turnovers, setting up the offense in prime field position. UMHB's front seven is its strength, and when that group is playing at a high level, the entire defense tends to step up, whether it be in the form of sacks, forced fumbles, or interceptions. And the offense will take advantage of its receiving depth, distributing the ball to multiple pass-catchers and capitalizing on at least a few deep throws. |
| You'll know they're playing poorly if: | The secondary gives up too much over the top or on deep routes to the sidelines. Those two areas have been problematic at points for the defense when defending the pass, especially when facing an opponent with a steady run game. The offense will struggle to move the chains, with too many dropped passes, and not enough success on the ground to make up for it. |
| This season's turning point: | Winning 35-17 at UW-Whitewater, a place they had never won before in the regular season, in Week 3. It felt that in the season-opening loss to NAIA Bethel (Tenn.), some of the negative emotion from 2023 had carried over. But against UWW, that faded as UMHB intercepted five passes and returned two for touchdowns. It hasn?t been all mountaintops since, but their overall confidence and optimism seemed to surge in the aftermath of that road victory. |
| NPI (rank): | 63.991 (35) |
| Rushing/passing yards per game: | 161.8/209.0 |
| Rushing/passing yards allowed: | 100.1/194.0 |
| Yards per play/allowed per play: | 5.5/4.7 |
| Leading passer: | Jake Wright, 207.4 ypg |
| Leading rusher: | Kamerin Ferguson, 60.5 ypg |
| Leading receiver: | Jerry Cephus, 45.38 ypg |
| Leading tackler: | Durand Hill, 62 (30 solo) |
| Leader in sacks: | Justin Hines-Moore, 4.0 |
| Leader in interceptions: | Durand Hill, Ethan Rayfield, 3 |
| How far can they go? | They certainly could get to a third Hardin-Simmons game but there hasn't been much evidence that they can win the third time. |
Maryville (Tenn.) Scots
| Seed: | No. 10 seed, Hardin-Simmons bracket |
| Last Top 25 ranking: | No. 24, Week 10 2013 |
| Location: | Maryville, Tennessee |
| Enrollment (FT undergrads): | 968 |
| Stadium: | Lloyd Thornton Stadium (5500) |
| Playing surface: | Grass |
| Conference: | USAC |
| Head coach: | Ben Fox (Washington U.) |
| Career record: | 27-16 (.628) |
| Base offense: | One-back spread |
| Base defense: | Multiple |
| Record in NCAA playoffs: | 0-2 (2013, 2018) |
| NCAA D-III championships: | None |
• D3football.com team page: Schedule and results, more news
| Points for | Points against |
| 345 | 99 |
| How they got here: | Automatic bid: USAC |
| You'll know they're playing well if: | The success of the spread offense suddenly creates wide holes for Maryville's running backs. The Scots throw it more than they run it, but in establishing the pass and keeping the opponent from loading the box, the run game suddenly opens up as well, creating a dynamic offensive balance. Defensively, the secondary is active, breaking up passes and even picking off a few. On three occasions this season, Maryville intercepted at least three passes. |
| You'll know they're playing poorly if: | They struggle to get the passing game going, aside from very short completions. Quarterback Bryson Rollins is exceptional, but when he lacks time to look downfield, and his receivers struggle to create separation, drives tend to stall out. |
| This season's turning point: | When Maryville not only beat top challenger Huntingdon for the first time since 2018, but left no doubt, winning 44-16 on Oct. 19. It was a statement victory that seemed to separate the Scots from the rest in the USA South, as they went on to finish 7-0 in league play. |
| NPI (rank): | 63.384 (39) |
| Rushing/passing yards per game: | 158.9/275.78 |
| Rushing/passing yards allowed: | 66.9/145.56 |
| Yards per play/allowed per play: | 6.5/3.6 |
| Leading passer: | Bryson Rollins, 261.33 ypg |
| Leading rusher: | Bryson Claiborne, 49.25 ypg |
| Leading receiver: | Steph Carter Jr., 89.78 ypg |
| Leading tackler: | Tyler Bost, 50 (24 solo) |
| Leader in sacks: | Johnathan Harris, Jordan Lacey, 4.0 |
| Leader in interceptions: | Grant Henderson, 3 |
| How far can they go? | Straight into the SAA next year, as a team fighting to break into the top three. |