Then again, with their mix of skill and speed, there’s no telling what the Crusaders are capable of.
No. 2-ranked UMHB will try to keep its record unblemished when it hosts McMurry at 2 p.m. at Tiger Field.
The last time the teams met here was in 2005, when the Crusaders put together a 72-0 thrashing of the Indians.
Since then, McMurry (1-3, 0-2 American Southwest Conference) has changed coaches and dropped its nickname, while UMHB (3-0, 2-0) hasn’t skipped a beat.
Offensively, the Crusaders rank second nationally in rushing (324.7 yards per game) and third in scoring (51.3 points).
They’ll face a McMurry defense that has tried to move toward a more aggressive scheme but has been gouged by the run, giving up an average of 223.2 yards per game on the ground.
“Defensively, they’re trying to crowd you more this year,” UMHB coach Pete Fredenburg said. “They’re looking to make big plays and challenge you a little bit. It should really be interesting.”
On the other side of the ball, UMHB’s defense is giving up just 64.7 rushing yards, 225.3 total yards and 11 points per game. It’s task today will be to slow down a McMurry attack similar to its ’05 predecessor.
McMurry’s offense centers around play-making junior quarterback Rashon Lewis, a transfer from Mount St. Joseph.
In a spread scheme, Lewis has passed for 835 yards and seven touchdowns but has completed only 43 percent (75-of-173) of his attempts and thrown eight interceptions. He’ll also try to make plays with his feet, having rushed for a team-high 274 yards.
In 2005, McMurry was anchored by quarterback Ty Sellers, who came to Tiger Field as the ASC’s leading rusher with 1,007 yards and left with only 1,004.
“Lewis is quick and fast,” Fredenburg said. “He’s very elusive, sort of like the Sellers kid. He’s a scrambler.”
Lewis’ favorite weapons are receivers Dusty Thornhill (26 catches, 327 yards, four TDs), Evan Hearn (16-154-1) and Desmond Sanders 12-141-0).
“McMurry is like so many teams in the country these days,” Fredenburg said. “They spread the field with some talented receivers.
“It’s just mathematical really. If you deploy too many folks out to cover, then they have the ability to run the ball. Then if you pack in to stop the run, they get their guys down the field to catch the ball.”
Notes: At age 33, first-year McMurry head coach Donny Gray is the youngest head coach in the ASC. . . . Following today’s game, UMHB enters what could be the toughest portion of its regular-season schedule with three of its next four on the road. The Crusaders play at conference foes Hardin-Simmons (Oct. 6) and Mississippi College (Oct. 20), and at No. 3 Wisconsin-Whitewater (Oct. 27).
edrennan@temple-telegram.com
