In other words, what Winston Churchill once said is true. History is written by the victors.
Second-ranked UMHB will try to write another chapter in its annals of success when it clashes with Hardin-Simmons at 2 p.m. today at Shelton Stadium.
The Crusaders (4-0, 3-0 ASC) have won six of the last seven meetings with the rival Cowboys (2-2, 2-0), a stretch that includes two NCAA Division III playoff victories and gives UMHB a 6-5 lead in the series.
“I think everybody associated with and around both programs kind of look forward to this week every year,” UMHB coach Pete Fredenburg said. “Because of the history and intensity of this series, I think our guys will be ready to play.”
Unlike most seasons, the two teams have taken slightly different paths to this year’s matchup.
UMHB flattened its first four opponents with fierce defense and a multidimensional offense, both of which lead the conference in almost every statistical category. The Crusaders have D-III’s second-ranked scoring offense at 53 points per game, and they are yielding only 13 points per outing.
The Cowboys, on the other hand, opened their campaign by losing consecutive games in the same season for the first time since 1997. HSU regrouped to win its first two conference tilts, although it needed a last-second pass deflection in the end zone to beat Louisiana College 41-34 and a last-second field goal last week to edge Mississippi College 45-42.
But Fredenburg warns that despite their setbacks, the Cowboys still have plenty of weapons.
“Hardin-Simmons is definitely a team that can move the football,” he said.
HSU sophomore quarterback Justin Feaster was a scorching 30-of-45 passing for 495 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions last week. That brought his season totals to 1,238 yards, 12 TDs and just two picks.
“We just try to do what we need to do,” UMHB senior defensive end Chad Hilton said. “Last week, we were going against a pretty good quarterback, too. We’ll just take care of what we need to take care of.”
Feaster has posted big numbers with the help of capable receivers Mychal Carrillo (25 catches, 297 yards, five TDs), Travis Watson (18-275-1) and tight end Jerrad Grisham (10-129-1).
Their play down the field combined with the efforts of senior running back Quinton Jones (6.4 yards per carry) has the Cowboys averaging 478 yards and 37 points per game.
“You’re not going to keep them from moving the ball,” Fredenburg said. “You’d just like to slow them down a little bit, and I think we have some guys who can cover well.
“So we’re going to match them up and see if we can put a little pressure on the quarterback. It’s always our intention to take away the run and make a team one-dimensional, then speed up the quarterback’s delivery faster than he would like it.”
It’s a defensive strategy that has worked well in the past for the Crusaders and is proving effective again.
UMHB is giving up just 78 rushing yards and 224 total yards per game.
While UMHB’s defense vs. HSU’s offense should be an intriguing matchup, the inverse appears on paper to be a mismatch.
The Cowboys’ downfall has been their defense, which has been torched for an average of 572 yards and 44 points per game.
That doesn’t bode well for HSU against a UMHB offense that averages 319 rushing yards and 499 total yards per game.
Crusaders senior quarterback Josh Welch is putting together his most effective year in his fourth season as a starter, and 6-7 senior wideout Patrick Oliver - along with a slew of other talented receivers - helps give UMHB a respectable passing game.
But the Crusaders’ bread and butter is still their punishing ground attack, led by senior Jarvis Thrasher (9.6 yards per carry) and sophomore Quincy Daniels (8.3), who have combined for 943 yards and 10 touchdowns.
“I thought this coming into the season, I’ll think it during and I’ll think it at the end: I think they’re two of the best running backs in the country in Division III,” Fredenburg said. “They both have incredible strength, vision and speed, and they’re so unselfish. You couldn’t ask for a better twosome."
edrennan@temple-telegram.com
