PINEVILLE, La. - It might seem as if Mary Hardin-Baylor coach Pete Fredenburg is picking nits when critiquing his team. After all, the Crusaders are ranked No. 3 in NCAA Division III.

But he puts his squad under a microscope for one reason - in early December when only a handful of teams are still playing, everything is magnified.

“It seems like one week our offense plays well and our defense doesn’t, then vice versa,” Fredenburg said. “One of these weeks, we’re going to put it all together.”

The next chance to do just that comes today when UMHB (4-0, 3-0 American Southwest Conference) takes on Louisiana College at D.C. Bates Stadium.

The Crusaders have certainly played well against the Wildcats in the past. LC has been held to minus-74 yards rushing in the last two meetings, which UMHB won by a combined score of 126-21.

Fredenburg would like nothing more than to see a replay of those games today.

“The theme of this year has been ‘Stepping Up,’” he said. “We feel like we have some talented youngsters who really need to step up and play at a very high level. We’re still in the process of doing that.”

The Crusaders are coming off a 20-18 victory over rival Hardin-Simmons in which senior quarterback Josh Saenz rushed for 162 yards but threw for only 34 on 3-of-6 passing.

Fredenburg, a longtime proponent of the run, didn’t mind the output but would like to see a little more balance in the attack.

“What we wanted to do going into that ballgame was to be more physical, and we were,” he said. “But as Josh’s ability to run the ball forces people to attack with their safeties, then we have to capitalize with some play-action stuff.”

LC’s defense ranks in the middle of the ASC pack, and its offense is just slightly lower.

The Wildcats featured a potent passing attack the past few years with quarterback Ben McLaughlin, who was dismissed from school last spring.

The new triggerman is 5-9, 175-pound senior Derek Lewis, who is averaging 223 passing yards per game but completing only 54 percent of his attempts.

“Lewis is a little more mobile (than McLaughlin), and they’re trying to run the universal offense with the spread option,” Fredenburg said. “I’m not sure right now if he’s as good of a passer as McLaughlin.”

Averaging only 83 rushing yards per game, LC’s biggest weapons are on the outside where receivers Taylor Huffman (31 catches, 278 yards) and Jordan Rideaux (21-239) line up.

“They have some good skill guys, and we’ve seen them on tape split some seams in zones for big plays,” Fredenburg said of the Wildcats. “They have some guys who can really run. So if they get the ball to them, they can get some things done.”

NOTES: UMHB plays four of its final six regular-season games on the road, starting today. . . . Pi’Dadro Davis, who leads the Crusaders with 233 yards receiving, will not play because of a high ankle sprain. Aerttrail Robinson will start in Davis’ place.

edrennan@temple-telegram.com