Now the fourth-ranked Crusaders (11-1) will need a similar effort to get past another perennially strong opponent.
After disposing of seventh-ranked Hardin-Simmons and 10th-ranked Wesley in the first two rounds, UMHB draws No. 18 Washington & Jefferson (Pa.) in the national quarterfinal round at noon Saturday at Tiger Field.
In the last five years, UMHB ranks third out of 240 D-III football teams with 55 victories. Fourth on that list is Wesley with 53 and fifth is W&J at 52.
“The South Region is extremely strong from top to bottom, so really anyone can beat anyone,” UMHB coach Pete Fredenburg said Monday at his weekly press conference. “Some of the other regions, you just take it for granted that Mount Union is going to win their bracket, and Wisconsin-Whitewater is rolling through theirs.
“It’s going to be interesting as to how it all unfolds. When it’s all said and done, I would think that the powers that are will still be there.”
While W&J (11-1) was upsetting No. 3 Millsaps (Miss.) on the road last Saturday, the Crusaders were steamrolling the Wolverines with dominating performances along the line of scrimmage that were the product of a challenge from the coaching staff.
“In the Hardin-Simmons game, I thought we stepped up in some areas but not along the offensive and defensive lines,” Fredenburg said. “And our guys were kind of surprised that we mentioned that to them. We had won the ballgame, but we were unsatisfied with their performance.
“They took it to heart and had an incredible week of preparation. The one great thing about our guys is that they’re physical and always have been. So when you challenge their physicality, it kind of makes them mad.”
Home sweet home
W&J’s win over Millsaps gave UMHB home-field advantage in the quarterfinals for the first time. And with Whitewater’s victory over West top seed Willamette (Ore.), the Crusaders - if they win - will host a semifinal next week.
“I told our guys that you don’t get opportunities like this very often,” said Fredenburg, who has guided the Crusaders to three straight quarterfinal appearances and four in the last five years. “We have a chance to host the next two games. But if we don’t take care of business, it all goes down the drain.
“So if you want to look ahead at maybe getting to host a semifinal, then you’re not going to grasp this opportunity and you’re not going to beat Washington & Jefferson. So I say that let’s not leave a stone unturned because this is special.”
UMHB has won six straight home playoff games for a 6-1 all-time record at home in the postseason, and the Crusaders are 35-4 at home overall since the start of 2001.
The Presidents have saved UMHB two playoff road trips in the last two seasons by beating Millsaps last week and losing to North Carolina Wesleyan in last year’s first round.
It’s a fact that isn’t lost on W&J coach Mike Sirianni.
“We’ve given Mary Hardin-Baylor two home games by winning last week and losing last year,” Sirianni said Monday by phone from his office in Washington, Pa. “Somebody needs to tell Coach Fredenburg that they owe us a little something.”
Series rewind
This will be the third meeting between the Presidents and Crusaders, and their second quarterfinal matchup.
UMHB won 52-16 at W&J in a 2004 quarterfinal, then won an ’06 second-round game 30-27 in Belton.
