Third-ranked UMHB (4-0, 3-0 American Southwest Confe-rence) hosts LC (2-2, 1-1) at 1 p.m. today at Tiger Field, needing wins this week and next to all but nail down its fifth straight conference title.
A victory today and another one next Saturday at Mississippi College (3-1, 3-0) would tie the record for consecutive ASC victories at 34 straight and leave the Crusaders as the league's only undefeated squad with just three conference games remaining - against teams with a combined record of 6-7.
"Every year, you're striving for excellence and striving to be perfect for the season," UMHB linebacker Jerrad Jefferson said. "But it's a long season and you have to take it one game at a time, so right now we're focusing on Louisiana College. We're trying to get this victory, then we'll worry about the next one."
The Crusaders are playing at home for just the second time but are rolling with offensive and defensive units that rank in the top 10 nationally in six categories, respectively.
The Wildcats have lost two straight but would still be very alive in the conference race with a win today.
"We have to make sure we take it one week at a time. That's what we've been saying since the beginning," fourth-year LC coach Dennis Dunn said. "Mary Hardin-Baylor is our next opponent, so that's our focus right now. We can't worry about the conference picture."
The Wildcats are fueled by an offense that ranks second in the ASC (440 yards per game) behind UMHB and is driven by quarterback Ben McLaughlin. The 6-3, 205-pound junior has thrown for 1,114 yards and 10 touchdowns after having to sit out last season.
"Ben has always been a great kid and a great student. He just made a mistake," Dunn said. "But he didn't disappear. He faced it, then came back last spring and won the job. I think it's made him more of a leader."
McLaughlin's favorite targets are Jordan Rideaux (26 catches, 404 yards) and Brain Jackson (18-230), who are two in a group of talented skill-position players for the Wildcats.
"We've faced some good receivers this year," UMHB coach Pete Fredenburg. "But this will probably the most talented group that we've seen."
For McLaughlin and his receivers to have a big day, though, LC will need its best performance from its offensive line.
Nationally, the Crusaders defense ranks fourth in sacks (17), sixth overall (214 yards per game), fifth in points allowed (7.2 per game) and first in the red zone (33 percent).
On the other side of the ball, tailback Quincy Daniels, receivers Pi'Dadro Davis and Brian Scott, and quarterbacks Kyle Noack and LiDarral Bailey help power a UMHB offense that averages 495 yards and 41 points per game.
The Crusaders will face a Wildcats defense that has made rapid improvement under Dunn but struggled the last couple of weeks. The LC unit is yielding 441 yards per game and allowed 88 total points in back-to-back losses.
"We haven't played really well defensively the last couple of weeks," Dunn said. "We have to get back to doing that. The upper-echelon teams like Mary Hardin-Baylor always play great defense."
NOTES: UMHB receivers Brian Scott (Cameron Yoe) and Tariekus Ellis will be back in action following injuries. Scott returns after missing just one game, while Ellis makes his season debut. . . The Crusaders never have trailed against the Wildcats, who are 0-8 in the series. . . After the MC game, UMHB returns home to host non-conference NAIA foe Southern Oregon.
edrennan@temple-telegram.com
