BROWNWOOD - Mary Hardin-Baylor has lost only three conference road games since the turn of the century, and a fourth surely would kill the Crusaders' hopes of extending their streak of five consecutive NCAA Division III playoff appearances.

Today they travel to the site of one of those defeats to face one of the league's scariest teams.

Such is the life of ninth-ranked UMHB, which squares off with Howard Payne at 2 p.m. at Gordon Wood Stadium, with the Crusaders' postseason fate hanging in the balance.

"We know there are no absolute guarantees when you have to rely on an at-large bid," Crusaders coach Pete Fredenburg said. "But if we win out, I will be really shocked and surprised if we're not in the playoffs."

UMHB (7-1 overall, 5-1 American Southwest Conference) is tied for the top spot in the ASC with Mississippi College (6-2, 5-1), which would receive the league's automatic playoff bid - if it wins out - by virtue of its 17-14 upset of the Crusaders three weeks ago.

HPU (4-4, 2-4) handed MC its only conference loss, rolling over the Choctaws 38-24 last week. It was the Yellow Jackets' first win in four weeks but followed on the heels of a seven-point setback to Hardin-Simmons and an overtime loss to Louisiana College.

Junior quarterback Zach Hubbard has sparked HPU's resurgence, throwing for 1,348 yards and 13 touchdowns in the last three games alone.

The Crusaders have passed for 1,079 yards and 11 scores for the season.

"Hubbard is pretty athletic, throws the ball well and can move around," Fredenburg said. "They get a lot of their yards off screens and short passes. They're a lot like the Hardin-Simmons of old."

edrennan@temple-telegram.com