By Bradley Melchor
Coming off a disappointing 2023 season that saw the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor fall short of an ASC Championship and miss out on the NCAA National Tournament, the Crusaders football team have started their 2024 campaign with a statement victory over nationally ranked No.3 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, beating the Warhawks in dominant fashion in Whitewater by a score of 35-17.
The dominance of the Crusader defense was evident from the opening kickoff, as the Cru set the tone for the game by forcing three turnovers on the Warhawks’ first three drives, with senior linebacker Durand Hill and sophomore defensive back Da’Marion Morris each returning an interception for a touchdown to give the Cru a 14-0 lead before their offense ever touched the field. The Cru offense would build on this early lead as junior quarterback Isaac Phe connected with sophomore wide receiver A.J Williams for a 30-yard touchdown, extending the Crusader lead to 21-0 at the end of the first quarter.
The Crusaders special teams unit gave up a blocked punt that was returned for a touchdown midway through the second quarter, but would restore their lead to 21 when Phe tossed his second touchdown of the game to junior running back Asa Osbourn, giving the Cru a 28-7 lead at halftime.
The Cru would not let the Warhawks back into the game in the second half as the Crusader defense held UW-Whitewater to just three points in the final two quarters, while the offense tacked on another touchdown courtesy of junior running back Kam Ferguson’s 96-yard touchdown run. The Warhawks would return another punt for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter, bringing the final score to 35-17 in favor of the Cru.
In the days leading up to the clash between two of the biggest programs in Division III, UMHB Head Coach Larry Harmon emphasized the importance of taking the fight to UW-Whitewater. “We know who these guys are, and what they want to do. We’re gonna have to go up there and be physical, and be confident in our game plan and execute on both sides of the ball.”
The Crusaders clearly heard their coach’s message, as they beat the brakes off of UW-Whitewater at the line of scrimmage. On the defensive side, the Cru held the Warhawks’ infamous rushing attack to just 2.8 yards per carry, and forced six turnovers by the Warhawk offense. On the offensive side of the ball, the Crusader rushing attack imposed its will on the Whitewater defense, as Ferguson continued his stellar season by outrushing the entire Warhawk offense with 112 yards on just six carries. The Crusader offensive line also did a phenomenal job of keeping their quarterback clean, as they surrendered just one sack on the game.
Following the game, Harmon had high praise for the professionalism his team showed in their victory. “The whole team was engaged and locked into the game, even the guys that might not play as much. From the moment we stepped onto the bus to head to the stadium, it was dead silent and you could just feel the determination to go out and get this win, and that’s what we did.”
Harmon also praised the play of Phe and Williams, stating that “they played their best games as a Crusader,” as Phe completed 16 of his 22 pass attempts for 199 yards and a pair of touchdowns and Williams hauled in three receptions for 100 yards and a touchdown.
While the victory in Whitewater was an enormous one that saw UMHB jump to No.14 in the DIII Top 25, Harmon and his team recognize that there is still room to improve as conference play draws closer. “We’ve got some things to clean up on special teams, and we’re still trying to establish our identity as an offense, but overall we’re improving every week, and hopefully we can continue to do that throughout the rest of the season. I feel like this week is going to be the best week of practice that we’ve had.”
The Cru will host John Melvin University in their second home game of the season between the time of writing and publication of this article, to read our analysis and review of the game, please visit www.umhb.edu/thebells where the story will be published Monday, Sept.30.
