FINAL REGULAR SEASON STANDINGS

(Game recaps courtesy of sports information departments)


No. 2/2 Mary Hardin-Baylor 59, Mississippi College 0

Photo Gallery
Postgame Interviews: Mary Hardin-Baylor head coach Pete Fredenburg & LB Javicz Jones
Box Score

Belton, TX – The start may not have been the one the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor football team had in mind, but the result was exactly what the Cru was after in a 59-0 victory over Mississippi College Saturday afternoon. The No. 2-ranked Cru wraps up the outright American Southwest Conference title with the win and UMHB also closes out a third consecutive undefeated regular season. The loss ends the Choctaws season at 2-8 overall and 1-6 in the ASC.

Both teams were sluggish in the first quarter before UMHB finally dented the scoreboard on LiDarral Bailey's five-yard touchdown pass to Chris Wimby with 2:44 left in the period. Bailey would dart 29 yards for another score to give the Cru a 14-0 edge with 6:26 remaining in the second quarter and Elijah Hudson's one-yard plunge made it 21-0 UMHB at halftime. Mississippi College would have a chance to cut the lead midway through the third, but Korey Steward broke through to block a Choctaw field goal try. Javicz Jones scooped up the loose ball and raced 77 yards for another TD, his fourth defensive score of the season. Darius Wilson added a 35-yard touchdown run following another blocked field goal to make it 35-0 UMHB at the end of three quarters. Chad Peevey hit a 39-yard field for UMHB early in the fourth quarter, Stephen Salinas scored on a one-yard run and Dustin Frye added TD runs of 27 and three yards to close out the scoring.

The Cru finished with 607 yards of total offense with 455 of those coming on the ground. UMHB held the Choctaws to just 86 rushing yards and 272 yards of total offense. The Cru also forced two turnovers and blocked a pair of field goals in posting its first shutout of the season.

Wilson ran for 113 yards and a score on just eight carries. Bailey added 84 yards and a score on the ground and went 13-20 through the air for 145 yards and another touchdown. He was picked off for just the second time on the season. Hudson caught four passes for 64 yards as the top receiving target. Jones finished with 12 tackles, a tackle for loss, an interception and the blocked field goal return for a touchdown.

Stacey Dillard was 16-29 passing for 186 yards for MC and Otis Smith ran for 51 yards on 13 carries. Alex Archer caught five passes for 66 yards. Brooks Villarreal had a team-high 11 tackles for the Choctaws and Keith Villafranco added 11 stops, an interception and 2.5 tackles for loss.

The Cru closes out the regular season at 10-0 overall and 7-0 in ASC play. The team has won 34 consecutive regular season games, 26 straight ASC contests and eight conference titles in a row. UMHB will now advance to the NCAA Division III National Championships for the ninth straight season and the 11^th time in the last 12 years. The Cru will find out its first round opponent and game site when the 32-team field is released Sunday at 5:00 PM Central Time. UMHB should have also wrapped up a #1 seed and a home game in the postseason with Saturday's win.

Louisiana College 45, Hardin-Simmons 37
 
Box Score
 
PINEVILLE, La. --- 7-3…Just Short. Those two numbers separated by a simple dash mark along with those two words have been the benchmark used to describe the Louisiana College football program for the last four years.
 
Over that four year span, despite consistently boasting an offense that ranked among the nation's best, numerous All-Conference players, a brand new on-campus home turf stadum, the American Southwest Conference's all-time leader in four major categories (passing yards, passing touchdowns, all-purpose yards, and receptions), and Gagliardi  Trophy finalist, the result has been the same: 7-3.
 
An unlikely cast of characters turned that fortune around on Saturday afternoon, however.
 
Riding the momentum of a hometown, fifth year senior quarterback, a 24 year old sophomore running back working on his second ACL since arriving in Pineville, a wide receiver who was drawn back to the program to become its emotional and spiritual leader after attempting to leave on three separate occasions, and a linebacker who will forego his final year of eligibility to pursue a career in law enforcement, the Wildcats were able to put themselves in position to associate themselves with three new characters and two new words:
 
8-2…Playoff Bound.
 
LC's 45-37 victory over Hardin-Simmons University on Saturday not only notched the Wildcats, who honored the largest senior class in school history prior to the contest, a spot in school history, but also, according to multiple sources, dramatically improved their chances of attaining an ever-elusive spot in the Division 3 national playoffs.
 
The Wildcats started the scoring when they reached into their bag of tricks, as Ryan Montague took a handoff early in the 1st quarter before tossing it back to Jamie Bunting, who hit D'Mario Parker for a 63 yard touchdown on the flea flicker play.
 
The trick plays were not over for the Wildcats in the 1st quarter, as Kyle Galyon received a lateral from Bunting before hitting receiver Bryan Sampson on a 27 yard touchdown pass.
 
A school record 47 yard field goal from Adan Olivares and breath taking leap into the endzone by Cortland Bell on a 44 yard touchdown reception from Bunting closed out a fast paced, high scoring first half with Hardin-Simmons leading 27-24 at intermission.
 
The second half belonged to Ryan Montague, Jamie Bunting, and an inspired defensive effort from LC's white shirt defense.
 
Montague, who finished with 124 rushing yards, 42 receiving yards and 2 total touchdowns, ran with the inspired effort and toughness that Wildcat fans have become so familiar with.
 
His 124 rushing yards on 27 carries marked his 6th 100 yard rushing game of the season, setting a new school record that he previously held with Wayne Davis, who held the record since 2003.
 
Bunting, who has thrown for 4 touchdowns in four consecutive games, turned in the finest outing of his career in the biggest game of his career, completing 31 of 39 passes for 408 yards and 4 touchdowns.
 
LC's defense, despite giving up 524 passing yards to Logan Turner, who became the ASC's all-time single season record holder for passing yards with 4,116 after Saturday's contest, came up with big after big play when the situation called for it.
 
Reggie Calhoun and Nate Janzen both shut down Cowboy drives with huge momentum-shifting interceptions (Calhoun's was the 13th of his career, tying a school record), while the LC defensive backs swatted down multiple passes with game-tying potential written all over them in the 4th quarter, highlighted by Shaquille Lewis reaching up high into the central Louisiana sky to bat down the final salvo that could shoot down this “Team of Destiny's” chance at history.
 
The victory sent numerous players, coaches, fans, and school officials into a Jim Valvano-like frenzy, reminiscent of North Carolina State's victory in the 1983 NCAA Final Four, to find someone, anyone, to embrace.
 
Perhaps there was a plan laid out for this team all along. Perhaps that heart-breaking, gut wrenching loss at home against national powerhouse Wesley College in September was a part of a previously drawn out blueprint. Perhaps Mary Hardin-Baylor's Javicz Jones returning that blocked kick 95 yards for touchdown with 0.1 seconds left before halftime on October 13th was meant as a humbling reminder of how quickly and drastically a team's fortunes can change.
 
Perhaps the last two home games of the 2012 slate, one ending with a 6 yard touchdown pass that will live in Wildcat lore for decades to come, and one ending with an assurance of something the 13 year old reborn college football program has never felt, were part of something bigger than this orange and blue clad group of college undergraduates.
 
Perhaps the journey has just begun for this team, who will learn of their postseason fates (which, tomorrow at 5 p.m. CST during the NCAA's Division 3 Football Selection Show.
 
Either way, this team, along with its legendary group of seniors can always associate themselves with two numbers that no other team in LC history has been able to: 8-2.
 
Sul Ross State 50, East Texas Baptist 37
 
Box Score
 
MARSHALL, Texas --- Dominique Carson rushed for 136 yards and three touchdowns as the Lobos defeated East Texas Baptist University 50-37 Saturday afternoon.

ETBU drove 79 yards on 11 plays on their first possession for a 7-0 lead. Sul Ross State, who usually strikes quickly, took five minutes off the clock on their first possession scoring off a 1-yard run by Carson with 5:23 left in the first and then converted a two-point play, to lead 8-7. Cory McNeil then sailed a 27-yard field goal through the uprights moving ETBU ahead, 10-8. 

As the second quarter began, it would only take the Lobos 44 seconds to score the second time they touched the ball as Carson rambled in from 50-yards out retaking the lead, 14-10. The Tigers would answer back on their next drive and take back the lead, moving ahead 17-14.  Sul Ross would end the half 28-17 after a 23-yard run by A.J. Springer and then a 1-yard run by Carson.

The Tigers would score in the opening minutes of the third quarter and cut the margin to 28-23 with 12:22 on the clock. Sul Ross later improved their lead to 36-23 after a 6-yard by Alex Lovan and a successful two-point conversion with 9:56 left in the quarter.  ETBU would score towards the end of the quarter to trail 36-30.

The Lobos opened up the fourth quarter scoring on a 2-yard run by Springer to lead 44-30 with 11:36 to play. ETBU would make it a one possession game after scoring with 4:55 remaining to cut the margin to 44-37. Sul Ross would the put the game out of reach as Springer connected with Lee Carothers for a 9-yard score to moved the Lobos up 50-37 with 1:27 left in the game.

Sul Ross finished with 568 yards of offense. Springer accounted for 400 of those yards after finishing 20 of 31 for 258 yards with one interception and one touchdown and rushing for 142 yards and two touchdowns.

Calvon Henderson led all recievers with 6 receptions for 92 yards while Carothers had 6 receptions for 70 yards and a touchdown.

Terrance Young led the Lobos' defense with 11 tackles while Job Mason had 10 tackles.

Sul Ross finishes the season 5-5 overall and 4-3 in ASC play.
 
Texas Lutheran 47, Howard Payne 6
 
Box Score
 
BROWNWOOD, Texas --- Texas Lutheran closed out its 15th football season in the ASC with a resounding 47-6 victory over Howard Payne at Gordon Wood Stadium.

The Bulldogs led from the start and opened a 30-6 lead over the Yellow Jackets at the break.

TLU finished the year at 4-6 overall and 2-5 in the ASC. HPU closed out 2012 with an overall record of 1-9 and a conference record of 1-6.

Junior quarterback Brent Peavy threw three touchdown passes (two to twin brother Cameron) and rushed for a 14-yard score. Brent tossed TD passes to Cameron that covered 37 and seven yards.

Brent Peavy also found Casey Davis for an 11-yard score. Davis, a freshman receiver, added a 15-yard TD reception from Trenton White.

Davis caught nine passes for 76 yards, and Cameron Peavy made five grabs for 101 yards.

Brent Peavy completed 21-of-34 passes for 237 yards and three touchdowns. HPU quarterbacks were a combined 15-of-30 for 111 yards.

Dominique Hardaway started the TLU scoring with a 47-yard run in the first quarter. Hardaway rushed 11 times for 88 yards.

Allen Cain made field goals of 26 and 33 yards and tied his own school and conference marks for field goals in a season. Cain made 17 in 2011 and added 17 more field goals in 2012. Cain is the all-time leader in field goals made in TLU and ASC history. He finished his four-year career with 43 field goals made.

TLU held Howard Payne to 3-of-14 on third down conversions and to 199 total yards.

The Bulldogs ran 83 plays for 562 yards and did not commit a turnover.

HPU tossed an interception and had a punt blocked. The Bulldogs also blocked an extra-point.

TLU freshman linebacker Tri-Rice Van Buren collected 12 tackles and a sack. He also had two tackles for loss. Fellow freshman Dillon Johnson registered the lone Bulldog interception.

 
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