2017 PREVIEW: Mary Hardin-Baylor Ready To Defend First National Title

 
​​​The​ ​Crusaders​ ​of​ ​Mary Hardin-Baylor ​have​ ​made​ ​themselves​ ​a​ ​household​ ​name​ ​across​ ​the​ ​United States​ ​in​ ​Division​ ​III​ ​football​ ​over​ ​the​ ​past​ ​19​ ​seasons. As head coach Pete​ ​Fredenburg enters his ​​ ​20th​ ​season​ in 2017, the upcoming season ​will likely​ ​be​ ​one​ ​of​ ​the​ ​most​ ​highly​ ​anticipated​ ​seasons​ ​for​ ​the​ ​coach​ ​and​ ​his​ ​team ​as​ the defending national champions in ​Division​ ​III​.​ ​

Last​ ​season​, ​UMHB defeated​ ​Wisconsin-Oshkosh​ ​10-7 to win ​the​ ​school’s​ ​first​ ​ever​ ​national​ ​championship​ .​ Fredenburg​ ​has​ ​built​ ​an​ ​outstanding​ ​resume​ ​in​ ​his tenure​ ​at​ ​UMHB​ ​with​ ​an​ ​196-38​ ​record,​ ​15​ ​playoff​ ​appearances,​ ​and​ ​14​ ​ASC​ ​championships that include the last 12 in a row.

Important 2016 Stats

​Last​ ​season,​ ​UMHB​ ​outscored​ ​their​ ​opponents​ ​702-209​ ​while​ ​averaging​ ​46.8​ ​points​ ​per game,​ ​and​ ​​ ​473.2​ ​yards​ ​per​ ​game​ ​while​ ​only​ ​allowing​ ​13.9​ ​points​ ​per​ ​game​ ​and​ ​288.8​ ​yards​ ​per game.​ ​The​ ​offense​ ​was​ ​very​ ​balanced​ ​in​ ​their​ ​game​ ​plan​ ​averaging​ ​240.6​ ​rushing​ ​yards​ ​per game​ ​and​ ​232.6​ ​passing​ ​yards​ ​per​ ​game​ ​leading​ ​to​ ​96​ ​total​ ​touchdowns​ ​scored​ ​on​ ​the​ ​season. The​ ​defense​ ​intercepted​ ​34​ ​passes​ ​and​ ​contributed​ ​46​ ​sacks​ ​while​ ​forcing​ ​19​ ​fumbles,​ ​which lead​ ​to​ ​212​ ​points​ ​off​ ​turnovers​ ​for​ ​the​ ​season.

Players To Watch

​​UMHB​ ​has​ ​preseason​ ​All-Americans​ ​on​ ​both​ ​sides​ ​of​ ​the​ ​ball​ ​this​ ​season​ ​in​ ​RB​ ​Markeith Miller​ ​from​ ​Garland​ ​and​ ​DT​ ​Haston​ ​Adams​ ​from​ ​Beckville​.​ ​Miller rushed​ ​for​ ​1,483​ ​yards​ ​and​ ​20​ ​touchdowns​ ​last​ ​season​ ​while​ ​also​ ​receiving​ ​the​ ​ball​ ​9​ ​times​ ​for 93​ ​yards​ ​and​ ​1​ ​touchdown.​ ​Adams​ ​was​ ​able​ ​to​ ​accumulate​ ​53​ ​total​ ​tackles,​ ​17.5​ ​tackles​ ​for​ ​loss and​ ​5.5​ ​sacks,​ ​while​ ​also​ ​returning​ ​2​ ​fumbles​ ​for​ ​touchdowns​ ​last​ ​season.​

The​ ​Cru​ ​will​ ​be​ ​lead by​ ​ASC​ ​preseason​ ​Offensive​ ​Player​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Year,​ ​QB/WR​ ​T.J.​ ​Josey​ ​from​ ​Angleton​, ​who will​ ​make​ ​the​ ​transition​ ​to​ ​quarterback full-time​ ​this​ ​season.​ ​Last​ ​season,​ ​Mosey​ ​had​ ​52​ ​catches, ​1,063​ ​receiving yards​ and eight ​touchdowns.

What’s Next

​UMHB​ ​started​ ​full​ ​pad​ ​practice​ ​on​ ​August​ ​18​ ​and​ ​the​ ​team​ ​had​ ​216​ ​players​ ​take​ ​the​ ​field ready​ ​to​ ​go.​ ​Practice​ ​lasted​ ​for​ ​2​ ​hours​ ​and​ ​ended​ ​with​ ​a​ ​traditional​ ​3​ ​on​ ​3​ ​Oklahoma​ ​Drill, players​ ​were​ ​very​ ​enthusiastic​ ​and​ ​the​ ​team​ ​was​ ​very​ ​physical.​

​Wednesday​ ​August​ ​23,​ ​the​ ​Cru will​ ​scrimmage​ ​a​ ​team​ ​from​ ​Mexico​ ​at​ ​6:00pm​ ​at​ ​Crusader​ ​Stadium​ ​in​ ​preparation​ ​for​ ​the season​ ​opener​ ​with​ ​Sul​ ​Ross​ ​September​ ​9.​ ​UMHB​ ​is​ ​the​ ​season​ ​favorite​ ​to​ ​win​ ​the​ ​ASC, receiving​ ​27​ ​out​ ​of​ ​30​ ​votes,​ ​with​ ​Hardin-Simmons​ ​predicted​ ​to​ ​be​ ​the​ ​runner-up.

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