Trinity (Texas) 48, Mary Hardin-Baylor 38
Nov 23, 2002
SAN ANTONIO — The Trinity University Tigers took an early lead and survived a strong second-half challenge from the Mary Hardin-Baylor Crusaders at E. M. Stevens Field, prevailing 48-38 on Saturday.Nov 23, 2002
By Ron Boerger, D3football.com correspondent
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Mary Hardin-Baylor
The first surprise of the day was Jeremy Boyce, injured and not dressed for the game. This meant the Tigers would go with backup running back Matt Federle in what was their most difficult game to date. “I went into practice on Tuesday knowing — and preparing — that he wasn’t going to be able to play,” said Federle. “I had to go and prepare myself for that.”
The Crusaders (10-1) won the toss and elected to defer, allowing Trinity’s Rudy Meza to return the opening kick 81 yards for a score — on the first time Meza touched the ball on a kick return all season. “All I could think about was to hang onto the ball and not get caught,” Meza said. With only 20 seconds gone, it was 7-0 Trinity.
UMHB’s inauspicious start continued when Shawn Rochon returned the Trinity kickoff to midfield, only to have the play called back for holding. UMHB started at its own 28, and quarterback Cody Fredenburg almost immediately found Rochon for a 40-yard completion to the Trinity 22. Under pressure on the next play, however, Fredenburg overthrew his receiver, and the errant pass was intercepted by Trinity’s Kenny Brunette. Taking over on its 17, Trinity (11-0) moved down the field, overcoming two penalties which wiped out big gains, and scored on a 1-yard Hampton sneak to make the score 14-0 with less than five minutes gone in the game. A 50-yard completion from Hampton to wide receiver Jeremy Urban on third-and-9 from inside its own 20 was the key play in this drive.
A 17-yard return by Rochon on the ensuing kickoff gave UMHB decent field position on their 36. Wasting little time, the Crusaders scored on a four-play, 64-yard drive, culminating in a 49-yard completion from Fredenburg to wideout Austin Schrader, who made a nifty move to evade a would-be tackler on about the 20. After the Odell McGinty kick, Mary Hardin-Baylor drew to within 14-7.
After an exchange of punts, UMHB had a chance to tie the game after recovering a Jason Hunt fumbled punt return on the TU 48. On third-and-4 from the 42, Fredenburg’s pitch to Mitchell was off target, and the resulting loss pushed the ball back to the UMHB 40. Arp’s punt sailed into the end zone for a touchback. After a short completion to Jason Respondek, Roy Hampton found Urban alone in the defensive backfield, and he took the ball 68 yards for the Tigers’ next score. It was now 21-7 with ten seconds gone in the second quarter.
Trinity held UMHB on their next possession and took over on their own 11-yard line. After a short completion, Jerheme Urban and the entire offense brilliantly sold a fake reverse. The play turned into a wide receiver option to Jason Hunt, who got behind the defense for a 73-yard completion. A 4-yard pass from Hampton to Urban made it 27-7; this time, the point after was blocked by UMHB’s Preston Meyer.
Rochon, brilliant on kick and punt returns all day, returned Greg Genung’s punt to the Trinity 35, but Meza forced and recovered a fumble. Trinity was unable to drive, and the teams exchanged several punts. With 6:49 left, Fredenburg led the UMHB offense on its first extended drive of the day, which eventually reached the Tiger 5-yard line before stalling. McGinty’s 22-yard field goal attempt with 0:44 left in the quarter made the score 27-10 at the half. Trinity went into the locker room with a huge edge, not only on the scoreboard but statistically as they led in total yardage, 323-170. The Crusaders led in time of possession, however, 18:41-11:19, and this would come into play in the second half.
After their sub-par performance in the first half, the Crusaders were determined to play a better second half, and took the opening kick and drove to the Trinity 23. It was at this point that Trinity DE Jarrod Smith took over. Staying at home on a attempted Rochon reverse, Smith tackled the speedster for a 13 yard loss. He then tipped Fredenberg’s third- down pass attempt, and punter Chris Arp (who averaged 47.5 yards on the day) was forced to kick.
The Cru defense held Trinity on their next series, and UMHB started on their 22. Finally, the UMHB offense started to do what it does best, namely run the ball consistently. 8 rushes and 2 passes, capped by a 1-yard Chad Stearnes run, brought the Crusaders to within 27-17 with 6:19 to play in the third. Kevin Mitchell, who led UMHB with 107 yards on 19 carries, rushed four times for 31 yards and also caught a pass for 31 yards to account for 62 of the 78 yards in the drive.
Trinity would answer back with a quick 6-play, 64-yard drive, climaxing in Respondek’s 45-yard catch for a score. With 3:24 to play, it was Trinity 34, UMHB 17.
If Trinity thought that UMHB would go away down 17, all-ASC kick returner/wide receiver Rochon had other ideas. He returned the Tigers’ kickoff 72 yards to the 21, and it took just one play for the Crusaders to score again, this time on a 21 yard Fredenburg pass to Walter Sharp. The McGinty PAT made the score TU 34, UMHB 24, and there was still 2:59 to go in the third quarter. “The biggest [factor] is trust,” said Rochon. “Trust that your teammates are going to do their job, and to just have faith that they’re going to make their blocks and that they’re going to be there.”
The Crusader defense made its finest stand of the day, holding Trinity to an incompletion and a sack of Hampton by Keith Zunker, good for a loss of eight yards. Said Hampton of the Crusaders: “I haven’t been hit that hard all season.” Trinity was whistled for a holding penalty, such that Hampton’s 11-yard completion to Hunt wasn’t close to enough for a first down. Punter Greg Genung picked a perfect time to hit his longest punt of the day, a 61-yarder. Rochon was able to gain 13 yards on the return, setting up the Crusaders in business on their own 23.
Fredenburg mixed the pass into the series just enough to keep the tiring Tiger defense off balance; Rochon had a 23-yard reception, and Chad Stearns ground up the “Black Flag” for runs of 4 and 5 yards at a time. Fredenburg finished it off with a 12-yard run around end to bring the Crusaders to within three at 34-31 with 10:39 to play. “On offense, they were greatly improved,” said defensive lineman Jarrod Smith. “I think that their schemes were a little better than last year. They were pretty well prepared.”
After the score, Hampton said, “we knew we had to score.” It was Federle – behind a fired-up offensive line – who did the most damage to the Crusader hopes on the next drive. His first touch was good for a 36-yard gain, and Hampton did his part by finding Jason Hunt for a beautiful one-handed catch good for 38. Federle did the honors on the next play, scrambling 5 yards for the score to bring the Tiger lead back to 10, 41-31. “That catch there changed the whole momentum,” said Trinity head coach Steve Mohr. “If there was one play in that football game [that made the difference] … it was a great individual effort on Jason Hunt’s part.”
The Black Flag, in turn, played its most inspired series of the half, sacking Fredenburg on first down and forcing the Crusaders to punt after a badly disguised screen on third down fooled no one. Trinity started the next drive at its 32, where Federle and Sean Loving proceeded to consume both clock and yardage before Hampton found Respondek in the end zone for his second touchdown of the day. With 3:37 left, it was Trinity 48, UMHB 31, and while the Crusaders would score another touchdown, Respondek’s recovery of Chris Arp’s onside attempt with two minutes left sealed the game for the Tigers.
“I thought this was one of the most quality wins we’ve had in our program the last 13 years,” said Mohr, whose Tigers move on to a second-round matchup with No. 6 seed Washington & Jefferson. "We’ve had our confrontations with the Presidents. They’re going to be an outstanding football team; they have great tradition, and we have to get ready for another quality opponent. They play the game the way it’s meant to be played.”
The Tigers recorded 567 yards of total offense against UMHB’s Top 20 defense. Roy Hampton completed 17 of 27 passes for 341 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions. He also rushed seven times for 24 yards and a score. Matt Federle filled in admirably for the injured Boyce and ran the ball 18 times for 122 yards and one score. Trinity’s receiving tandem of Hunt (seven catches, 150 yards) Urban (5-138, two touchdowns), and Respondek (5-123, two touchdowns) were all over 100 yards receiving.
The Crusader offense did its part against the “Black Flag,” rolling up 38 points and 464 yards of total offense on a team that was in the Top 20 nationally in points allowed. Cody Fredenburg, much more assured this year than in last year’s season-ending game, managed 12-for-28 passing for 269 yards and three touchdowns. His one interception, early in the game, came under a heavy rush.
Rochon was his leading target, with five catches for 103 yards; Austin Schrader had four catches for 108 yards and two touchdowns. Kevin Mitchell led the Crusader rushing assault with 107 yards on 19 carries; fullback Chad Starnes had 12 carries for 54 yards and a score, while Fredenburg had 17 carries for 25 yards net and a score. Rochon almost single-handedly destroyed the Tiger special teams with 220 return yards on 10 attempts, 190 of those on six kick returns.
Defensively, Jason Leshikar led the way for the victors, with 13 tackles (seven solo) and a quarterback hurry. Jason Terrell and Matt Woodchick each had eight tackles, and Jarrod Smith was active with six tackles, four for losses totaling 39 yards, a blocked pass and a sack. The Tigers sacked Fredenburg three times on the day.
For the Crusaders, Trina Lusk had nine tackles (all solo) and a fumble recovery; Tony Salazar had six tackles (four solo) and Preston Meyer had five (four solo), one for loss. Said Meyer, “from a defensive standpoint, I’m especially disappointed, because the offense played a great job, and we didn’t get the job done.”
With regards to the controversy that forced one of the nation’s top five teams to be eliminated in round one of the playoffs, perhaps UMHB coach Pete Fredenburg said it best: “All of us sometimes forget that we’re in this business because of the kids. If we lose sight of taking care of them, then we’ve lost sight of what we’re doing.”