Game Notes
BELTON, Texas – Every meeting between the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and Hardin-Simmons football teams has unofficially been for a conference championship. After all, the winner of the UMHB-HSU game has gone on to win at least a share of the conference title in each season the two programs have faced off. But this Saturday, the Cru and Cowboys make it official as they face off in the first American Southwest Conference Championship Game in league history. The two teams will kickoff at 1 pm at Shelton Stadium on the Hardin-Simmons campus with the conference title on the line.
The Cru won the ASC East Division after wrapping up a 4-0 regular season with a 65-20 victory over Louisiana College last Saturday. Hardin-Simmons is the ASC West Division champion and closed out a 4-0 regular season of its own by beating Sul Ross State 58-6 last Saturday in Alpine. The Cowboys are the last ASC team to beat UMHB, posting a 29-26 victory in week eight of the 2015 regular season. The Cru has won the last six meetings between the two teams, including a thrilling 15-14 win over HSU last season in Belton. This may be the first time the game has officially had the title of ASC Championship Game, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't always feel like that when UMHB and Hardin-Simmons get together on the football field.
"There is always just a different feeling around here when it is Hardin-Simmons week," Cru Head Coach
Pete Fredenburg said. "We have so much respect for their program and this has really developed into a great rivalry. There is an intensity to this week in everything we do in terms of preparation and our players have to rise to the occasion. We face a huge challenge this week in a very good Hardin-Simmons team. But we also feel like we did some good things last week against Louisiana College and one of the goals for this program every year is to go out and win a championship. We have an opportunity to do that this weekend and that's why you do this, to have the opportunity to coach and play in these types of games."
UMHB leads the all-time series with Hardin-Simmons 21-6 and has won 21 of the last 23 meetings between the two programs. Moving the football season to the spring forced a change in the ASC format, splitting the conference's football programs into two divisions and creating the opportunity for a true conference championship game.
Saturday's game will also be broadcast live on Fox Sports Radio (93.9 FM/1330 AM) and through the station's web site with the pre-game show starting at 12:30 PM. UMHB will provide free live video streaming and Hardin-Simmons will offer live statistics for the game with access to the stream available at the following link:
http://portal.stretchinternet.com/umhb/.
Tickets are only available online through the following link:
https://hsuathletics.com/tickets. Tickets are all general admission and are $5 apiece. You can either print out your tickets at home or have the confirmation email scanned at the gate on Saturday
