Game Preview - Texas Lutheran hosts McMurry University - 1 p.m. Saturday in Bulldog Stadium
Texas Lutheran vs. McMurry
Game-By-Game
(TLU leads series, 17-13)
1957 McMurry 9, Texas Lutheran 7
1958 McMurry 63, Texas Lutheran 0
1959 McMurry 42, Texas Lutheran 13
1960 McMurry 15, Texas Lutheran 7
1961 McMurry 6, Texas Lutheran 0
1964 Texas Lutheran 20, McMurry 17
1965 McMurry 16, Texas Lutheran 0
1972 Texas Lutheran 21, McMurry 13
1973 Texas Lutheran 33, McMurry 12
1974 Texas Lutheran 28, McMurry 0
1975 Texas Lutheran 40, McMurry 6
1976 Texas Lutheran 36, McMurry 0
1984 Texas Lutheran 23, McMurry 0
1985 Texas Lutheran 31, McMurry 6
1998 McMurry 55, Texas Lutheran 0
1999 McMurry 68, Texas Lutheran 21
2000 McMurry 51, Texas Lutheran 10
2001 Texas Lutheran 51, McMurry 48 (OT)
2002 Texas Lutheran 21, McMurry 20
2003 McMurry 42, Texas Lutheran 39
2004 Texas Lutheran 40, McMurry 14
2005 Texas Lutheran 41, McMurry 20
2006 Texas Lutheran 35, McMurry 14
2007 Texas Lutheran 20, McMurry 9
2008 Texas Lutheran 18, McMurry 0
2009 McMurry 36, Texas Lutheran 23
2010 McMurry 63, Texas Lutheran 14
2011 McMurry 60, Texas Lutheran 16
2017 Texas Lutheran 31, McMurry 21
2018 Texas Lutheran 65, McMurry 7
Senior Day for Texas Lutheran Bulldogs
Saturday's game is the final home game for 14 Texas Lutheran seniors: defensive end Manny Longoria, quarterback Andrew Lotz, receiver Charles Robinson Jr., running back Austin Mathews, receiver CJ Romero, cornerback Kedrick Ward, linebacker Adairius Norwood, running back Ian Leslie, linebacker Derek Dunn, offensive lineman Coy Tutt, offensive lineman Garrett Garza, offensive lineman Cameron Maha, offensive lineman Benjamin Rodriguez, and offensive lineman Travis York.
Outstanding group of seniors
Combined, the 14 Texas Lutheran football seniors have produced an overall record of 20-9 in the last three seasons and have a chance Saturday to win eight games in a single year for just the eighth time in school history. TLU can also set the program record for wins in single conference season, with its eighth American Southwest Conference victory. A win over McMurry would give TLU an 8-1 record in the ASC, surpassing the 7-2 mark the Bulldogs registered in 2004. A win Saturday also gives TLU its program-best finish in the ASC, a second-place showing that would better the third-place ASC finishes TLU produced in 2018, 2017, and 2004.
TLU needing win to keep playoff hopes alive
Texas Lutheran knows that if it is to have any chance of playing in the NCAA Division III post-season this year, the team must defeat McMurry on Saturday at Bulldog Stadium. Even with a win, TLU will be squarely on the bubble for an at-large berth to the NCAA DIII post-season. Mary Hardin-Baylor clinched the automatic berth out of the ASC with last week's victory in Belton over TLU. The NCAA Selection Show for DIII Football is set for this Sunday (Nov. 17) at 4:30 p.m. central (5:30 p.m. eastern) on NCAA.com. TLU has been to the NCAA Division III playoffs just once since becoming DIII-eligible university in 2002. The Bulldogs played in the 2014 NCAA DIII Championships, falling to Mary Hardin-Baylor 27-20 in Belton.
Freeman leads ASC in points responsible
TLU sophomore quarterback Wade Freeman's abilities to throw the ball and run when needed have turned him into the top scoring machine in the American Southwest Conference. This season he has been responsible for a total of 114 points with an average of 12.7 points per game. Freeman also leads ASC quarterbacks in completion percentage, at 65.5 percent, and he is ranked 23rd nationally in that completion percentage category. Freeman has completed 114 of his 174 passes. He has thrown 13 touchdowns and four interceptions. Freeman has rushed for 495 yards and scored six rushing touchdowns. He averages 4.7 yards per carry. Freeman will start his 10th game of the season when he steps on the field Saturday against McMurry.
TLU 19th in time of possession
The Bulldogs' offense and defense have done a great job of sustaining drives on offense and limiting long drives of opposing offenses. The Bulldogs averaging 33 minutes and 27 seconds of possession per contest, putting them 19th in all of NCAA Division III for time of possession. TLU leads the American Southwest Conference in the time of possession category.
TLU averages 238 rushing yards per game
The Bulldogs' ability to pound the rock has been one of the nation's best coming into this Saturday's contest with McMurry. TLU is ranked 19th in the nation for rushing yards per game, at 238.0 per contest. The Bulldogs have carried the ball 445 times for 2,142 yards, an average of 4.81 yards per carry. TLU is second in the ASC in rushing yards per game. Hardin-Simmons is the ASC leader, at 267.0 yards per game. Southwestern, at 22nd nationally, is right behind TLU. The Pirates average 234.1 yards per contest.
Bulldogs rely on four primary carriers
TLU has four primary ball carriers in its ball-control offense. The Bulldogs rely on senior back Ian Leslie, senior back Austin Mathews, junior back Christopher Monroe, and sophomore quarterback Wade Freeman. Each ball carrier has rushed for at least 400 yards this season. Monroe leads the team in rushing yards with 579. He has scored four rushing TDs. Mathews and Freeman have rushed for 503 and 495 yards, respectively. Mathews has galloped into the endzone five times, and Freeman has six rushing scores. Leslie has gained 406 yards and scored four rushing touchdowns.
Robinson Jr. has best game of 2019
Bulldog senior receiver Charles Robinson Jr. caught a career-best nine passes in last week's road loss at Mary Hardin-Baylor. Robinson's previous career-high was eight, which he produced twice in the 2018 season. In last week's contest against the Cru, Robinson caught nine passes for 83 yards, an average of 9.2 yards per catch. He had a long reception of 21 yards. For his career, Robinson has played in 33 career games. He went over the 1,000-yard career mark last Saturday. Robinson now has 78 catches for 1,004 yards. He has four career touchdown receptions to his name.
Guzman, Holman lead TLU in tackles
With 49 tackles each, junior linebacker Keyshawn Holman and sophomore linebacker Sam Guzman are the Bulldogs' top tacklers in 2019. Holman has 16 solo tackles and 33 tackle assists to go with six tackles for losses (21 yards in losses). Guzman has collected 21 solo tackles with 28 tackle assists. He has three tackles for loss (13 yards in losses). Each player has a forced fumble. Holman has an interception and four pass break-ups. Guzman has a sack for 11 yards.
Derek Dunn, Manny Longoria tied for TFLs
Bulldog seniors Derek Dunn and Manny Longoria are tied atop the Bulldogs' tackle-for-loss chart. Dunn, a linebacker that has missed three game, has 10.5 tackles for loss for 50 total yards in losses. Longoria, a defensive end, has 10.5 tackles for loss for 44 yards in losses. Longoria is the TLU career-leader in tackles for loss with 45 for 223 yards in losses. Dunn has 13.5 career tackles for loss for 64 yards in losses.
Bulldog defense able to break-up passes
The Texas Lutheran defense has 12 players with at least one pass break-up in the 2019 season. In addition to the pass break-ups, TLU has eight players with at least one interception. Kedrick Ward, TLU's senior cornerback, leads the team in interceptions, with four. He is 36th nationally in interceptions per game. Fellow cornerback Julian Nambo and safety Daniel Enriquez are in the top 150 nationally for passes defended. Nambo has an interception and eight pass break-ups, and Enriquez has three interceptions and seven pass break-ups.
TLU 31st nationally in sacks per game
The Bulldogs average 3.0 sacks per game and rank 31st nationally in the category. The Bulldogs have 27 total sacks for 159 yards in losses resulting from sacks. Manny Longoria has six sacks to lead the team. Jackson Worley has collected 5.5 sacks, and Derek Dunn has 5.0 total tacks. Longoria, the TLU DIII-era leader in total sacks, enters his final game at Bulldog Stadium with 24.5 career sacks for 158 yards in losses. He has forced four career fumbles, recovered three fumbles and scored two defensive touchdowns.
TLU still No. 5 in turnover margin
The Bulldogs still rank in the top five in NCAA Division III for turnover margin. The Bulldogs are plus-1.56 per contest. TLU is tied with Massachusetts Maritime and McDaniel for the fifth spot. Mary Hardin-Baylor has taken over the conference lead, at plus-1.89 per game. TLU has gained 24 turnovers and lost 10. The Bulldogs have intercepted 13 passes and recovered 11 fumbles. TLU has thrown four interceptions and lost six fumbles.
Familiar faces on McMurry coaching staff
McMurry Head Coach Jordan Neal, Defensive Coordinator John Jennings, and Offensive Coordinator Gabe Garcia have all spent some time on the Texas Lutheran Football coaching staff. Neal was the offensive line coach for one season (2012), and Jennings was a linebackers coach and then defensive coordinator for TLU from 2007 to 2008. Garcia was on the TLU coaching staff in a variety of roles, most recently as the running game coordinator and tight ends coach in 2018. Garcia coached with the Bulldogs from 2010 to 2018.
McMurry looking for first win
In Jordan Neal's first season as head coach of the War Hawks, McMurry is searching for that first win of 2019. The War Hawks have come close on a couple of occasions in 2019. McMurry nearly knocked off East Texas Baptist in Marshall, Texas on Oct. 19. The Tigers were held scoreless in the fourth quarter and grabbed a 21-19 win over the War Hawks. Then the next week, on Oct. 26, McMurry nearly took out Southwestern. The War Hawks fell 29-25 at home in Abilene. McMurry led by eight in the fourth quarter before the Pirates rallied. Southwestern scored the winning touchdown early in the fourth and then stopped the War Hawks in Pirate territory on the final two drives.
Carlos Garibay takes starting QB job
Freshman quarterback Carlos Garibay played the majority of snaps in the last two contests for McMurry. Garibay was 11-for-20 for 171 yards and three touchdowns in McMurry's 91-29 loss to Hardin-Simmons on Nov. 2. In last week's 49-36 home loss to Louisiana College, Garibay went 22-for-37 for 273 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. Garibay connected with former quarterback Kevin Hurley on TD strikes of 28 yards and 15 yards, and Garibay found Montrel Motton for an 18-yard score in the fourth quarter. Hurley led all War Hawks receivers with eight grabs for 112 yards.
War Hawks mainly use a pair of RBs
McMurry running backs Dee Robinson and Kameron Session each have played in all nine games for the War Hawks. Robinson has rushed 117 times for 638 yards and three touchdowns. Session has carried the ball 114 times for 402 yards and three scores. Last week against Louisiana College, Robinson rushed for 90 yards and a 54-yard score in the loss. Session had 12 carries for 56 yards and a six-yard TD run.
Hurley, Dorsey lead McM receiving game
Both Eriel Dorsey and Kevin Hurley have pulled down a team-high 35 catches this year for the War hawks. Hurley has made the most of his chances, going for 616 yards this year and scoring six touchdowns. Dorsey hasn't been bad either, going for 438 yards and scoring three touchdowns of his own.
McMurry specialist Kameron Session
Running back Kameron Session has made a name for himself this year as one of the two ASC players to return a kickoff for a touchdown this season. Session had a 93-yard kickoff return for a score against Howard Payne. Against Belhaven, Session had five kickoff returns for 112 yards. In the last two weeks, he has only six total kickoff return yards.
War Hawks 5th fumbles recovered
With 13 fumbles recovered, McMurry is fifth in all of NCAA Division III in fumbles recovered. TLU is 18th nationally in the same category, with 11 total fumbles recovered.
Last game McMurry:
Louisiana College 49, McMurry 36
McMurry racked up a season-high 471 total yards on Saturday against Louisiana College, but the Wildcats had slightly more firepower in a 49-36 win at Wilford Moore Stadium.
Starting their fourth quarterback of the season, the banged-up War Hawks (0-9, 0-8 American Southwest Conference) saw a strong outing from freshman quarterback Carlos Garibay in his first collegiate start. Garibay went 22-for-37 through the air with 237 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.
McMurry jumped out of the gates early with an inspired effort on the ground from freshman Dee Robinson. The rookie running back found a hole and broke multiple tackles en route to a 54-yard touchdown run. A failed two-point conversion kept the score at 6-0.
Last game Texas Lutheran:
Mary Hardin-Baylor 41, Texas Lutheran 3
Defending NCAA Division III national champion University of Mary Hardin-Baylor denied Texas Lutheran's bid for its first American Southwest Conference Championship with a 41-3 defeat of the Bulldogs Saturday at Crusader Stadium.
In a game to determine the ASC champion and the conference's automatic berth to the NCAA DIII playoffs, the Cru jumped out to a 17-0 first-quarter lead and opened up a 34-3 lead midway through the third quarter.
UMHB improved to 9-0 and to 8-0 in the ASC. TLU's seven-game win streak was snapped. The Bulldogs are 7-2 overall and 7-1 in the ASC.