Purchase the Live Video / Audio Link for the McMurry vs. TLU football game
ABILENE, Texas - At the start of the year head coach Hal Mumme set a goal for the McMurry football team to have a winning season. Then, McMurry started 0-4. However, with three consecutive wins and three games to spare, that goal could become a reality, and the pursuit of six wins continues Saturday in Seguin when McMurry faces Texas Lutheran on the road.
The Bulldogs (0-6, 0-4) are still in search of their first victory, but McMurry head coach Hal Mumme said McMurry isn't paying attention to standings.
“We're not looking at their record,” Mumme said. “Texas Lutheran is the only team we get to play this week, so we're going to try and beat them.”
On offense Mumme said that TLU does a little bit of everything running the option, running the ball and they do pass with Steven Thrash leading TLU receivers with 30 receptions, 443 yards and four touchdowns.
The Bulldogs have started two different quarterbacks this season with Jarret Buchholtz leading the team with 895 yards passing, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Rocky Huff has 137 yards passing one touchdown and one interception. All in all, The Bulldogs complete 45.5 percent of their passes and have totaled 1,115 yards through the air.
The good news for TLU, is that their pass defense has limited offenses to just 195.7 yards per game. The Bulldogs will need a strong effort with their pass defense Friday as McMurry boasts the No. 1 passing offense in the American Southwest Conference and the ninth best in NCAA Division II at 337.3 yards per game.
Mullin could have a big day Saturday re-writing the McMurry record books. Mullin will need just four completions to set the single-season school record and pass Braxton Shaver's mark of 205 set in 1997. If Mullin passes for 194 yards Saturday, he'll break the single-season passing yards record set by Shaver in 1998. Shaver had 2,492 passing yards his junior season in 1998 and Mullin enters Saturday's contest with 2,298.
McMurry (3-4, 3-2) is coming off a 35-28 Homecoming victory over Sul Ross State Saturday giving the team its first three-game win streak since the 2000 season and putting the squad at third place in the ASC standings. McMurry's last victory over Texas Lutheran came in 2003 in a 42-39 victory, however, the Bulldogs have had the better end of the contests the last five seasons.
TLU fell to NCAA Division II Incarnate Word Saturday 53-18 to fall to 0-6 overall. After a slim one-point loss to Trinity to open the season Sept. 12, TLU lost the next five games by an average of 29.6 points per contest.
Kickoff at Matador Stadium is a 2 p.m. and McMurry fans can hear the local broadcast in Abilene on ESPN Radio 1560 AM KZQQ or purchase the live audio/video feed by clicking here.
