ABILENE, Texas – The Battle of I-20 rivalry takes place this Saturday, as McMurry University Football hosts American Southwest Conference rival Sul Ross State at 1 p.m. inside Wilford Moore Stadium.
Saturday's game will also be Military Appreciation Day, as McMurry will honor various military personnel and their families with special programming throughout the game. Additionally, active and veteran U.S. military members receive free admission with valid military ID.
The War Hawks (2-4, 2-4 ASC) enter Saturday following a 28-21 loss to Texas Lutheran last weekend in Seguin, Texas. The loss snapped a three-game streak where McMurry did not have an offensive turnover. Despite the loss, McMurry moved the ball well with 26 first downs and 440 yards of offense.
Many eyes will be on senior linebacker Josh Smith this weekend. Smith is second on the all-time career tackles list at McMurry with 352 and needs 27 to tie the all-time record held by Chris Joseph at 379. With three games remaining, Smith will need to average nine tackles per game to tie the record.
Sul Ross State enters with a 1-5 record and have lost their last four games, including three conference games with Howard Payne, Belhaven and Mary Hardin-Baylor. The Lobos have one win, taking down TLU 12-10 in week three.
This preview is presented by First Financial Bank.
FOLLOW THE GAME:
Saturday's game will be live streamed and live stats will be available at mcmurrysports.com.
All McMurry Football radio broadcasts will exclusively air on Lonestar 1280 AM (KSLI). Fans can listen on the radio, on the web or on the Lonestar 1280 app – available free on your mobile app store and accessible anywhere, anytime with cell phone service.
Long time play-by-play announcer David Bacon will have the call and will be joined by color analyst John Blackwell. Bacon will have a pregame interview with Coach Jordan Neal and has lined up first year McMurry swim coach Arthur Wang as his halftime guest.
Broadcasts will begin 20 minutes before each game.
All streaming, listening and live stat pages will be available each week at this link along with spectator information, rosters, season statistics and much more.
GAME DAY PROTOCOL:
Wilford Moore Stadium is open at full capacity for Saturday. Masks are expected and physical distancing is encouraged where possible. Guidelines are subject to change based on the current standing of COVID-19 and the safety of the community.
General admission tickets are $5 and will be sold at both gates. Children 12 and under receive free admission, as well as students, faculty and staff. Active and veteran military will receive free admission for Saturday with valid ID.
The gate for visiting fans is on the east side, while the main gate for home fans is on the west side.
For more information on Saturday's protocols, click here.
THE RIVARLY
Sul Ross is McMurry's oldest rival with 90 all-time meetings. The Battle of I-20 ranks ahead of Howard Payne (80 games) and Austin College (70 games) for McMurry's most played rival.
McMurry leads the all-time series with a 47-41-2 record.
Last spring, McMurry earned its first win of the Jordan Neal regime by defeating Sul Ross in a 17-14 thriller in Abilene. The Lobos had possession for the final drive, but two deep passes fell incomplete as the War Hawks held on.
The War Hawks and Lobos have split the last eight meetings, but the Lobos have a 4-2 record since McMurry returned to NCAA Division III in 2015. McMurry has won two of the last three meetings – all at home.
Saturday will be Sully's fourth straight trip to Wilford Moore Stadium.
THE STANDINGS:
Mary Hardin-Baylor (7-0, 6-0 ASC) sits atop the American Southwest Conference standings, followed by Howard Payne (6-1, 5-1 ASC) and Hardin-Simmons (6-1, 5-1 ASC) after HPU dropped its first matchup of the season. The team that beat HPU – Belhaven (5-2, 4-2 ASC) – is in fourth place and rides a four-game win streak.
In the national rankings, UMHB remains at No. 2 in both the D3football.com and the American Football Coaches Association Top 25 polls, while HSU stays at No. 8. Howard Payne received eight votes in the AFCA poll, while Belhaven received one in the AFCA. UMHB hosts Belhaven this week, while HSU takes on HPU.
East Texas Baptist occupies the fifth spot in the standings with a 3-3 conference record, followed by McMurry and TLU at 2-4. Sul Ross State, Austin College and Southwestern round out the standings at 1-5.
This week's conference schedule:
- Belhaven at No. 2 UMHB
- ·No. 8 Hardin-Simmons at Howard Payne
- Sul Ross State at McMurry
- Texas Lutheran at ETBU
- Austin College at Southwestern
THE SCHEDULE:
With the cancellation of its non-conference season opener at Trinity, McMurry is currently playing a nine game schedule – all against American Southwest Conference opponents.
Below are the five home dates on the schedule:
- 9/11 at 1 PM vs. Howard Payne – L, 42-36
- 9/25 at 4 PM vs. Southwestern – W, 41-31
- 10/16 at 1 PM vs. Austin College – W, 48-13 (HC)
- 10/30 at 1 PM vs. Sul Ross State – Battle of I-20 Rivalry / Military Appreciation
- 11/13 at 1 PM vs. Mary Hardin-Baylor – Senior Day
SCOUTING THE WAR HAWKS:
McMurry ranks in the top half of the conference on both sides of the ball, scoring 30.3 points per game and allowing 27.0 points per game. Despite playing three of the top five teams in the conference standings, McMurry has been competitive in each game and has yet to lose by a double-digit margin.
Behind Howard Payne, McMurry has the most productive pass offense with 282.0 passing yards per game. Sophomore quarterback Dexter Wyble ranks fifth in the league with 1,070 passing yards, averaging 214.0 passing yards per game in his four starts.
Senior running back Kameron Session as ascended as the team's leading rusher, ranking fourth in the conference with 75.2 rushing yards per game. Session had a season-high 91 yards on 17 carries last Saturday at TLU. Dee Robinson is also in the mix at 41.5 rushing yards per game.
Junior wide receiver Jermond Lovely ranks fourth in the conference with 75.2 receiving yards per game. Last week, he had six catches for 92 yards. Teammate Kristopher Martin also ranks Top 10 in receiving for the conference with 52.5 yards per game on 18 total catches and two scores.
Senior Josh Smith is running away with the conference lead for tackles at an outstanding 9.2 per game, leading second place Jacob Mueller from UMHB with 6.9 per game. Smith has 55 total tackles this season, including 18 on the road at Texas Lutheran last week.
Also among the conference leaders in tackles this season is junior safety Ke'Shaun Jnofinn with 6.5 per game and 33 total in five games – third in the conference. Junior Xavier Gayle leads the defense with four pass breakups, two fumble recoveries and two sacks to go with 5.5 tackles for loss.
On the defensive line, Devin Nixon shines with a team-high 6.0 tackles for loss – including 2.0 last week – and six quarterback hurries. He's also forced two fumbles, has one fumble recovery for a touchdown and has 28 tackles in six games.
Junior Jared Mendoza leads the conference in field goals made with seven so far, including four in a win over Southwestern to earn D3football.com National Team of the Week honors as a kicker. The four kicks also set a new school record.
SCOUTING THE LOBOS:
Sul Ross State will look to snap a four-game losing skid on Saturday, ranking at the bottom of the conference in scoring and points allowed.
The Lobos have had more offensive success through the air than on the ground, throwing for 151.7 yards per game. Akron transfer Tyler Deshields is the starting quarterback, completing 89-of-147 passes this season for 851 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions.
Devon Mendoza is the leading rusher with 3.8 yards per carry, while Vicente Luevano leads the team with 33 catches for 369 yards – 61.5 per game.
Quincy Blair and Eduardo Garcia are the leading tacklers for Sul Ross with 36 total. Garcia leads with 5.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks on the season, as well as two QB hurries and two fumble recoveries. In the team's lone win this season, the Lobos held TLU to 10 points in a 12-10 defensive struggle.
PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTABLES:
Click here to view this week's McMurry Football press conference presented by First Financial Bank.
Today's press conference featured Coach Jordan Neal, junior running back Dee Robinson and freshman defensive lineman Adonte Wilkerson.
