Cru football looks to clear semifinal hurdle

For the third time in the last five years, the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor football team will play host to an NCAA Division III National Championships Semifinal Game with the Cru earning another home game this Saturday. UMHB will host the Brockport Golden Eagles for a 2:30 PM Central Time kickoff with a berth in Stagg Bowl XLV
 
UMHB is 13-0 overall and went 9-0 in American Southwest Conference play to win the ASC title for the 13th straight season. Brockport is also 13-0 overall and won the Empire 8 Conference after posting a 7-0 league record. The Cru is ranked #1 in the country in both of the major Top 25 National Polls. Brockport is ranked 10th in the nation by D3football.com and the Golden Eagles are 11th in the country in the American Football Coaches Association's Top 25 Poll. The two programs will be meeting for the first time in Saturday's game. UMHB is 1-0 all-time against teams from the Empire 8 after posting a 45-23 victory over St. John Fisher in the Quarterfinals of the 2013 NCAA Division III National Championships. That game also marks the only other time the UMHB football team has faced an opponent from the state of New York.
           
UMHB has a 35-14 all-time record in the NCAA Division III National Championships and joins Mount Union as the only two Division III programs in the country to win at least one playoff game in each of the last 14 seasons. The Cru is also making its seventh appearance in the NCAA Semifinals. UMHB advanced to the Semifinals with a 24-10 victory over #4 St. Thomas on Saturday. Brockport advanced to the Semifinals with a 31-28 win at #7 Delaware Valley on Saturday. The Golden Eagles are 5-4 all-time in the postseason and will be making their first appearance in the NCAA Semifinals. The winner of the UMHB/Brockport game will advance to play the winner of the Wisconsin-Oshkosh/Mount Union Semifinal for the Division III National Championship at 6:00 PM Central Time on Friday, December 15th, in Salem, Virginia.