2021 Mary Hardin–Baylor Crusaders football team

2021 Mary Hardin–Baylor Crusaders football
NCAA Division III champion ASC champion
Stagg Bowl, W 57–24 vs. North Central (IL)
Conference	American Southwest Conference
Ranking
D3Football.com	No. 1
Head coach	Pete Fredenburg (23rd season)
Offensive coordinator	Stephen Lee (7th season)
Offensive scheme	Pro-style
Defensive coordinator	Larry Harmon (20th season)
Base defense	3–4
Home stadium	Crusader Stadium

2021 American Southwest Conference football standings

	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 1 Mary Hardin–Baylor $^		9	–	0					15	–	0
No. 10 Hardin–Simmons		8	–	1					9	–	1
Belhaven		6	–	3					7	–	3
Howard Payne		6	–	3					7	–	3
East Texas Baptist		4	–	5					5	–	5
Southwestern (TX)		4	–	5					4	–	6
Texas Lutheran		3	–	6					3	–	7
McMurry		2	–	7					2	–	7
Sul Ross		2	–	7					2	–	7
Austin		1	–	8					1	–	8
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant Rankings from AFCA Poll

The 2021 Mary Hardin–Baylor Crusaders football team represented the University of Mary Hardin–Baylor as a member of the American Southwest Conference during the 2021 NCAA Division III football season. Led by 23rd-year head coach Pete Fredenburg, the Crusaders compiled an overall record of 15–0 with a mark of 9–0 in conference play, winning the ASC title.

Mary Hardin–Baylor beat Trinity (TX) in the first round, Birmingham–Southern in the second round, Linfield in the quarterfinals, and Wisconsin–Whitewater in the semifinals before playing in the 2021 Stagg Bowl where they played North Central (IL) and won 57–24 to secure the school's second-overall and first-non vacated title. Mary Hardin–Baylor played home games at Crusader Stadium in Belton, Texas.

Preseason

ASC media poll

ASC media poll
Predicted finish	Team	Votes (1st place)
1	Mary Hardin–Baylor	196 (17)
2	Hardin–Simmons	179 (2)
3	East Texas Baptist	153 (1)
4	Texas Lutheran	140
5	Belhaven	115
6	Howard Payne	95
7	McMurry	69
8	Austin	62
9	Southwestern	54
10	Sul Ross	41

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	Result	Attendance
September 4	6:00 p.m.	Simpson*	No. 1	Crusader Stadium Belton, TX	W 84–6	3,441
September 11	1:00 p.m.	East Texas Baptist	No. 1	Crusader Stadium Belton, TX	W 34–14	5,006
September 18	7:00 p.m.	at Southwestern (TX)	No. 1	Birkelbach Stadium Georgetown, TX	W 54–3	0
September 25	6:00 p.m.	No. 7 Hardin–Simmons	No. 2	Crusader Stadium Belton, TX	W 34–28	7,018
October 2	1:00 p.m.	at Austin	No. 2	Apple Stadium Sherman, TX	W 56–0	1,037
October 16	1:00 p.m.	Texas Lutheran	No. 2	Crusader Stadium Belton, TX	W 49–3	3,024
October 23	12:00 p.m.	at Sul Ross	No. 2	Jackson Field Alpine, TX	W 72–14	0
October 30	12:00 p.m.	Belhaven	No. 2	Crusader Stadium Belton, TX	W 29–0	2,377
November 6	12:00 p.m.	Howard Payne	No. 2	Crusader Stadium Belton, TX	W 59–14	2,797
November 13	1:00 p.m.	at McMurry	No. 2	Wilford Moore Stadium Abilene, TX	W 77–3	1,750
November 20	12:00 p.m.	No. 16 Trinity (TX)*	No. 2	Crusader Stadium Belton, TX (NCAA Division III First Round)	W 13–3	0
November 27	1:00 p.m.	No. 19 Birmingham–Southern*	No. 2	Crusader Stadium Belton, TX (NCAA Division III Second Round)	W 42–7	1,455
December 4	12:00 p.m.	No. 7 Linfield*	No. 2	Crusader Stadium Belton, TX (NCAA Division III Quarterfinal)	W 49–24	0
December 11	2:30 p.m.	at No. 3 Wisconsin–Whitewater*	No. 2	Forrest Perkins Stadium Whitewater, WI (NCAA Division III Semifinal)	W 24–7	2,519
December 17	7:00 p.m.	vs. No. 1 North Central (IL)*	No. 2	Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium Canton, OH (Stagg Bowl)	W 57–24	1,830
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from D3 Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time

Rankings

See also: 2021 NCAA Division III football rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
( ) = First-place votes

	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	Final
D3Football.com	1 (10)	1 (12)	1 (13)	2 (10)	2 (8)	2 (7)	2 (7)	2 (7)	2 (7)	2 (7)	2 (7)	2 (7)	1 (25)

Personnel

2021 Mary Hardin–Baylor Crusaders football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class WR 1 Brenton Martin Sr WR 4 Aaron Sims Sr RB 5 Aphonso Thomas Jr WR 7 K. J. Miller Sr QB 9 Jackson Tingler So QB 11 Jackson Tingley So QB 12 Ryan Redding Sr QB 14 Caden Steubing So WR 15 Jamaal Hamilton Jr QB 17 Kyle King (C) Sr WR 18 D. J. Weaver Sr WR 21 Brandon Jordan Sr RB 22 Montana Miller So RB 23 Marc Gutierrez Jr RB 27 Kenneth Cormier Jr. So WR 30 Chaka Watson So RB 34 Alex Acuna Sr OL 53 Jacob Dailey So OL 59 Ethan Ruckman So OL 60 Matt Sanders Jr OL 61 Jeffrey Sims Jr. Sr OL 62 Lance Jones Sr OL 63 Donovan Barrett Fr OL 64 Hayes Chizer So OL 67 John Schnautz Fr OL 68 Hayden Hopkins Fr OL 71 John Kazmierski Sr OL 72 Wyatt Crawford So OL 73 Adam Dobbins Sr OL 74 Kyle Wente Fr OL 75 Cameron Williams Sr OL 76 Reuel Tandoh So OL 77 Jesse Hoke So OL 78 Tyler Prassel Fr WR 81 Jalen Shepherd Fr TE 82 Gary Ruckman (C) Sr WR 84 Jerry Day Jr. Fr TE 86 Adam Strawn Jr TE 87 Colby Olivier Jr TE 88 Connor Mullins So QB Colby Bailey Fr TE Devin Barr Fr WR Chance Beachum Fr WR Tyjayzeon Bell Fr OL Tristan Bermea Fr QB Brad Campbell Fr OL Caedmon Carter Fr QB Jerry Cephus Fr OL Loegan Chance Fr RB Shemar Cheever Fr TE JoJo Clark Fr OL Cody Coffman Fr OL Jacob Cote Fr WR Scott Curtis Fr QB William Eaton Fr QB Trapper Ensor Fr OL Kaden Franklin Fr WR Kybran Frazier Fr QB Caleb Freeman Fr WR D. J. Freeman Fr QB Kyler Gibson So OL David Gonzalez Fr OL Win Goodwin Fr RB Sylvester Hardeman Fr RB Wade Harper Fr QB Landon Howell Fr QB Keynan Jackson Fr RB Matthew Jackson Fr WR Mason Lemme So TE Bryce Lesar Fr OL Timothy Marwitz Fr RB Julius Mason Fr OL Marshall Mays Fr OL Hunter McCall Fr OL Nathan Moczygemba Fr TE Hunter Nucci Fr WR Irvin Paige Fr OL Jordan Perry Fr OL Isaac Rodriguez Fr QB Micah Rodriguez Fr RB Isaiah Salazar Fr OL James Salcido Fr WR Caleb Sanders Fr OL Connor Schomburg Fr OL Landon Sluka Fr RB Mason Stewart Fr OL Aidan Tidwell Fr WR Emilio Vargas Fr OL Tyler Vogan Fr RB Marques Washington Fr OL Chris Webb Fr QB Brylee White Fr OL Zachary Wilkinson Fr	Defense Pos. # Name Class CB 0 Keith Gibson Sr DB 2 Jefferson Fritz (C) Sr LB 3 Akeem Jackson Sr CB 9 Titus Dunk Jr DB 11 Jayden Smith Sr LB 13 Omari Frazier So CB 14 Jordan See So DB 16 Tommy Bowden Jr LB 19 Durand Hill Fr DB 20 Jackson Sennie So LB 23 Marc Gutierrez Jr DB 24 Courtney Patridge-Lee Jr LB 25 Mikkah Hackett (C) Sr CB 26 Tavion Page Jr LB 29 Lyndon Rangel Fr DB 30 Chaka Watson So DB 31 Logan Arnold Fr DE 32 E'Monte Smith Sr LB 33 Jacob Mueller Sr DB 35 Khyren Deal Fr LB 36 Mason Young Fr CB 37 Jamarcus Roberson So CB 38 Trashawn Adams Fr DB 39 Dorien Shannon Jr FS 40 Johnny Smith-Rider Fr FS 43 James Brinsley Fr DE 44 Trey Belyeu-Witcher Fr LB 45 Josh McDade Fr DE 47 Caleb Johnson Sr LB 50 Casey Buck Fr DE 51 Khevon Shepard Sr DT 52 Kobe Giles So DT 54 Tristan Green So DL 90 Josh Patteson So DE 93 Sante Parker Jr. Sr DT 94 Pete Smith Sr DT 99 Anthony Clayton Jr DT Jorge Barrera Jr LB Braegen Berry So DB Austin Black Jr DT Jeremy Carter Fr DT Mason Cavness Fr DE Omahri Daniels Fr LB Chase Ellis Fr DE Christian Gerlach Fr DE Justin Gilliand So DE Luke Gregory So CB Braden Gunn Fr LB Armani Ingram Fr DT P. J. Jackson Fr LB Carson Kaddatz Jr DE Behnjamin Marin Fr LB Parker Meza Fr DT David Moore So DT Xavier Morris Fr DT Zachary Natt So LB Jordan Owens Fr DB Ethan Ramirez Fr LB Laelen Reyes Fr DB DeAndre Robb Fr DB Kaleb Roberts Fr LB Darien Shannon Jr LB Kale Shaw Fr DL Corey Simpson Fr CB Emariyee Stewart Fr DT Bo Stucker Fr LB Aidan Thompson Fr DB Airik Williams Fr DB Kavion Williams Fr CB Zay Woods Fr DB Jermaine Wright Fr	Special teams Pos. # Name Class K, P 10 Anthony Avila Sr P 17 Kyle King (C) Sr K, P 85 Brandon Cunningham Jr K Andrew Cunningham Fr K Marcus Garza Fr K, P Nico Ledesma So DS Preston Sarlls Fr K Garrett Stiles Fr	Head coach Pete Fredenburg Coordinators/assistant coaches Stephen Lee Offensive coordinator Larry Harmon Defensive coordinator Jack Johnson Special teams coordinator/Linebackers Bill Bleil Offensive line Nick Brace Defensive tackles Mark Carey Defensive line Steven Thrash Wide receivers Randy Smith Kickers/Punters/Long snappers Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt Roster Last update: September 7, 2024

Regular season

Simpson

Simpson Storm at No. 1 Mary Hardin–Baylor Crusaders – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Storm	0	0	6	0	6
No. 1 Crusaders	21	21	28	14	84

at Crusader Stadium, Belton, Texas

• Date: September 4
• Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Sunny
• Game attendance: 3,441
• Referee: Kenny Kelarek
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter MHB – Kyle King 16-yard run (Anthony Avila kick), 12:12. Crusaders 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 20 yards, 0:38. MHB – Kyle King 2-yard run (Anthony Avila kick), 7:18. Crusaders 14–0. Drive: 6 plays, 53 yards, 2:43. MHB – Kyle King 2-yard run (Anthony Avila kick), 5:17. Crusaders 21–0. Drive: 2 plays, 2 yards, 0:11. Second quarter MHB – Brandon Jordan 3-yard pass from Kyle King (Anthony Avila kick), 14:54. Crusaders 28–0. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 2:50. MHB – Kyle King 1-yard run (Anthony Avila kick), 4:23. Crusaders 35–0. Drive: 10 plays, 78 yards, 4:50. MHB – Kenneth Cormier 7-yard run (Anthony Avila kick), 1:14. Crusaders 42–0. Drive: 5 plays, 44 yards, 1:43. Third quarter MHB – Brandon Jordan 16-yard pass from Kyle King (Anthony Avila kick), 10:51. Crusaders 49–0. Drive: 8 plays, 77 yards, 3:24. MHB – Tommy Bowden 3-yard run (Anthony Avila kick), 7:12. Crusaders 56–0. Drive: 6 plays, 20 yards, 2:25. SIM – Reed Worth 26-yard pass from Seth Howard (kick failed), 4:16. Crusaders 56–6. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 2:56. MHB – Tommy Bowden 19-yard run (Anthony Avila kick), 2:15. Crusaders 63–6. Drive: 6 plays, 52 yards, 1:47. MHB – Andrew Robinson 16-yard run (Anthony Avila kick), 0:29. Crusaders 70–6. Drive: 2 plays, 27 yards, 0:39. Fourth quarter MHB – Andrew Robinson 16-yard run (Anthony Avila kick), 8:47. Crusaders 77–6. Drive: 8 plays, 69 yards, 4:26. MHB – Ryan Redding 63-yard run (Anthony Avila kick), 6:06. Crusaders 84–6. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 0:58.

Statistics	SIM	MHB
First downs	9	27
Total yards	146	601
Rushing yards	-9	330
Passing yards	155	271
Turnovers	3	1
Time of possession	29:08	29:42

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Simpson	Passing	Seth Howard	11/25, 155 yards, TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Hunter Ogle	10 rushes, 19 yards
	Receiving	Reed Worth	5 receptions, 83 yards, TD
Mary Hardin–Baylor	Passing	Kyle King	14/19, 201 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Kenneth Cormier	12 rushes, 69 yards, TD
	Receiving	Brandon Jordan	5 receptions, 116 yards, 2 TD

East Texas Baptist

East Texas Baptist Tigers at No. 1 Mary Hardin–Baylor Crusaders – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Tigers	0	0	7	7	14
No. 1 Crusaders	17	7	7	3	34

at Crusader Stadium, Belton, Texas

• Date: September 11
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Sunny, 90 °F (32 °C)
• Game attendance: 5,006
• Referee: James Minor
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter MHB – Anthony Avila 45-yard field goal, 12:00. Crusaders 3–0. Drive: 5 plays, 30 yards, 2:54. MHB – Jefferson Fritz 44-yard punt return (Anthony Avila kick), 10:45. Crusaders 10–0. MHB – Kyle King 1-yard run (Anthony Avila kick), 5:34. Crusaders 17–0. Drive: 7 plays, 67 yards, 2:49. Second quarter MHB – Gary Ruckman 21-yard pass from Kyle King (Anthony Avila kick), 0:24. Crusaders 24–0. Drive: 10 plays, 79 yards, 4:00. Third quarter MHB – Aphonso Thomas 11-yard pass from Kyle King (Anthony Avila kick), 10:05. Crusaders 31–0. Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 3:43. ETB – Chase Thompson 86-yard fumble return (Alberto Garcia kick), 0:23. Crusaders 31–7. Fourth quarter MHB – Anthony Avila 39-yard field goal, 9:14. Crusaders 34–7. Drive: 7 plays, 22 yards, 3:25. ETB – Noel Shane 1-yard run (Alberto Garcia kick), 0:08. Crusaders 34–14. Drive: 6 plays, 28 yards, 2:02.

Statistics	ETB	MHB
First downs	12	21
Total yards	205	353
Rushing yards	102	208
Passing yards	103	145
Turnovers	2	2
Time of possession	28:07	31:53

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
East Texas Baptist	Passing	Troy Yowman	10/24, 75 yards
	Rushing	Cornelius Merchant	11 rushes, 96 yards
	Receiving	Tariq Gray	4 receptions, 81 yards
Mary Hardin–Baylor	Passing	Kyle King	6/12, 145 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Aphonso Thomas	26 rushes, 99 yards
	Receiving	Brandon Jordan	2 receptions, 55 yards

At Southwestern (TX)

No. 1 Mary Hardin–Baylor Crusaders at Southwestern Pirates – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 1 Crusaders	20	20	7	7	54
Pirates	3	0	0	0	3

at Birkelbach Stadium, Georgetown, Texas

• Date: September 18
• Game time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
• Game attendance: 0
• Referee: Duane Martin
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter MHB – K. J. Miller 71-yard pass from Kyle King (Anthony Avila kick), 14:19. Crusaders 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 80 yards, 0:34. MHB – Brenton Martin 37-yard pass from Kyle King (Anthony Avila kick), 12:15. Crusaders 14–0. Drive: 2 plays, 42 yards, 0:37. SW – Wil Herbst 39-yard field goal, 4:10. Crusaders 14–3. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 4:06. MHB – Josh Patterson 14-yard interception return (kick failed), 1:15. Crusaders 20–3. Second quarter MHB – Kyle King 5-yard run (kick failed), 12:31. Crusaders 26–3. Drive: 5 plays, 27 yards, 2:29. MHB – K. J. Miller 19-yard pass from Kyle King (Brandon Cunning kick), 5:37. Crusaders 33–3. Drive: 8 plays, 70 yards, 3:39. MHB – Kyle King 3-yard run (Brandon Cunning kick), 0:53. Crusaders 40–3. Drive: 7 plays, 76 yards, 2:52. Third quarter MHB – Aphonso Thomas 6-yard run (Brandon Cunning kick), 13:42. Crusaders 47–3. Drive: 3 plays, 28 yards, 1:08. Fourth quarter MHB – Tommy Bowden 84-yard run (Brandon Cunning kick), 12:23. Crusaders 54–3. Drive: 1 play, 84 yards, 0:12.

Statistics	MHB	SW
First downs	25	7
Total yards	569	145
Rushing yards	277	68
Passing yards	292	77
Turnovers	2	4
Time of possession	37:05	22:55

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Mary Hardin–Baylor	Passing	Kyle King	11/18, 246 yards, 3 TD, INT
	Rushing	Tommy Bowden	2 rushes, 91 yards, TD
	Receiving	K. J. Miller	7 receptions, 139 yards, 2 TD
Southwestern	Passing	Landry Gilpin	6/13, 56 yards, 2 INT
	Rushing	Jaquon Marion	11 rushes, 27 yards
	Receiving	Ethan Powell	2 receptions, 40 yards

No. 7 Hardin–Simmons

No. 7 Hardin–Simmons Cowboys at No. 2 Mary Hardin–Baylor Crusaders – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 7 Cowboys	7	21	0	0	28
No. 2 Crusaders	7	0	21	6	34

at Crusader Stadium, Belton, Texas

• Date: September 25
• Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Sunny, 89 °F (32 °C)
• Game attendance: 7,018
• Referee: Larry Brown
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter HSU – Gaylon Glynn 7-yard run (Jamie Pogue kick), 10:56. Cowboys 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 74 yards, 4:00. MHB – K. J. Miller 27-yard pass from Kyle King (Anthony Avila kick), 9:04. Tied 7–7. Drive: 3 plays, 77 yards, 1:44. Second quarter HSU – Kolby Youngblood 33-yard run (Jamie Pogue kick), 14:54. Cowboys 14–7. Drive: 11 plays, 91 yards, 5:53. HSU – Kevi Evans 24-yard pass from Kyle Jones (Jamie Pogue kick), 13:16. Cowboys 21–7. Drive: 1 play, 24 yards, 0:11. HSU – Myles Featherston 65-yard run (Jamie Pogue kick), 6:54. Cowboys 28–7. Drive: 7 plays, 81 yards, 4:03. Third quarter MHB – Brandon Jordan 9-yard pass from Kyle King (Anthony Avila kick), 11:57. Cowboys 28–14. Drive: 6 plays, 64 yards, 2:55. MHB – Connor Mullins 5-yard pass from Kyle King (Anthony Avila kick), 6:39. Cowboys 28–21. Drive: 5 plays, 32 yards, 3:34. MHB – Romello Cook 7-yard pass from Kyle King (Anthony Avila kick), 2:57. Tied 28–28. Drive: 6 plays, 65 yards, 2:43. Fourth quarter MHB – Brandon Jordan 14-yard pass from Kyle King (kick failed), 6:06. Crusaders 34–28. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 1:59.

Statistics	MHB	UMH
First downs	19	23
Total yards	382	435
Rushing yards	220	202
Passing yards	162	233
Turnovers	1	2
Time of possession	31:01	28:59

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Hardin–Simmons	Passing	Kyle Jones	19/33, 162 yards, TD, INT
	Rushing	Myles Featherson	8 rushes, 94 yards, TD
	Receiving	Gatlin Martin	4 receptions, 48 yards
Mary Hardin–Baylor	Passing	Kyle King	17/25, 233 yards, 5 TD
	Rushing	Kenneth Cormier	13 rushes, 90 yards
	Receiving	Brandon Jordan	6 receptions, 126 yards, 2 TD

At Austin

No. 2 Mary Hardin–Baylor Crusaders at Austin Kangaroos – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 2 Crusaders	21	14	7	14	56
Kangaroos	0	0	0	0	0

at Apple Stadium, Sherman, Texas

• Date: October 2
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. CDT
• Game attendance: 1,037
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter MHB – Aaron Sims 37-yard pass from Kyle King (Brandon Cunning kick), 13:54. Crusaders 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 71 yards, 0:59. MHB – Brenton Martin 34-yard pass from Kyle King (Brandon Cunning kick), 5:00. Crusaders 14–0. Drive: 3 plays, 35 yards, 1:18. MHB – Kyle King 52-yard run (Brandon Cunning kick), 2:37. Crusaders 21–0. Drive: 1 play, 52 yards, 0:11. Second quarter MHB – Aphonso Thomas 1-yard run (Brandon Cunning kick), 12:33. Crusaders 28–0. Drive: 3 plays, 5 yards, 0:42. MHB – Brenton Martin 11-yard pass from Tommy Bowden (Brandon Cunning kick), 6:53. Crusaders 35–0. Drive: 8 plays, 36 yards, 3:39. Third quarter MHB – Kyle King 4-yard run (Brandon Cunning kick), 6:47. Crusaders 42–0. Drive: 10 plays, 49 yards, 5:04. Fourth quarter MHB – Tommy Bowden 15-yard run (Brandon Cunning kick), 14:10. Crusaders 49–0. Drive: 11 plays, 65 yards, 5:18. MHB – Montana Miller 2-yard run (Brandon Cunning kick), 1:53. Crusaders 56–0. Drive: 9 plays, 76 yards, 4:42.

Statistics	MHB	AC
First downs	26	8
Total yards	480	117
Rushing yards	297	89
Passing yards	183	28
Turnovers	1	0
Time of possession	27:22	32:38

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Mary Hardin–Baylor	Passing	Kyle King	8/10, 141 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Aphonso Thomas	9 rushes, 63 yards, TD
	Receiving	Brenton Martin	3 receptions, 61 yards, 2 TD
Austin	Passing	Tyler James	7/15, 28 yards
	Rushing	Maurice Reed	7 rushes, 31 yards
	Receiving	Maurice Reed	3 receptions, 17 yards

Texas Lutheran

Texas Lutheran Bulldogs at No. 2 Mary Hardin–Baylor Crusaders – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Bulldogs	0	0	0	3	3
No. 2 Crusaders	21	14	7	7	49

at Crusader Stadium, Belton, Texas

• Date: October 16
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Sunny
• Game attendance: 3,024
• Referee: Andy Dunklin
• Box score, Recap

Statistics	TLU	MHB
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Texas Lutheran	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Mary Hardin–Baylor	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

At Sul Ross

See also: 2021 Sul Ross Lobos football team

No. 2 Mary Hardin–Baylor Crusaders at Sul Ross Lobos – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 2 Crusaders	7	31	14	20	72
Lobos	0	7	7	0	14

at Jackson Field, Alpine, Texas

• Date: October 23
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Sunny, 74 °F (23 °C)
• Game attendance: 0
• Referee: Jeff Bell
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter MHB – Kyle King 2-yard run (Anthony Avila kick), 5:32. Crusaders 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 40 yards, 2:01. Second quarter MHB – K. J. Miller 88-yard punt return (Anthony Avila kick), 12:58. Crusaders 14–0. MHB – Anthony Avila 35-yard field goal, 11:28. Crusaders 17–0. Drive: 4 plays, 0 yards, 1:12. SRS – Vicente Luevano 52-yard pass from T. J. Deshields (Jaden Brown kick), 7:24. Crusaders 17–7. Drive: 1 play, 52 yards, 0:08. MHB – Aphonso Thomas 1-yard run (Anthony Avila kick), 3:59. Crusaders 24–7. Drive: 7 plays, 55 yards, 3:19. MHB – K. J. Miller 14-yard pass from Kyle King (Anthony Avila kick), 1:15. Crusaders 31–7. Drive: 5 plays, 50 yards, 2:14. MHB – Brandon Jordan 40-yard pass from Kyle King (Anthony Avila kick), 0:41. Crusaders 38–7. Drive: 1 play, 40 yards, 0:07. Third quarter SRS – Ozias Wright 80-yard pass from T. J. Deshields (Jaden Brown kick), 12:51. Crusaders 38–14. Drive: 1 play, 80 yards, 0:13. MHB – Brenton Martin 30-yard pass from Kyle King (Anthony Avila kick), 10:10. Crusaders 45–14. Drive: 7 plays, 55 yards, 2:41. MHB – Connor Mullins 12-yard pass from Ryan Redding (Anthony Avila kick), 5:27. Crusaders 52–14. Drive: 7 plays, 47 yards, 3:33. Fourth quarter MHB – Ryan Redding 14-yard run (Anthony Avila kick), 14:44. Crusaders 59–14. Drive: 7 plays, 58 yards, 3:27. MHB – Brenton Martin 55-yard pass from Ryan Redding (kick failed), 11:45. Crusaders 65–14. Drive: 3 plays, 55 yards, 1:15. MHB – Aaron Sims 68-yard pass from Ryan Redding (Anthony Avila kick), 6:12. Crusaders 72–14. Drive: 3 plays, 70 yards, 2:02.

Statistics	MHB	SRS
First downs	26	7
Total yards	573	219
Rushing yards	208	42
Passing yards	365	177
Turnovers	2	2
Time of possession	20:58	39:02

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Mary Hardin–Baylor	Passing	Ryan Redding	10/13, 201 yards, 3 TD
	Rushing	Aphonso Thomas	14 rushes, 86 yards, TD
	Receiving	Benton Martin	5 receptions, 106 yards, 2 TD
Sul Ross	Passing	T. J. Deshields	5/16, 173 yards, 2 TD, INT
	Rushing	Ozias Wright	12 rushes, 20 yards
	Receiving	Vicente Luevano	2 receptions, 85 yards, TD

Belhaven

Belhaven Blazers at No. 2 Mary Hardin–Baylor Crusaders – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Blazers	0	0	0	0	0
No. 2 Crusaders	7	3	7	12	29

at Crusader Stadium, Belton, Texas

• Date: October 30
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Sunny
• Game attendance: 2,377
• Referee: Joe Horn
• Box score, Recap

Statistics	BEL	MHB
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Belhaven	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Mary Hardin–Baylor	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

Howard Payne

Howard Payne Yellow Jackets at No. 2 Mary Hardin–Baylor Crusaders – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Yellow Jackets	14	0	0	0	14
No. 2 Crusaders	21	14	14	10	59

at Crusader Stadium, Belton, Texas

• Date: November 6
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Sunny
• Game attendance: 2,797
• Referee: Robert Newton
• Box score, Recap

Statistics	HPU	MHB
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Howard Payne	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Mary Hardin–Baylor	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

At McMurry

No. 2 Mary Hardin–Baylor Crusaders at McMurry War Hawks – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 2 Crusaders	28	21	14	14	77
War Hawks	0	0	0	3	3

at Wilford Moore Stadium, Abilene, Texas

• Date: November 13
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Sunny, 66 °F (19 °C)
• Game attendance: 1,750
• Referee: Dal Watson
• Box score, Recap

Statistics	MHB	MCM
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Mary Hardin–Baylor	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
McMurry	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

NCAA Division III playoffs

No. 16 Trinity (TX) (First Round)

NCAA Division III First Round
No. 16 Trinity Tigers at No. 2 Mary Hardin–Baylor Crusaders – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 16 Tigers	3	0	0	0	3
No. 2 Crusaders	0	3	3	7	13

at Crusader Stadium, Belton, Texas

• Date: November 20
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Cloudy
• Game attendance: 0
• Referee: Steve Heyman
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter TRN – Blake Lin 28-yard field goal, 6:23. Tigers 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 59 yards, 4:03. Second quarter MHB – Anthony Avila 42-yard field goal, 0:59. Tied 3–3. Drive: 11 plays, 45 yards, 4:43. Third quarter MHB – Brandon Cunningham 33-yard field goal, 4:09. Crusaders 6–3. Drive: 13 plays, 64 yards, 5:58. Fourth quarter MHB – Aphonso Thompson 17-yard run (Brandon Cunningham kick), 2:05. Crusaders 13–3. Drive: 5 plays, 61 yards, 1:44.

Statistics	TRN	MHB
First downs	10	15
Total yards	212	307
Rushing yards	22	179
Passing yards	190	128
Turnovers	2	2
Time of possession	28:11	31:49

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Trinity	Passing	Tucker Horn	20/40, 190 yards, 2 INT
	Rushing	Winston Hutchinson	16 rushes, 26 yards
	Receiving	Ryan Merrifield	5 receptions, 58 yards
Mary Hardin–Baylor	Passing	Kyle King	10/22, 128 yards, INT
	Rushing	Aphonso Thomas	26 rushes, 118 yards, TD
	Receiving	Brenton Martin	3 receptions, 60 yards

No. 19 Birmingham–Southern (Second Round)

NCAA Division III Second Round
No. 19 Birmingham–Southern Panthers at No. 2 Mary Hardin–Baylor Crusaders – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 19 Panthers	7	0	0	0	7
No. 2 Crusaders	14	7	7	14	42

at Crusader Stadium, Belton, Texas

• Date: November 27
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Rain, 48 °F (9 °C)
• Game attendance: 1,455
• Referee: Jeffry Davis
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter MHB – K. J. Miller 21-yard pass from Ryan Redding (Anthony Avila kick), 7:40. Crusaders 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 63 yards, 3:09. BSC – D. J. Albright 89-yard kickoff return (Zach Ford kick), 7:27. Tied 7–7. MHB – K. J. Miller 6-yard pass from Ryan Redding (Anthony Avila kick), 2:36. Crusaders 14–7. Drive: 10 plays, 64 yards, 4:44. Second quarter MHB – Kenneth Cormier 3-yard run (Anthony Avila kick), 7:15. Crusaders 21–7. Drive: 2 plays, 7 yards, 0:37. Third quarter MHB – Kenneth Cormier 1-yard run (Anthony Avila kick), 3:26. Crusaders 28–7. Drive: 7 plays, 55 yards, 3:04. Fourth quarter MHB – Brandon Jordan 63-yard pass from Ryan Redding (Anthony Avila kick), 13:30. Crusaders 35–7. Drive: 5 plays, 70 yards, 2:35. MHB – Aphonso Thomas 15-yard run (Anthony Avila kick), 7:01. Crusaders 42–7. Drive: 7 plays, 78 yards, 2:41.

Statistics	BSC	MHB
First downs	10	21
Total yards	243	450
Rushing yards	101	199
Passing yards	142	251
Turnovers	1	0
Time of possession	26:35	33:25

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Birmingham–Southern	Passing	Trey Patterson	11/23, 142 yards, INT
	Rushing	Robert Shufford	10 rushes, 60 yards
	Receiving	Race Marin	3 receptions, 56 yards
Mary Hardin–Baylor	Passing	Ryan Redding	14/23, 251 yards, 3 TD
	Rushing	Kenneth Cormier	16 rushes, 65 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Brandon Jordan	3 receptions, 101 yards, TD

No. 7 Linfield (Quarterfinal)

NCAA Division III Quarterfinal
No. 7 Linfield Wildcats at No. 2 Mary Hardin–Baylor Crusaders – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 7 Wildcats	3	7	7	7	24
No. 2 Crusaders	7	21	14	7	49

at Crusader Stadium, Belton, Texas

• Date: December 4
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Cloudy
• Game attendance: 0
• Referee: Jack Thorn
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter LIN – Andrew Starkel 21-yard field goal, 7:04. Wildcats 3–0. Drive: 14 plays, 60 yards, 6:26. MHB – Brenton Martin 58-yard pass from K. J. Miller (Anthony Avila kick), 2:18. Crusaders 7–3. Drive: 5 plays, 84 yards, 2:17. Second quarter MHB – Brandon Jordan 11-yard pass from Kyle King (Anthony Avila kick), 8:01. Crusaders 14–3. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 6:44. MHB – Brenton Martin 57-yard pass from Kyle King (Anthony Avila kick), 2:43. Crusaders 21–3. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:05. LIN – Connor McNabb 70-yard pass from Wyatt Smith (Andrew Starkel kick), 1:53. Crusaders 21–10. Drive: 2 plays, 75 yards, 0:49. MHB – Brandon Jordan 20-yard pass from Kyle King (Anthony Avila kick), 0:32. Crusaders 28–10. Drive: 5 plays, 70 yards, 1:13. Third quarter LIN – Joel Valadez 30-yard pass from Wyatt Smith (Andrew Starkel kick), 7:07. Crusaders 28–17. Drive: 6 plays, 65 yards, 2:45. MHB – K. J. Miller 15-yard pass from Kyle King (Anthony Avila kick), 4:18. Crusaders 35–17. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 2:49. MHB – Brandon Jordan 41-yard pass from Kyle King (Anthony Avila kick), 0:59. Crusaders 42–17. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 1:14. Fourth quarter LIN – Joel Valadez 10-yard pass from Wyatt Smith (Andrew Starkel kick), 12:37. Crusaders 42–24. Drive: 8 plays, 68 yards, 3:16. MHB – Gary Ruckman 4-yard pass from Kyle King (Anthony Avila kick), 3:05. Crusaders 49–24. Drive: 6 plays, 41 yards, 3:33.

Statistics	LIN	MHB
First downs	22	24
Total yards	472	538
Rushing yards	30	135
Passing yards	442	403
Turnovers	1	0
Time of possession	32:11	27:49

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Linfield	Passing	Wyatt Smith	42/51, 442 yards, 3 TD
	Rushing	Connor McNabb	11 rushes, 48 yards
	Receiving	Joel Valadez	13 receptions, 121 yards, 2 TD
Mary Hardin–Baylor	Passing	Kyle King	24/32, 345 yards, 6 TD
	Rushing	Aphonso Thomas	9 rushes, 60 yards
	Receiving	Brandon Jordan	7 receptions, 136 yards, 3 TD

At No. 3 Wisconsin–Whitewater (Semifinal)

NCAA Division III Semifinal
No. 2 Mary Hardin–Baylor Crusaders at No. 3 Wisconsin–Whitewater Warhawks – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 2 Crusaders	0	17	7	0	24
No. 3 Warhawks	0	7	0	0	7

at Forrest Perkins Stadium, Whitewater, Wisconsin

• Date: December 11
• Game time: 2:30 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Sunny, 36 °F (2 °C)
• Game attendance: 2,519
• Referee: Coady Adams
• TV: ESPN+
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter MHB – Brandon Jordan 9-yard pass from Kyle King (Anthony Avila kick), 13:00. Crusaders 7–0. Drive: 14 plays, 82 yards, 5:46. MHB – Brandon Jordan 9-yard pass from Kyle King (Anthony Avila kick), 9:46. Crusaders 14–0. Drive: 6 plays, 65 yards, 2:25. MHB – Anthony Avila 44-yard field goal, 6:01. Crusaders 17–0. Drive: 5 plays, 28 yards, 1:14. UWW – Tyler Holte 9-yard pass from Max Meylor (Matt Maldonado kick), 1:01. Crusaders 17–7. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 4:55. Third quarter MHB – Kenneth Cromier 1-yard run (Anthony Avila kick), 6:31. Crusaders 24–7. Drive: 11 plays, 76 yards, 4:37. Fourth quarter No scoring plays

Statistics	MHB	UWW
First downs	17	16
Total yards	378	271
Rushing yards	69	64
Passing yards	309	207
Turnovers	0	2
Time of possession	30:20	29:40

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Mary Hardin–Baylor	Passing	Kyle King	22/33, 309 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Aphonso Thomas	26 rushes, 79 yards
	Receiving	Brandon Jordan	11 receptions, 164 yards, 2 TD
Wisconsin–Whitewater	Passing	Max Meylor	23/32, 207 yards, TD, INT
	Rushing	Alex Peete	20 rushes, 43 yards
	Receiving	Tyler Holte	6 receptions, 91 yards, TD

Vs. No. 1 North Central (IL) (Stagg Bowl)

See also: 2021 Stagg Bowl

Stagg Bowl (NCAA Division III Championship)
No. 2 Mary Hardin–Baylor Crusaders vs. No. 1 North Central Tigers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 2 Crusaders	16	3	14	24	57
No. 1 Cardinals	7	10	0	7	24

at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Canton, Ohio

• Date: December 17
• Game time: 7:00 p.m. CST/8:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Cloudy, 38 °F (3 °C)
• Game attendance: 1,830
• Referee: Stuart Hindman
• TV: ESPNU
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter NCC – Deangelo Hardy 93-yard kickoff return (Tanner Rains kick), 14:48. Cardinals 7–0. MHB – Brandon Cunningham 32-yard field goal, 11:51. Cardinals 7–3. Drive: 6 plays, 62 yards, 2:53. MHB – Brandon Jordan 19-yard pass from Kyle King (kick failed), 9:39. Crusaders 9–7. Drive: 3 plays, 25 yards, 0:47. MHB – K. J. Miller 19-yard pass from Kyle King (Brandon Cunningham kick), 2:14. Crusaders 16–7. Drive: 6 plays, 83 yards, 3:04. Second quarter NCC – Ethan Greenfield 1-yard run (Tanner Rains kick), 5:32. Crusaders 16–14. Drive: 14 plays, 90 yards, 6:58. NCC – Tanner Rains 22-yard field goal, 2:05. Cardinals 17–16. Drive: 6 plays, 39 yards, 2:35. MHB – Brandon Cunningham 22-yard field goal, 0:00. Crusaders 19–17. Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 1:58. Third quarter MHB – Aphonso Thomas 15-yard run (Brandon Cunningham kick), 9:39. Crusaders 26–17. Drive: 12 plays, 81 yards, 5:13. MHB – Aphonso Thomas 3-yard run (Brandon Cunningham kick), 1:31. Crusaders 33–17. Drive: 10 plays, 91 yards, 4:55. Fourth quarter MHB – Brandon Cunningham 20-yard field goal, 14:49. Crusaders 36–17. Drive: 4 plays, 1 yard, 0:53. MHB – Kenneth Cormier 11-yard run (Brandon Cunningham kick), 10:10. Crusaders 43–17. Drive: 5 plays, 46 yards, 2:09. NCC – Blake Williams 30-yard pass from Luke Lehnen (Tanner Rains kick), 7:47. Crusaders 43–24. Drive: 7 plays, 71 yards, 2:19. MHB – Aaron Sims 37-yard pass from Kyle King (Brandon Cunningham kick), 6:01. Crusaders 50–24. Drive: 3 plays, 39 yards, 1:44. MHB – Brenton Martin 17-yard pass from Ryan Redding (Brandon Cunningham kick), 0:42. Crusaders 57–24. Drive: 6 plays, 53 yards, 3:16.

Statistics	MHB	NCC
First downs	28	18
Total yards	596	287
Rushing yards	133	85
Passing yards	463	202
Turnovers	2	4
Time of possession	28:48	31:12

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Mary Hardin–Baylor	Passing	Kyle King	22/29, 436 yards, 3 TD
	Rushing	Aphonso Thomas	13 rushes, 65 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Brenton Martin	9 receptions, 196 yards, TD
North Central	Passing	Luke Lehnen	18/27, 202 yards, TD, 3 INT
	Rushing	Ethan Greenfield	25 rushes, 124 yards, TD
	Receiving	Andrew Kamienski	8 receptions, 115 yards