I can't complain too much about a 50 point win, but this was a pretty underwhelming performance considering they were essentially playing against a bunch of traffic cones. This is the kind of opponent Fredenburg used to beat 84-0 with the 2nd and 3rd stringers playing the entire second half. Sadly we just aren't anywhere near that level anymore, and probably never will be again.

What I will complain a lot more about is the fact that university leadership expects us to play $30+ per month if we want to watch the games online, only to have us looking at a "technical difficulties" screen half the night. This might be the biggest and most insulting scam I've ever personally witnessed. Do better, UMHB,

Quote from: Patrick Coleman on September 21, 2026, 02:43:46 PMIf UMHB finishes with two losses, and Hardin-Simmons and Endicott finish undefeated, UMHB has an 81.6% chance of making the playoffs, according to Logan Hansen's season simulator.

https://hansenratings.com/simulation/2026/scenarios/

Wow, a lot better odds than I would have expected.

Still, lets win out and remove all doubt. Maybe get some home playoff games. I miss attending playoff games in November and December.

The season isn't over but there's no longer any room for error. It's 6-0 (vs D3 opponents) or bust from here on out. I can't see UMHB making the playoffs with two losses and no quality wins. I would have to think, or at least hope, that missing the playoffs for the third time in four years at a program that was a national power until just a few years ago (and still should be) would warrant a change at the top.

Harmon better be coaching for his job the rest of the season. One way or another, this needs to be the last year of the clown show we've been witnessing the past four years. This program is totally Harmon's product now. It's all his players, his methods, his culture, his discipline, and his decision making. Attempting a long FG on 4th & 2 in the opponent's territory with a terrible kicker was a borderline fireable offense.

Five years into Harmon's tenure there is zero excuse to still be losing games like this (with all due respect to Endicott), and quite possibly missing the playoffs for the third time in four years.

A better effort by the UMHB offense in the second half, but it still needs some work given the level of competition. Too sloppy and disjointed. The amount of turnovers was unacceptable.

The defense clearly has potential, but they will have to overcome the lack of discipline/bonehead penalties if they are ever going to be consistently great. Given that these shortcomings have been a trademark of Harmon's program since he took over, I'm not holding my breath.

On the bright side, the kick return game is elite. They are on par with the Miller/Sims combo during the glory years.

Also on the bright side, in national news, we may not have to put up with D3Fanboy coming around and trolling very often this year. Looks like his team has enough issues of their own.

On the not-so-bright side, FloSports is garbage. Nothing like paying $30 per month to watch amateur hour campus broadcasts (no game clock? seriously?), which we could have watched for free before, with a commercial breaks shoved into literally every momentary stoppage.

The Crusader offense has been an abomination in the first half. I'm sure the two straight weeks of long distance travel hasn't helped, but that's still no excuse for this level of ineptitude. Completely unprepared to play.

Quote from: CRULive1845 on September 04, 2026, 09:05:19 PM

Quote from: Crubacker on September 04, 2026, 02:47:51 PMUmhb having an offensive line that averages 300lbs, if they can't run the ball------something is seriously wrong!

Offensively that's what stood out most to me as well. No consistent running game. That can't happen over the course of the season with a line that size if the CRU is fixing to make another run this year.

Overall lots to clean up but at first glance (against a quality opponent) we have a promising squad that looks like they could so something special.

I agree with all of this.

There was plenty of sloppiness to get cleaned up, but most of the issues I saw tonight are fixable. Hopefully that applies to the running game as well.

Overall, I can't complain about a 21 point win against a solid opponent on a long road trip. It appears, admittedly based on a very small sample, that we're better off at QB than we've been since King left (yes, that's a low bar), and he has some explosive guys to throw to. The defense also looked pretty solid after a rough start, but they need to improve the tackling, and maintain their intensity after getting a solid lead rather than letting up like they did after taking the 28-7 lead.

Overall, I'm excited to see what they can do this year.

I'm assuming a roster will be released at some point this season.

Looks like Hardin-Simmons has also accepted the Clutch City challenge for their September 19 opponent.

HSU Schedule

Quote from: Hawks88 on July 24, 2026, 01:37:13 PM

Quote from: UMHB03 on July 08, 2026, 06:25:04 PMHoward Payne finally found their 10th opponent. Something called Clutch City Preparatory, which I assume is who you're forced to call when Westgate Christian doesn't have any open dates. 

HPU Football Schedule

Clutch City is part of something called National Junior College Prep football league that is starting this season. I'm having trouble figuring out if there are any actual schools involved.
There's an entry from Alabama named Alabama Rays based in Gulf Shores, AL that just had 8 players arrested, so they're off to an inauspicious start.

https://www.fox10tv.com/2026/07/23/gulf-shores-police-arrest-8-teens-after-reported-armed-robbery/

Yeah, if they're having to prep for junior college, I can't imagine we're dealing with many elite scholars.

Quote from: crufootball on July 17, 2026, 10:40:53 AM

Quote from: tigerguy on July 16, 2026, 10:54:17 PM

Quote from: MCScots2013 on July 15, 2026, 03:37:26 PMTrinity, Berry and Centre (along with Maryville in our last USAC year) made the playoffs in 2024, so it's possible you could see a Trinity-added ASC getting 3 playoff teams due to NPI.  The SAA did it.

Trinity would only join ASC as an absolute last option, but it's become more plausible as a scenario faster than I expected it would. Funny enough, wouldn't Trinity joining the ASC finally resolve the Texas island gauntlet in the playoffs? At least for the first round - since (assuming all three top teams get bids) they'd trigger the NCAA's no first round matchup rule for same conference opponents? There might be an exception to that (something like they can't do it, unless economics aren't workable or some bs), but I can't remember and I'm too lazy to go look.

It would most likely prevent a rematch of those three but now that the SCAC will have a bid, it would be shocking if AC, TLU or Southwestern wins that they would not be paired with the ASC champion as quickly as possible.

I'd be fine with that. I just hated it back in the days when we'd have a conference rematch in the first round almost every year.

Quote from: Mavchamp on July 11, 2026, 02:44:47 PM

Quote from: crufootball on July 11, 2026, 10:38:04 AM

Quote from: Mavchamp on July 09, 2026, 08:37:45 PM

Quote from: MCScots2013 on July 09, 2026, 07:50:27 PMI think the issue at hand is the total number for the SCAC when accounting for non-football schools. Unless they want to be the D3 SEC with 16 schools, the total number is  getting big. Someone needs to try to make that SCAC move asap because they shut that door. I think the ODAC has 14 schools (not checking their website), so I guess there is Region 3 precedence.

But, yeah...if ex-D3's came back it could help a lot.

Call me a pessimist....but I think the ASC on life support again when this 10 year "deal" is done.

All six members should be thinking long-term if they are wise.

The good news:  Necessity may force them together long term....even if they don't like it.

There's always a chance that the SCAC will have no interest in taking McMurry and Schreiner back in 10 years.  If that's the case...both could be stuck with the ASC unless they look else where.

Trinity may not want the ASC..... and the ASC may not want Trinity.  But.... they may have to live with each other.

HSU and UMHB may not want to move to D2...but if they ASC falls apart.... will they have any options?

And HPU and ETBU have got to decide if they remain faithful to the Baptist Four or if they decide to go every many for themselves and start looking at SCAC, D2 or NAIA.

And like mentioned....Sul Ross coming back could be huge....even if it's a long shot.

Recruiting the Sooner Conference

But it could be interesting..... all the talk of life support in 10 years (and it's still very real).... but the ASC could end up being an alliance of the unwanted and unwilling if the SCAC say thanks but no thanks to everyone.

Trinity
UMHB
HSU
ETBU
HPU
McMurry
Schreiner


A conference that hardly anyone would be happy about being in....but survives due to necessity. 

Recent history seems to scream that long-term in college football is 5 years at most so I would say that the ASC members will happily take a 10 year deal that hasn't even started yet. Now could something happen in that 10 years that makes the deal invalid, of course, but until then it would seem that all of the members have looked around and said this is the best option presented to them.

True.....I guess this is as good as it can get when you have two conferences that have absolutely no interest in working together to create some stability.

It'll be interesting to see if Trinity considers the ASC in the near future...and would the ASC even be interested.

After a season where one team is playing a 9-game schedule and another had to resort to playing Clutch City Prep, I can't imagine that the ASC wouldn't be interested. Trinity has an excellent athletics program and would be a great addition to the conference if they decide they're interested.

Howard Payne finally found their 10th opponent. Something called Clutch City Preparatory, which I assume is who you're forced to call when Westgate Christian doesn't have any open dates. 

HPU Football Schedule

Quote from: Patrick Coleman on June 23, 2026, 03:42:42 PMHardin-Simmons schedule drops:
https://www.d3football.com/teams/Hardin-Simmons/2026/index

We had done some speculation about it in the mailbag segment on the pod which dropped today:
https://www.d3blogs.com/d3football/2026/06/23/atn-podcast-410-polar-bears-in-ireland-new-coach-in-dc-preseason-thoughts/

Wow, looks like they never were able to find a 10th opponent.

Quote from: The Third Division on June 12, 2026, 01:53:35 PMEither hardin simmons is gonna drop a schedule soon or we're just gonna assume they won't be playing football this fall.

Howard Payne still hasn't released theirs either, unless I missed it. Nobody understands the difficulty of finding non-conference opponents in our region better than UMHB fans, but not having a schedule out less than 90 days before the season kicks off is pretty wild.