By Jackson Keenan, Sports Editor
With Hardin-Simmons beating Austin College, the Crusaders will not make the National Tournament for the first time since 2003 and the first time they have lost four games or more since 1999.
Under second year head coach Larry Harmon the Crusaders looked to be one of the best teams in the nation, ranked No. 3 in the D3football.com preseason Top 25.
However the season did not go as planned with the Crusaders dropping the first three games in rough fashion. There was some hope with the Cru going toe-to-toe with No. 4 Wisconsin-Whitewater but ended up losing 14-17.
One of the biggest problems within all three games were turnovers. The Crusaders turned the ball over via fumble or interception eight times through the first three games.
Some other issues were the rushing attack only gaining 217 net yards in the three non-conference games. Another was at the quarterback position with the first string and second string quarterbacks going down with injuries in the first game. This thrust Sophomore Isaac Phe into the starting role.
One thing that was apparent after the first three games was that the Crusaders needed to win the ASC to avoid missing the postseason.
The Cru would then go on a hot streak going 4-0 and 3-0 in conference. The Cru would score a total of 191 points while only giving up 57 points.
Key factors for the Crusaders in this slate of games was Phe, who stepped up to the role and started to shine under center. Phe would throw for 718 yards, 12 touchdowns and, more importantly, zero interceptions. The rushing attack would also find its legs rushing for 829 yards within this stretch of games. Another big factor was the defense, especially in the turnover department, intercepting the quarterback seven times within four games.
The Crusaders went into the big rivalry game against the Cowboys with a full head of steam but was stopped short losing to the Cowboys 24-14. On paper the Crusader offense and defense played well with offense gaining 403 yards of offense while the defensive only gave up 273 yards.
However the special teams really struggled with the Cru missing two field goals as well as muffing a punt which led to a Cowboy touchdown. Another major issue was penalties, with the Crusaders giving up 113 yards off of costly penalties. This, plus a late interception from Phe, saw the Crusader playoff dreams turn to dust as the Cowboys escaped with the win and the ability to control their own destiny to win the ASC.
The Cowboys would then clinch the ASC title with a win over Austin College. The Cru did show out for their senior day, beating East Texas Baptist University 21-12 to push their record to 5-4.
Even though Cru football came up short of their lofty goals this season, there is still plenty of hope for next year, with Phe hopefully returning under center as well as the majority of the team’s offensive and defensive lineups.
