MARSHALL, Texas – Facing their second ranked opponent this season, East Texas Baptist University will take on #4 University of Mary Hardin-Baylor at Ornelas Stadium on Saturday. It will be the 23^rd meeting between the two programs as ETBU comes in a 2-2 and 2-1 in the ASC.
 
UMHB is the reigning NCAA Division III National Champions but under new leadership this season as head coach Pete Fredenburg retired in January after starting the program in 1997. Longtime assistant coach Larry Harmon was named the new head coach and is currently 4-1 and 2-0 in the ASC.
 
ETBU head coach Brian Mayper says, "They have been conference champs for a long time. We are excited to play them. They are a great team. They are physical. They are big and they are going to get after it."
 
UMHB has dominated the series as ETBU has won only once coming in 2003 when they tied for the ASC Championship. ETBU has never won at home as the last meeting in spring 2021 in Marshall was the closest contest since their win in 2003. UMHB had to kick a last second field with just over a minute to play to take the spring game, 30-28. Last year in Belton, UMHB won 34-14.
 
Coming into the game, ETBU is 2-1 in the ASC after a 31-10 win over Southwestern University in their first home game of the year. After falling behind in the first quarter, 10-7, ETBU reeled off 24 points and shut out Southwestern the rest of the way for their second ASC win.
 
"It was nice to have the fans in the stands and a packed house for family day. It was a great atmosphere and a great win to have," says Mayper.
 
The defense had another great performance with four sacks and two interceptions and are allowing 23.3 points per game. They are second in the nation in team sacks per game at 4.75. Jahkamian Carr led the team with two sacks while Joey Johnson was named the ASC Defensive Player of the Week with 10 tackles.
 
ETBU also posted three rushing touchdowns by three different players. Melek Hamilton scored first on a five-yard run in the first quarter to make it 7-3. In the fourth quarter, Kylon Ashton pushed in from one-yard out and then Cornelius Banks ran up the middle 34-yards for the final score of the game. ETBU finished with a season best 161 yards rushing.
 
The game will start at 1:00 p.m. in Ornelas Stadium as ETBU faces the Crusaders for the 23^rd time.
 

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TEAM NOTES 
FULL OF SACKS
The defensive line has been tearing up other teams this year recording 19 sacks. They have a season best nine sacks vs. McMurry which was one shy of the team record. They are currently second in the nation in team sacks at 4.75 per game behind Linfield's 5.00 and fifth in sacks overall.
 
Both Cameron Kaufert and Christian Booker are ranked in the nation for sacks, too. Kaufert is 20^th at 1.2 sacks per game with six on the year. Booker is 26^th with four sacks at 1.00 per game.
 
NCAA Stats
ETBU is 2^nd in the nation for team sacks per game at 4.75 behind Linfield's 5.00
ETBU is 5^th in the nation with 19 sacks overall
ETBU is 4^th in nation for team tackles for loss at 10.5 per game with 45 total yards for loss
ETBU is 23^rd in passes intercepted with seven
Cameron Kaufert is 20^th in the nation in sacks at 6 total sacks at 1.20 per game
Christian Booker is 26^th in the nation in sacks at 4 total sacks and 1.00 per game
 
OH BOY, O'BRYANT
Senior Caleb O'Bryant had his third career 100-yard receiving game with six receptions for 104 yards vs. Southwestern. His career high is 150 yards vs. Texas Lutheran in the COVID-19 Spring season. He then had 124 yards vs. Belhaven on November 13 last year. Overall, he has 668 career yards receiving in 16 games at ETBU.
 
JOE KNOWS TACKLING
Sophomore Joey Johnson continues his defensive pressure as a linebacker earning his second ASC Defensive Player of the Week this year and third in his career. He finished with 10 tackles vs. Southwestern and half a sack. This is the third time he has posted 10+ tackles as the made a career-high 15 vs. Austin College (10/23/21) and 13 vs. Texas Lutheran (10/20/21) in his first season last year. He currently has 103 career tackles with 73 last year which was second in the ASC.
 
REVVING UP THE CARR
Sophomore Jahkamian Carr continues to be impressive on the defensive line. Last week he collected a career high two sacks for nine yards against Southwestern. That puts him at three on year and 7.5 for his career. Last year he had 4.5 sacks for 49 yards. His three sacks is third on the team behind Christian Booker's four and Cameron Kaufert's 3.5.  

HOT HANDS
The defense continues to shine in the secondary as two more interceptions took place vs. Southwestern. Robert Williams record his third career pick as he had two last year – one vs. Howard Payne and the other vs. Sul Ross State. ETBU also had another pick by Deomondre Williams.
 
PIAZZA HAS PIZZAZZ
Sophomore Christian Piazza had a career day vs. Southwestern recording his first-ever made field goal. It didn't start that way as he missed a 21-yard attempt earlier in the game off the upright. It wasn't until the 13:23 mark in the third quarter that he nailed a 40-yard field goal to make it 17-10. That marked his first career and longest field.