Belton (November 8, 2012) -- The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor football team will close out the 2012 regular season with a 1:00 PM kickoff against Mississippi College this Saturday at Tiger Field. The 2nd-ranked Cru can clinch an out-right American Southwest Conference Championship and post a third consecutive undefeated regular season with a victory over the Choctaws (2-7, 1-5 ASC). UMHB (9-0, 6-0 ASC) has already locked up a playoff berth and at least a share of an eighth straight league title, but that doesn’t mean the Cru is looking past Saturday’s game, especially since it comes against the last team to defeat UMHB in a regular season contest. Mississippi College topped UMHB 17-14 back on October 17, 2009, snapping the Cru’s 33-game ASC winning streak in the process. That loss came in LiDarral Bailey’s first collegiate start at quarterback and the senior’s development and play are big reasons that UMHB has won 33 straight regular season games since that loss.

“I don’t think I will ever forget the feeling we had on the field after that loss and I am sure that our players will be reminded of that by our seniors this week,” Cru head coach Pete Fredenburg said. “We still have so much to play for and several goals still ahead of us. We can’t reach those if we look past this game to the playoffs and our players understand that.”

The Cru has also won 25 straight ASC games and 58 of its last 59 conference contests. UMHB can likely lock up a #1 seed in the postseason with a win on Saturday. It will also be Military Appreciation Day with several events planned to honor servicemen and women.