Belton, TX – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor football team finally kicks off the 2007 season on Saturday with a match-up of top 15 teams as the 4th-ranked Cru plays host to 12th-ranked Christopher Newport University for a 6:00 PM kickoff on Saturday at Tiger Field. UMHB returns to action for the first time since falling to Wesley College in the NCAA Division III National Quarterfinals last December. The Captains (1-0) are coming off a 23-17 victory over 10th-ranked Rowan University last Saturday and CNU also topped the Cru 15-10 in UMHB’s season opener last season in Virginia.

“You are always nervous about playing your first game,” Cru head coach Pete Fredenburg said. “We will be playing a team with a lot of momentum and a game under their belts. I feel good about our team and the way they have prepared, going all the way back to last spring. We should be ready to go, especially knowing that we are playing a very good Christopher Newport team and in light of the way things went when we played out there last year.”

The Cru returns 10 offensive starters and six defensive starters from a team that finished 10-3 overall and won the American Southwest Conference with an 8-0 league record last season. UMHB has won or shared four of the last five ASC titles and has qualified for the NCAA postseason in five of the last six seasons. UMHB is also kicking off its 10th season of football with Saturday’s game. The Cru has posted a 75-25 overall record through the first nine seasons of UMHB football.