SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The 6th-ranked Evangel football team returns to Tiger Stadium Saturday to open Heart South Division play against Central Methodist.
SERIES HISTORY
The Crusaders and Eagles have played in the second longest series in Evangel history with Saturday's 35th all-time meeting. Evangel holds a 27-6 advantage over CMU and has won the last two meetings holding off Eagle comebacks in each win including a 41-28 victory last year in Fayette, Missouri, and two years ago, 30-28, when a blocked kick helped preserve a Homecoming win for the Crusaders. The series also boasts the second highest scoring game in Evangel history, a 70-17 win for Evangel on the road in 1999.
OPENING STORYLINES
► The 6th-ranked Evangel football jumped two spots in the NAIA Coaches Top and return home to host Central Methodist in the first Heart South Division game of the season. The Crusaders move to No. 6 for the highest regular-season ranking since the 2003 season.
► The Crusaders sit at 7-0 for the first time since the 2001 season when Evangel ran the table going 10-0 during the regular season. Evangel finished the year 11-1 after a second-round playoff loss to conference foe Benedictine ended the Crusaders season. It marks the fifth time in program history the Crusaders have started 7-0 joining the 2001, 1997, 1996, and 1988 teams.
► Junior defensive tackle,
Andreas Moeller earned Heart Defensive Player of the Week honors after tying a school record with four sacks against Graceland. Moeller leads the league in sacks and tackles for a loss and also ranks fourth nationally in sacks while leading NAIA with 17 tackles for a loss.
► After throwing for 290 yards in Saturday's win,
Cameron Hardesty ranks 10th all-time at Evangel in passing yards with 2,925 yards. Hardesty passed Doug Miolen (88-90) who is now 11th. The Norman, Oklahoma, native also ranks 5th all-time with 31 total touchdowns, 6th in passing touchdowns, and 4th with 407 completions.
► Defensively, the Crusaders rank among the nation's leaders ranking third with 25.5 sacks as a team and 10th allowing just 101 yards per game rushing. Evangel also ranks 13th in scoring defense holding opponents to 15.9 points per game.
► Sophomore running back,
Darrius Lee ranks fifth in the Heart averaging 81.4 yards per game. Lee also rushed for a score and now has six touchdowns on the ground and one through the air.
► Receivers,
Dallas Hester and
Brady Collier continue to build impressive season and career numbers. Hester caught his first touchdown of the season while Collier caught his third giving both 14 for their career, ranking 10th most at Evangel. Hester also ranks third with 136 career catches and 7th with 2,156 yards, while Collier broke into the top 10 with his 118th career reception.
► Evangel continues its hot starts after scoring on the opening drive Saturday, the Crusaders have now scored on its opening drive in the three games. Also in the first quarter, Evangel is outscoring its opponents 54-28 and in the third quarter as well by an impressive 49-3 margin.
LOOKING AHEAD
Evangel welcome MidAmerica Nazarene to Tiger Stadium next week as the Crusaders host the Pioneers for Homecoming. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. in Ozark.
For the latest information on Evangel Athletics, follow the Crusaders on Facebook at Facebook.com/EUAthletics or go to www.EvangelAthletics.com. Fans can also receive updates on the team by downloading the Go Evangel Front Row App at EvangelAthletics.com/FrontRow available on Google Play and in the App Store.
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