SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The 16th-ranked Evangel football team enters Heart South Division play Saturday against 5th-ranked Benedictine in the Heart Conference Game of the Week.
SERIES HISTORY
Benedictine leads the all-time series 21-15, however, the Crusaders knocked off the Ravens 28-21 in Ozark last season to snap a five-game losing streak. Evangel trails by a slim 9-8 margin in home games against the Ravens, who hold a commanding 12-6 mark in Atchison, Kansas.
OPENING STORYLINES
► The No. 16 Evangel football team begins Heart South Division action Saturday against last year's North Division Champion 5th-ranked Benedictine. Both teams enter this year as members of the South with records of 5-1.
► Evangel knocked off Benedictine 28-21 last year as the Crusaders started the season 8-0. The Ravens rallied after the loss to win 11 straight games and earn a berth in the NAIA National Championship game where they fell to Morningside, 35-28.
► Evangel continues to hold one of the nation's top defenses ranking fourth in total defense at 223 ypg and sixth in scoring defense. The Crusaders are allowing just 11.2 points per game this season.
► Sophomore Anthanie Leeviraphan continues to lead the nation in interceptions with five, while teammate and senior Andrew Poppen ranks second with four interceptions.
► Senior linebacker Sam Morton (Strafford, Mo.) continues to produce a stellar season leading Evangel in sacks and tackles. Morton also ranks sixth nationally with 13 tackles for a loss and 24th in total sacks.
► Senior quarterback Cameron Hardesty crossed the 4,000-yard mark for his career on Saturday. Hardesty is fifth all-time at Evangel with 4,065 yards and sits behind Andrew Brimhall (2010-13) with 5,905 yards in fourth. Hardesty is also one touchdown pass away from tying Brimhall for most passing touchdowns all-time with 42.
► As the Evangel defense ranks near the top of the NAIA in scoring defense, they will be tasked with stopping one of the nation's highest-scoring offenses. Benedictine leads the Heart and ranks fifth nationally in scoring at 45.5 points per game.
► Senior defensive back Dalton Taylor (Strafford, Mo.) blocked the sixth kick of his career at Grand View, stopping a second-quarter field goal. Taylor now sits one behind the all-time leader at Evangel Daryl Dollar (95-98), who blocked seven during his career.
► New to the 2019 season, fans can purchase tickets online at www.EUAthletics.com/Tickets. Tickets can either be presented by a smartphone at the gate or by printing the ticket from an email and having it scanned at the gate.
► Download the new Heart Conference Network App for AppleTV, Amazon, or Roku and watch Evangel football games on your smart TV or smart streaming device. All Evangel home games are streaming online at www.EvangelAthletics.com/Watch and are compatible with smartphones.
LOOKING AHEAD
Evangel continues the gauntlet that is the Heart South Division next Saturday at MidAmerica Nazarene. Kickoff against the 23rd-ranked Pioneers is scheduled for 2 p.m. in Olathe, Kansas.
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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