Sophomore Kyle Noack, however, will start the Crusaders’ season opener Saturday against Southern Nazarene (Okla.) while Saenz serves a one-game suspension for a previous infraction of team rules.
“Josh has known for a while that he was going to serve this one-week suspension, but we made sure all through camp that all the quarterbacks were able to compete for the job,” UMHB coach Pete Fredenburg said Monday during his first weekly press conference of the season. “But Josh would have been the starter this week.”
The Crusaders, ranked No. 4 in NCAA Division III, were destined to give somebody their first collegiate start at QB either way following the graduation of three-year starter Josh Welch.
Saenz threw for 399 yards and three touchdowns, and rushed for 240 yards and three scores last season as Welch’s backup.
Noack appeared in one varsity game last year without a pass attempt or a carry. He will be backed up by junior Baylor transfer Matt Hurst on Saturday.
“We will ultimately move Matt to running back more and more as the season goes on,” Fredenburg said. “But for this game, we knew that Josh would be unavailable so we moved Matt to quarterback as the backup.”
Sophomore Luke Howard - who was 0-for-2 in his lone, appearance last season - will be the emergency QB.
The last time the Crusaders entered a season without an experienced starter under center was in 2004, when then-freshman Welch was outdueled during camp by sophomore Andy Padron for the starting job. That year ended with the Crusaders’ appearance in the national title game.
Sooners are later
When the Crusaders host the Crimson Storm (2-0) at 6 p.m. Saturday at Tiger Field, it will be the first time in the 11-year history of UMHB’s program that it has faced an opponent from Oklahoma.
Southern Nazarene calls Bethany, Okla., home, making The Sooner State the 10th state from which UMHB opponents have hailed. The Crusaders have already faced teams from Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Oregon, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Ohio and Wisconsin.
On the move
Several UMHB players have changed positions since the end of last season. The most noticeable moves involve senior Adam Aguilera (tight end to defensive end), and juniors Bryson Tucker (strong safety to linebacker) and Kirsten Leverett (defensive back to wide receiver).
Changing of the guard
Dr. Jerry Bawcom - UMHB’s president since 1991 and a staunch supporter of athletics - announced late last month that he will step down at the end of academic year, and Fredenburg, for one, will hate to see him go.
“I’m very sad that Dr. Bawcom is retiring because he is a wonderful person,” said Fredenburg, the only head football coach the Crusaders have ever had. “He has been very involved with our program and with this school’s athletic program, overall.
“He ultimately had the last word in hiring me. But more than just being my boss, he’s been a very big supporter and a good friend. And no matter who they bring in, it’s not going to be Dr. Bawcom.”
Around the ASC
UMHB and Howard Payne were the only American Southwest Conference teams that did not play last weekend.
Flying high after receiving a preseason rank of No. 25, Mississippi College fizzled, suffering a 42-6 thrashing at the hands of Millsaps (Miss.). The Choctaws will try to bounce back this week against Cumberlands (Ky.).
In other games last Saturday: Hardin-Simmons rallied from a 21-0 deficit to defeat Wisconsin-La Crosse 24-23; Louisiana College edged Bacone (Okla.) 17-16; McMurry was flattened by Trinity 48-18; East Texas Baptist fell to No. 7 St. John’s (Minn.) 29-15; and the non-conference battle between fellow ASC members Texas Lutheran and Sul Ross State went TLU’s way 34-27 in overtime.
In this week’s other games: Howard Payne opens at home against Texas College; HSU hosts Linfield (Ore.); McMurry visits Austin College; LC hosts Rhodes (Tenn.); Sul Ross is at home against Southwest Assemblies of God; and TLU hosts Trinity.
