Gents Set To Face McMurry University At Home On Saturday
The Centenary football team is home for the second week in a row as the Gents will face the McMurry University War Hawks on Saturday in a Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference contest set for 5 p.m. at Atkins Field.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
McMurry
(4-1)
|
6 | 8 | 14 | 0 | 28 |
|
Centenary (La.)
(2-4)
|
3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
Shreveport – The Centenary football team is home for the second week in a row as the Gents will face the McMurry University War Hawks on Saturday in a Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference contest set for 5 p.m. at Atkins Field.
Live stats and live video are available for the game at the links below:
STATS: https://www.gocentenary.com/sports/fball/2024-25/boxscores/20241012_pcov.xml
VIDEO: https://www.ktalnews.com/gocentenarywatch-live-centenary-college-sports-2024-2025
The Gents (2-3, 2-1 SCAC) defeated the Lyon College Scots by a score of 35-14 in a SCAC contest last Saturday at home as they were back on their home field for the first time in nearly a month and made the most of it against the Scots as Centenary improved to 1-1 at home. The War Hawks (3-1, 3-0 SCAC) defeated Austin College 34-9 last Saturday on the road.
"It's great to be home for the second week in a row," said Centenary head coach Byron Dawson.
"We need to build on last week's success and learn from our mistakes. We face a tough challenge against a talented and well-coached McMurry team. Our goal remains the same: to continue mastering the fundamentals and playing together as a team. We need the Centenary community to pack Atkins Field on Saturday, loud and proud. Now We Go!"
Centenary's impressive all-around performance produced three individual awards from the conference and on the national stage as sophomore LB/P/PK Vance Feuerbacher (Plano, Texas) was named to the D3football.com Team of the Week on Tuesday and named the SCAC Football Defensive Player of the Week on Monday. Junior QB Zin'Tavious Smith (Coushatta, La.) was named the SCAC Football Offensive Player of the Week as he helped the Gents produce a season-high 443 yards of total offense, gaining over 200 yards on the ground and through the air as they topped 30 points for the second time this season.
Feuerbacher had a stellar night on Saturday as he led the team in tackles with 10 solo tackles (13 total tackles). The sophomore also had a 32-yard interception return for a touchdown and had one pass breakup. Feuerbacher also handled both kicking and punting duties as he was 5-5 on PAT's, punted twice for 68 yards, and kicked off six times for an average of 54.8 yards with one touchback.
Smith had a big night as he threw for 219 yards and four touchdowns and rushed 12 times for 72 yards. He was 10-14 passing and threw an 83-yard TD pass for the Gents' longest offensive play of the season.
After Lyon scored on its first drive of the game, the Gents then owned the next three and a half quarters as they scored the game's next 28 points to take a three-TD lead until the Scots scored with 9:31 left in the game to make it 28-14. Centenary put an exclamation point on the victory on a 32-yard interception return for a TD by Feuerbacher with 2:45 left in the game to make it 35-14.
The Scots led 7-0 after one quarter but the Gents' defense shut them out in the second and scored a pair of TDs to take a 14-7 lead into the halftime locker room. Junior WR Kobe Chambers (Greenwood, Miss.) caught a beautiful TD pass from Smith in the corner of the end zone at the 11:11 mark of the second period and Feuerbacher's PAT tied it to cap a 7-play, 81-yard drive which covered 2:55.
The Gents' defense came up big on the Scots' next possession. On second down, Lyon fumbled but recovered. However, on the next play, Johnson was intercepted by freshman DB Delarrious Marshall (Shreveport, La.) as he returned it 13 yards. Four plays and 62 yards later, the Gents were back in the end zone as Smith lofted another well-thrown ball to sophomore WR Devin Ardoin (Mamou, La.) for a 10-yard score and Feuerbacher's PAT made it 14-7 with 7:16 left in the second quarter.
Lyon then drove 36 yards over nine plays on its next possession but it ended with a 46-yard missed Field goal attempt by Romero-Castillo. But, the Gents gave the ball right back as junior RB Bobby Shanklin Jr. (Macon, Miss.) fumbled on a third-down carry and the Scots' Jacob Hutto recovered. The Gents' stingy defense made sure that the turnover did not hurt as they stopped Johnson well short of the marker on a fourth-down carry to force a TO on downs. Centenary gained just four yards on five plays on its next drive as the first half clock ran out.
Centenary started the second half with a bang as Smith hit a wide-open sophomore WR Byron Stewart (Geismar, La.) at the 40-yard line on its second play of the drive and he raced 83 yards to the end zone. Feuerbacher's PAT made it 21-7 on Centenary's longest offensive play of the season.
The Gents' defense limited the Scots to just 57 yards on their next two possessions and then Smith and Ardoin connected again, this time on an eight-yard score with 53 seconds left in the third and the Feuerbacher PAT made it 28-7. Jaylin Babers' one-yard TD run capped a 12-play, 60-yard drive at the 9:31 mark of the final quarter for the Scots' first points since their first possession of the game. Lyon blocked Feuerbacher's 23-yard FG attempt on the Gents' next drive, but Feuerbacher got his revenge as he picked off Lyon backup quarterback Joe Galay's pass on a fourth down play and cruised 32 yards to the end zone. His PAT was good and made it 35-14 with 2:45 left in the game.
The Gents had 20 first downs, rushed 41 times for 215 yards and passes for 228 yards. Centenary's defense held Lyon to just 263 total yards, forced three punts, and came up with a pair of interceptions.
Centenary averages 307.2 yards per game of total offense this season (185.8 passing and 121.4 rushing) and is averaging 21.4 points per game. The Gents' defense has 11 sacks, 25 tackles for loss, six fumble recoveries, and five interceptions.
Gents' Individual Season Statistical Leaders
PASSING: Smith – 25-45 for 344 yards and 5 TD, 2 INT
RECEIVING: Junior WR Kobe Chambers (Greenwood, Miss.) – 24 catches for 301 yards and 2 TD
RUSHING: Smith 37 attempts for 259 yards and 2 TD
TACKLES: Sophomore DL D'Qavion Lemons (Shreveport, La.) and sophomore LB Devon Strickland (Shreveport, La.) – 25 total tackles each
SCOUTING THE WARK HAWKS:
McMurry was selected to finish atop the conference standings and take home the 2024 league title in the preseason poll conducted by the league's head coaches.
The War Hawks were the unanimous choice to finish atop the conference, earning 25 points in the balloting and all five first-place votes.
The McMurry head coach is Jordan Neal.
The War Hawks returned 14 all-conference players from last season's squad that ended the season on a four-game winning streak and an overall mark of 6-4, the most single-season wins by the program since 2012.
McMurry lost its season opener at Southwestern University 24-20 but has gone on a three-game winning streak since with wins over Lyon (48-6), Texas Lutheran University (31-10) and against the 'Roos last weekend.
McMurry's defense owns seven INT's and has six fumble recoveries. The War Hawks have 21 tackles for loss and eight sacks.
The War Hawks average 355.3 yards per game on offense (276.5 passing and 78.8 rushing) and are averaging 33.3 PPG.
McMurry's leading passer is QB Jess Hoel (83-121 for 1,040 yards with 11 TD and 1 INT), leading rusher is Hoel (38 attempts for 104 yards and two TD), and the team leader in receiving is Kristopher Martin (24 catches for 345 yards and two TD). Kane Strohman is McMurry's leading tackler with 32 total tackles and has right tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks.
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO:
Parking
- Student, faculty, and staff must park on the north side of Kings Hwy.
- Handicap parking will be available in Lot 17
- Lot 16 will be reserved for those who purchased a VIP pass.
- Lot 18, the gravel lot, and the Porter's Building parking lot will be open parking. Once that area is full, the lots and turn off from Kings Hwy will be closed and people will be directed to park on the north side of Kings Hwy. There will be limited cart service once this lot closes.
Tickets
Tickets can only be purchased online anytime or on game day upon arrival at the stadium on your mobile device. All tickets are digital, there are no physical (paper) tickets. Tickets can be purchased online anytime at centenary.edu/footballtickets or https://fan.hudl.com/usa/la/shreveport/organization/69826/centenary-college-of/tickets
Bags
At the point of entry, please be prepared to have your bag checked, or bring a clear bag.
Other info
- Gates open at 3:30 p.m.
- No pets, lawn chairs, or outside food and beverage are allowed inside the stadium.
See the complete Gents' season schedule here: https://www.gocentenary.com/sports/fball/2024-25/schedule
#GoCentenary #CTheOpportunity
Team Stats
McMurry
| Game Statistics | McMurry | Centenary (La.) |
|---|---|---|
| Passing Yards | 251 | 205 |
| Rushing Yards | 100 | -8 |
| Turnovers | 4 | 3 |
| Time of Poss. | 29:21 | 30:39 |
