Butch Henderson loves playing home games, and his Wayland Baptist Pioneers will do it for the last time this season on Saturday afternoon against McMurry University.
"Wayland people are wonderful," Henderson said of playing in front of home crowds at Greg Sherwood Memorial Bulldog Stadium. "It's just neat to be at home."
As much as Henderson enjoys playing games at Greg Sherwood Memorial Bulldog Stadium, the WBU head football coach likes winning even more.
"It doesn't matter where (the game) is," Henderson said, "as long as we get to put it over in the left-hand (win) column instead of the right-hand (loss) column."
That won't be an easy task for the Pioneers (0-8) on Saturday, even though they face a team that's won only one more game than Wayland has. McMurry's War Hawks may be 1-8 on the season, but Henderson knows the team from Abilene that's in the process of moving into NCAA Division II's Lone Star Conference will be a formidable opponent.
"They're competing very well," he said.
They're also scoring – as well as giving up – lots of points.
McMurry is recording an average of 35 points a game while allowing opponents a whopping 56 points, which makes for an average per-game total of 91. In any of their eight losses, the War Hawks haven't held any opposing offense to under 47 points, including giving up 90 to West Texas A&M two weeks ago.
Henderson points to the quality of competition as the main reason McMurry has struggled.
"They're playing all of those Lone Star Conference schools," he said.
In addition to WTAMU, the War Hawks also have faced LSC members Texas A&M-Kingsville (52-32), Angelo State (48-35), Midwestern State (66-20) and Texas A&M-Commerce (65-43). McMurry's other losses have come to NCAA Division I convert Abilene Christian (60-17) and last week to Incarnate Word (47-43).
The one time McMurry held an opponent under 47 points was in its lone win, 53-27 over Oklahoma Panhandle State six games ago, a week before Wayland lost to the Aggies, 62-21.
While McMurry has a new head coach this season in Mason Miller, the team's former offensive coordinator who took over after Hal Mumme's departure, Henderson said the War Hawks do the same things they did last year when McMurry defeated Wayland, 76-13. Mostly, that means putting the ball in the air.
"They still run that spread offense and throw the football," Henderson said. "I don't know if we've played another team that throws it as much as they do. They're very talented."
McMurry exploded for 792 total yards in last year's game against Wayland, including almost 600 yards and six touchdowns in the air.
Leading the War Hawks' attack is Gabe Rodriguez, a freshman from Amarillo High School who in nine games has thrown for 2,363 yards with 31 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Rodriguez has completed almost 60 percent (199-of-334) of his passes.
McMurry's leading receivers are juniors Greg Livingston and Jeret Smith from Abilene High School. Together, Livingston and Smith account for 1,759 receiving yards and 22 TDs.
Henderson said McMurry poses special challenges for Wayland's defense.
"We have to cover the whole field and tackle well, and we have to be able to pressure and keep the quarterback in front of us," he said.
The coach praised the Pioneer defense for adjusting to Southwestern Assemblies of God University's run-oriented attack last week and for having a "bend-but-don't-break" philosophy, forcing SAGU to kick four field goals.
"I felt like our defense got stronger the longer they stayed out there and as the field got shortened," he said. "Our kids have the ability to hang in there and fight to the end. A lot of that is how they train. It really makes a difference."
Now, the Pioneer defense is faced with adjusting again, only this time to an offense that slings the ball all over the field, although the War Hawks also boast a respectable running game that averages 180 yards a game.
"One of the positive things we did last week was to make adjustments," Henderson said. "We'll have to do the same thing this week, but it'll be a different kind of adjustment. Instead of having someone hammering and running at you, they're spreading you out and throwing the ball down the field. We have to be able to adjust and cover those things."
If they can do that, and if the WBU offense can produce enough points in what might turn into a shootout against a defense that likes to "change coverages and try to disguise what they're doing," Henderson hopes the Pioneers will have to make one other adjustment: How to respond to a win.
NOTES: Kickoff is at 2 p.m. Saturday…The game can be heard on KKYN (106.9-FM) with links to live video, audio and stats available at www.wbuathletics.com...Saturday is Veterans and Military Appreciation Day with all veterans and active military personnel and their families admitted free…Wayland ends its season on the road Nov. 16 against Langston, Okla.
