With the first six games of the Hawks’ football season out of the way, this weekend’s contest against the Blue Hose of Presbyterian College (4-3, 1-1 Big South) will mark a first in the football programs history.
Saturday afternoon’s contest, which is slated for a 2 pm kickoff, will be the first football game MU plays as a member of the Big South conference. While the Hawks played against Flames of Liberty University last Sept., a 45-15 defeat in Liberty’s favor, they were not a member of the conference yet. Now, with five games remaining in the season, the Hawks will finally be able to flex their muscles and see where they stand amongst their new foes in their new conference.
What do we know about the Big South thus far? First off, it’s a step up in competition and in exposure from MU’s former conference affiliate, the Northeast Conference (NEC). The conference’s top dogs, the Chanticleers of Coastal Carolina (7-0, 1-0 Big South), is currently ranked third in the FCS Coaches’ polls, according to ESPN, and have been amongst the top-five for most of this season. Arguably the second-best team in the conference, Liberty, is receiving some votes for consideration into the Top 25 despite holding a record of 4-3. For further proof of increased competitive value, look to the Buccaneers of Charleston Southern (5-2, 0-1 Big South).
Despite falling last weekend in a defensive slugfest to Presbyterian, 7-3, the Charleston Southern lost in a nail-biter to the Vanderbilt Commodores of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), 21-20. Vanderbilt’s overall season record of 2-5 does not reflect the team’s true talent. Just remember that the Commodores are members of a conference that won six of the past seven national championships.
With Charleston Southern dropping a one-point contest to Vanderbilt only to lose to Presbyterian this past weekend, what can be said about the Blue Hose?
No disrespect to the NEC, but statistics show the Big South is a much better conference to play in because of the increase in competition despite the conference only fielding six representatives on the gridiron. It’s an obvious improvement for the Hawks in the long run going forward.
MU (5-1) has played their first six games like their hair is on fire. The offense is humming despite some injuries early on, but that has not slowed them down one bit. Defensively, the Hawks are very stout against the run while holding their own through the air. If MU can sustain their overall production against a better crop of competition, starting this weekend against the Blue Hose, there’s no reason why the Hawks shouldn’t make some noise going forward. This team, a veteran heavy group comprised of fourth and fifth-year seniors, is playing like they have something to prove. That message, judging by the way that they have played, is that they refuse to lose.
Over the course of these next five weeks, onlookers will see what the Hawks are really made of. The Hawks, who aren’t due to return to Kessler Field for a home contest until Saturday, Nov. 1 against Charleston Southern, will see Liberty on Nov. 8 and Coastal Carolina Nov. 15 before wrapping up the season at home against Gardner-Webb (4-3) on Nov. 22.
