(Story courtesy of Texas Lutheran
University)
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - The Texas Lutheran University
offensive line and Jordan Sims' interception return for touchdown
received national recognition this week from D3football.com.
The Bulldogs' offensive line of left tackle Matt Hochstrasser,
left guard Tyler Howlett, center Daven Klein, right guard Kendall
Wilkerson, and right tackle Andrew Rodriguez was named to the
D3football.com Team of the Week. Complete D3football.com Team of the Week release
D3football.com recognizes the athletic performance of one
offensive line in NCAA Division III each week.
Sims' interception return for touchdown against Howard Payne was
named a Week 5 finalist for D3football.com Play of the Week (see
the video below). D3football.com also recognizes a Play of the Week
each week of the season and notes the finalists for the award.
The Bulldogs' offensive line cleared holes for running backs Marquies Barrolle and A.J. Saucedo and protected quarterback Trenton White in TLU's 54-27 road win over Howard Payne. Barrolle rushed 23 times for 288 yards, a school record, and scored twice. Saucedo also scored twice, and White threw for 260 yards and two touchdowns.
The Bulldogs (5-0) rushed for 373 yards, more than 120 yards above the team's season average, and posted four rushing TDs. The line did not allow a sack and has allowed only four sacks through five games.
The Bulldogs have appeared as a finalist for Play of the Week three times in 2014. Tyler Brandenburg, TLU's kicker, appeared as a finalist for running down a Sul Ross State kickoff returner on Sept. 6.
The Bulldogs made another Play of the Week finalist appearance with the craziness of the last play in Louisiana College on Sept. 20. With the Wildcats scrambling to run one final play from the TLU 4-yard line, LC Head Coach Dennis Dunn drew a flag for being on the field. The penalty forced a 10-second run-off of the game clock and preserved TLU's six-point lead.
The Bulldogs, ranked 18th in the latest AFCA Coaches' Poll, host East Texas Baptist University this Saturday at 6 p.m. in TLU's Bulldog Stadium. The TLU-ETBU game is the TLU Homecoming game of 2014 and the second-ever varsity contest to be played in Bulldog Stadium.
