(Portions of this story courtesy of Texas Lutheran University)
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Texas Lutheran Football Team were ranked No. 13 in the NCAA Division III preseason ranking from Sporting News, and rising junior running back Marquis Barrolle picked up a spot on the Sporting News Preseason All-America squad.
The preseason spot is the Bulldogs' highest in its non-scholarship era, which began in 1998.
The Bulldogs ended 2014 at school-best positions in national polls from the American Football Coaches Association and D3football.com. The Bulldogs finished at No. 16 in the AFCA Division III Coaches' Poll and at No. 19 in the D3football.com Top 25.
TLU qualified for the 2014 NCAA Championships for the first time in school history and fell in the first round of the playoffs. TLU lost 27-20 on the road to then No. 2-ranked Mary Hardin-Baylor. The Cru ended the year at No. 5 in the AFCA poll and at No. 6 in the D3football.com poll.
UMHB, at No. 5 on the Sporting News preseason ranking, and preseason No. 24 Hardin-Simmons are on the Bulldogs' 2015 schedule. TLU plays HSU in Seguin at 6 p.m. on Sept. 12. The Bulldogs travel to Belton, Texas for a 1 p.m. kickoff on Oct. 24 against UMHB.
The Bulldogs went 9-2 overall and 3-0 in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference. The Bulldogs won the SCAC for a second consecutive year, and Danny Padron was named the SCAC Coach of the Year for a second straight season.
Barrolle, the 5-4 and 150-pound feature back, picked up 2014 All-American honors from D3football.com and USA College Football as a sophomore.
Barrolle won the NCAA Division III rushing title with a school-record 1,792 yards in 11 games. Barrolle was named the SCAC Offensive Player of the Year.
Barrolle scored 14 touchdowns and set or tied TLU school marks for rushing yards in a game (288), rushing TDs in a game (4, tied with three others), total TDs in a game (4, tied with five others), points scored in a game (24, tied with five others), carries in a game (50), all-purpose yardage in a game (324), all-purpose yardage in a season (2,068), games with more than 200 yards rushing (4), and games with more than 100 yards rushing (8).
Barrolle also ranked among the 2014 NCAA DIII leaders in rushing yards per game (second, with 162.9) and in all-purpose yards per game (fifth, with 188).
The Bulldogs' offense posted final NCAA rankings of eighth in total offense, 14th in rushing offense, 18th in scoring offense, 21st in sacks allowed, 10th in first downs offense, and 21st in time of possession.
The Bulldogs' defense ended the year ranked 10th in team sacks, 14th in total tackles for loss, ninth in team tackles for loss, and 21st in defensive touchdowns.
TLU will open its 2015 football season with a road game Saturday, Sept. 5 at Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas.
