LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. - To celebrate 55 years of College Athletic Conference/Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference football, the league office is releasing the top moments and/or players for each current conference member, culminating with the release of the all-time CAC/SCAC football team.
This week, the SCAC office looks back on the top players and top moments from Texas Lutheran University.
Texas Lutheran, which joined the SCAC prior to the 2013 season, has produced 47 First Team All-SCAC selections.
TEXAS LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY - TOP PLAYERS (in alphabetical order)
Marquis Barrolle, Running Back (2013-16)
The 5-foot-2 and 150-pound dynamo was the 2014 SCAC Offensive Player of the Year after leading the nation in rushing with a school-record 1,792 yards. He was named an Honorable Mention All-American by D3football.com as well as First Team All-SCAC and First Team All-South Region. In 2014, 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). Barrolle went on to break the TLU career rushing record in his senior season. He eclipsed Royce Johnson's all-time rushing mark of 3,537.
Drake Dowling, Safety (2012-15)
A three-time First Team All-SCAC selection, Drake Dowling was a conference standout as a safety and as a special teams performer. Part of three consecutive SCAC Championships, Dowling finished his Bulldog career sixth on the TLU DIII-era tackles list, with 192. He also ended his Bulldog time third in interceptions with 13 for 236 yards in returns. Dowling had key touchdowns in road wins at Mississippi College and Hardin-Simmons that kept TLU in the NCAA playoff hunt in 2013 and 2014. Dowling returned a fumble 86 yards against Mississippi College and took back an interception 57 yards in the historic road win at Hardin-Simmons.
Darian Candler, Linebacker (2013-16)
Darian Candler is in pursuit of TLU's DIII-era tackle record. Entering play on Oct. 29, Candler has 257 career tackles in 35 career games. A member of three SCAC Championship squads, Candler is just 37 tackles shy of breaking Jake Dearing's school tackle record. Candler was a First Team All-SCAC selection in 2015 and a Second Team All-South Region selection in 2015. Already in 2016, Candler has 88 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and two interceptions (including a 42-yard INT return for a touchdown against Southwestern).
Brent Peavy, Quarterback (2010-13)
Brent Peavy, the 2013 SCAC Offensive Player of the Year, led the SCAC in almost every passing category en route to setting new Texas Lutheran single-season school records for total offense (2,873) and touchdown passes (28). He also tied a school single-game record with six TD passes against East Texas Baptist on Oct. 5, 2013. Peavy threw only eight interceptions all season in 295 attempts and set a new school record for single-season completion percentage (66.8). At the conclusion of the 2013 season, TLU was third in DIII in total offense (521.2), sixth in scoring offense (46.1) and ninth in passing offense (326.7). Individually, Peavy was 12th in completion percentage, 10th in passing efficiency (165.7), 10th in passing TDs, 14th in passing yards per game (285.0) and 16th in total offense per game (319.2).
Cameron Peavy, Receiver (2010-13)
Cameron Peavy, twin brother of Brent, also claimed First Team All-SCAC honors in 2013. He set new school records for single-season receiving TDs (13), single-season receptions (72), and single-season receiving yards (1,089). Peavy also appeared prominently among the national statistical leaders. He finished sixth in receiving yards per game (121.0), eighth in receiving TDs (13), 11th in receptions per game (8.0), 19th in total receiving yards (1,089), and 43rd in scoring per game (8.7). Peavy went over the 100-yard receiving mark six times in 2013 and tied his school mark for single-game TD receptions (4). He was two yards shy of tying his school-record single-game receiving mark after a 216-yard performance this season against East Texas Baptist. Peavy ended his Bulldog career second in the TLU DIII-era rankings for career receiving yards (2,257), career TD receptions (22), career yards per catch (15.8), and career yards receiving per game (68.4). He is third in the DIII list for total catches (143).
Ethan Powell, Defensive End (2011-14)
Ethan Powell was a two-time All-SCAC First Team selection at defensive end. In leading TLU to the 2013 SCAC Championship, Powell led the team in tackles for loss (12.5 for 56) and in sacks (6.0 for 41). In that 2013 campaign, Powell had a key fourth-quarter sack in the road win at Trinity that set up fourth down and knocked the Trinity QB out of the game. In his senior year of 2014, Powell led the Bulldogs to the NCAA playoffs. He as second on the team in tackles for loss, with 12 for 48 yards, and he was third in total sacks, 3.0. All three of his 2014 sacks came in the big road win over Austin College in 2015. For his career, Powell is third on the tackles for loss DIII era list for TLU. He is tied for second in DIII era sacks.
Bradley Snowden – Linebacker (2010-13)
Snowden was named the 2013 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year. He was the field general of the Texas Lutheran defense, recording 65 total tackles (second on team; sixth in SCAC) with 7.0 tackles for loss of 34 yards (second on team; tied for ninth in SCAC). A team captain and a three-year starter, Snowden also had 2.5 sacks for 22 yards, two fumble recoveries, three pass breakups and two QB hurries. He was as durable as he was consistent, never missing a game in his 39-game career, which included 29 consecutive starts. Snowden, a 2013 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team nominee and a SCAC All-Sportsmanship Football Team honoree, finished his Bulldog career with the fourth-most total tackles in TLU's DIII era. He recorded 240 total tackles and added 20.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries (third on the DIII era list).
Dominick Stives – Defensive Tackle (2012-15)
Dominick Stives started four seasons for Texas Lutheran and led the Bulldogs to three SCAC Championships and to the 2014 NCAA playoffs. Stives was a two-time All-SCAC First Team selection in 2013 and 2015 and an Honorable Mention All-SCAC choice in 2014, despite missing two games with a broken hand (which he managed to play with the rest of the season). Stives' 2015 season may have been the best in TLU DIII era for defensive tackles. He led all conference defensive tackles with 57 total stops. He had 34 solo tackles, 23 tackle assists, six tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks.
Trenton White – Quarterback (2012-15)
Trenton White, a 5-foot-9 and 165-pound senior, led the SCAC in 2015 in almost every passing category, including yards (2,460), yards per game (246.0), completions (207 – TLU single-season record), attempts (330), completion percentage (62.7 percent) and touchdowns (27). The Bulldogs averaged a conference-high 40.9 points (23rd in the nation) and 480.8 yards per game (25th in the nation) with White under center. White finished his four years in Seguin as TLU's career leader in touchdown passes and is second in both yards passing (5,874) and completion percentage (60.17%). His 53-career touchdown passes while a member of the SCAC rank as the 10th most in conference history. A two-time First Team All-SCAC quarterback and a four-time Offensive Player of the Week during the 2015 season, White was the third consecutive Bulldog to earn SCAC Offensive Player of the Year honors.
Kendall Wilkerson – Offensive Guard (2011-14)
Kendall Wilkerson, a four-year lettermen and four-year starter, paved the way for NCAA DIII rushing leader Marquis Barrolle and the TLU rushing attack, which ranked 14th in all of NCAA DIII in 2014. Wilkerson was named a Third Team All-American by D3football.com and to the D3football.com First Team All-South Region. Wilkerson led a Bulldog offense that ranked eighth in total offense (498.0 per game), 19th in scoring offense (40.5), 22nd in sacks allowed (only 11 in 11 games), and ninth in first downs offense (288). Wilkerson was a two-time All-SCAC First Team selection. He started 36 games and played in 40 in a four-year career.
TEXAS LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY – TOP MOMENTS
1. Sept. 14, 2013 – Second-half comeback win at Trinity propels Bulldog to SCAC title
The Texas Lutheran Bulldogs erased a 17-point, second-half deficit and secured a 42-38 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference win over Trinity University. The win was TLU's first victory over the Tigers in San Antonio since 1976. The Bulldogs were 0-6 against Trinity in San Antonio and 2-11 overall since the two teams re-started the area rivalry in 2000. TLU trailed 31-14 at the half after allowing 330 yards of total offense to the Tigers. The Bulldogs also endured a string of eight plays in the first half inside the Trinity 7-yard line that did not yield points. The Bulldogs came out of the locker room and reeled off four touchdown drives in the six total drives of offense in the second half. TLU was stopped at the Trinity 1-yard line on four plays in the second half but rallied for touchdown drives of 38 and 85 yards to take the lead for good. TLU ran out the clock on its final drive with a one-yard run by Marquis Barrolle on 4th-and-1 at the Trinity 33.
2. Sept. 13, 2014 – Drive to represent SCAC in NCAA field includes key road win at Hardin-Simmons
Texas Lutheran sophomore Marquis Barrolle rushed for a career-best 215 yards on a career-high 45 carries and scored twice to lift the Bulldogs to a 37-14 road win over Hardin-Simmons that set up the Bulldogs for a 2014 run to the NCAA playoffs. The victory was the Bulldogs' first win in nine tries at HSU's Shelton Stadium. The victory was just TLU's second overall win against the Cowboys. The Bulldogs were 1-15 all-time against HSU entering Saturday's game. TLU clung to a 21-14 lead with 11 minutes to play in the game until Bulldog free safety Drake Dowling intercepted a Weston Garner pass and returned it 57 yards for a touchdown.
3. Nov. 22, 2014 – Representing SCAC in 2014 NCAA post-season v No. 2 UMHB
With repeated Saturday weather delays making this NCAA Division III playoff game the longest contest in each schools' football history, the Texas Lutheran Bulldogs put together a Sunday upset bid of No. 2-ranked Mary Hardin-Baylor that fell seven points short. TLU, 17th-ranked in the latest AFCA Coaches' Poll and playing in its first-ever NCAA Division III playoff game, dropped a 27-20 decision to the Cru at UMHB's Crusader Stadium. Counting the repeated weather delays Saturday and the re-start on Sunday, the game lasted 25 hours, 39 minutes. The Bulldogs' game plan of keeping the ball away from the UMHB offense nearly worked. The Bulldogs ran 99 plays to 35 for UMHB. The TLU time of possession hit 48:22. UMHB held the ball on offense for just 11:38. TLU's playoff-game strategy relied heavily on the 5-4, 150-pound frame of sophomore running back Marquis Barrolle (DIII's eventual leading rusher), who broke his own school record for carries with a whopping 50 against the Cru. He set a new SCAC record for most carries in a game. Barrolle gained 224 rushing yards against a defense that came into the game allowing only 84 rushing yards total per game (14th in NCAA DIII).
4. Sept. 6, 2014 & Nov. 1, 2014 – First games (overall and SCAC) at Bulldog Stadium
TLU broke in new Bulldog Stadium in 2014 with the first-ever game on Sept. 6, 2014 (a 61-15 victory against Sul Ross State) and with the first-ever SCAC contest (a 34-27 win over Trinity). Marquis Barrolle scored the first-ever touchdown in the new stadium. In the conference victory against the Tigers, TLU quarterback Trenton White threw for 294 yards and three touchdowns (two to Caleb Oliver). Trinity seemed intent on stopping Barrolle, the leading rusher in all of NCAA Division III. Barrolle entered the game with 1,243 yards in seven games. The Tigers held Barrolle to a season-low 84 yards on 21 carries, but Barrolle did score on an eight-yard run in the third quarter. The Bulldogs intercepted Trinity three times, with picks by Drake Dowling, Cedric Whitaker and Poodie Strong.
5. Oct. 12, 2013 – Texas Lutheran claims first-ever conference title
TLU finished off a 3-0 run through the SCAC, winning the first conference title in school history with a 45-12 home victory over Austin College. TLU's championship in the SCAC was also the first for the university in its new conference. The Bulldogs officially joined the SCAC in July 1 of 2013. Brent Peavy completed his first 15 passes on Saturday and finished the game 22-for-29 for 363 yards and three touchdowns. He entered the game as NCAA Division III's total offense leader and as the quarterback for NCAA DIII's top squad in terms of team total offense.
6. Nov. 15, 2014 – Bulldogs grab second SCAC Championship, await NCAA word
The Texas Lutheran Bulldogs claimed the outright Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championship for a second consecutive year, winning the 2014 crown with a 41-14 win Saturday over Southwestern University. At Bulldog Stadium, the Bulldogs celebrated at their new football home with the second conference title in school history. TLU completed a 9-1 regular season and 3-0 conference run. But the SCAC did not have an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III playoffs, so the Bulldogs awaited word of an at-large bid, which came to TLU that Sunday evening.
7. Nov. 14, 2015 – Bulldogs claim third straight SCAC title with 58-3 road win
The Texas Lutheran Bulldogs collected their third consecutive outright Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championship with a convincing 58-3 victory over Southwestern University, at Georgetown ISD's Birkelbach Field. TLU romped to a 31-0 halftime lead and never looked back against the Pirates. The Bulldogs, ranked 18th in the latest NCAA D3football.com poll, improved to 8-2 overall and to 3-0 in league play. TLU, in its third year in the SCAC, is now 9-0 all-time in SCAC play.
8. Oct. 31, 2015 – Defensive stand at Trinity to preserve win, conference lead, NCAA hopes
The Bulldogs jumped to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter before stopping the Tigers' comeback with a key fourth-down stop in the fourth quarter to preserve a 21-14 win. Matt McCullough, Brandon Stephens and several other Bulldog defenders joined together to stop Travis Williams on 4th-and-3 from the TLU 15. McCullough and Stephens were credited for the combined tackle on the five-yard loss that gave TLU possession of the football with three minutes to play. The Bulldogs converted one first down - on a Trenton White to A.J. Saucedo 16-yard completion - and ran out the rest of the clock for the conference win. The fourth-down stop by the Bulldogs ended a 7-play Trinity drive that started at the Trinity 8 and went 72 yards.
9. Oct. 8, 2015 – Danny Padron moves past Jim Wacker on all-time coaching wins list
Danny Padron moved past the late great Jim Wacker as Texas Lutheran's all-time wins leader after the Bulldogs knocked off conference rival Trinity 38-28 at Bulldog Stadium. TLU's win broke Padron's tie with Wacker. The two had been tied at 38 wins. Wacker led TLU to back-to-back NAIA-II National Championships in 1974 and 1975 and coached the Bulldogs from 1971 to 1975. Trinity did its best to stop Padron short of the record and to spoil Homecoming for the Bulldogs. The Tigers fought back from a 21-7 deficit to make the TLU lead just 24-21 early in the fourth quarter. TLU responded the Trinity score by extending the lead to 38-21 with 3:25 to play after a pair of Jekovan Holmes TD grabs. Holmes, the sophomore out of San Antonio, caught passes from former O'Connor High School teammate Zach Galindo for seven and two yards. Both scoring drives came after Trinity turnovers - an interception and then a fumble.
10. Nov. 8, 2014 – Comeback at Austin College to post 300th all-time win in TLU Football
Texas Lutheran overcame four turnovers and a quick 14-0 deficit in a 36-24 road win over the Austin College Kangaroos that secured at least a share of the SCAC Championship for the Bulldogs. TLU, the defending champions of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference, improved to 8-1 overall and to 2-0 in league play. The Bulldogs registered the university's 300th win in football. TLU also won for the 17th time in the last 19 games.
*Top players and top moments were selected in a collaborative effort between Texas Lutheran and the conference office.
