Conway, Ark. - Jacob Buniff currently leads the NCAA in passing yards. Yes, you read that right. Not just Division III, but the entire NCAA. Coming in second to his 1665 yards on the year is Michael Penix Jr. at Washington. Buniff also leads Division III in passing touchdowns and is on pace to etch his name in the Warriors record book as he tries to unseat Miles Thompson and Thompson's 3447-yard 2017 season to grab the single-season record.
Expect the Warriors to look to the air this week once again. Play-action has been lethal as a part of the Warriors passing attack, and it will be key to Hendrix being able to beat Sewanee on Saturday. The emergence of running back Jason Sullivan has forced teams to respect the Hendrix run game, giving them a two-pronged attack. Sullivan had stellar game against Millsaps last week, where he had 93 yards on 15 carries and scored a touchdown, after a breakout game versus Southwestern the week prior.
Buniff has no shortage of targets. Jax Johnson, Kanyn Utley and Christian Gadison have all been favorites over the past three games, making up the majority of Buniff's completions. All three average over ten yards per reception. Much of Buniff's success over the last three games has been due to the strong performance of his wideouts being able to run effectively after the catch. A Warrior victory on Saturday will need a strong performance from these wideouts, as well as a handful of strong targets Buniff has looked to throughout the season.
From the other side of the ball, Nathan and Keaton Hahn both currently lead the team in total tackles. Keaton has also broken up six passes throughout the year, which is a trend that will hopefully continue into Saturday's game. Ryan Maxwell has also intercepted two passes on the year and broken up three passes. Opponents are currently outrushing the Warriors by about 200 yards, so a key to a strong victory against Sewanee will depend on the Warrior's ability to stop the run game and playing strong pass defense.
Defense as a whole has been a late-game issue for the Warriors. In games so far in 2023, the Warriors have been outscored 59-27 in the fourth quarter, with Southwestern and Millsaps hanging 14 and 21 in the fourth respectively. While a strong offensive performance has negated any late-game heroics in the Warrior's last two matchups, a week 2 loss to East Texas Baptist came off a second-half comeback.
Sewanee comes into Saturday off a bye week, with a current record of 2-1. Jermiah Young will get the start at QB on Saturday. At his current rate, Young completes just over fifty percent of his passes, so the Warriors will look to bring down that average. Dagem Samuel has gotten the majority of their catches with eleven. Sewanee leans on their run game, with Jacorin Thomas and Walker Robinson both currently holding 200+ yards rushing seasons. The Warriors will have to shut down their run game and prevent any late-game heroics.
For the Warriors to walk away with a win on Saturday, Buniff needs to stay in form along with his core of wideouts. Forcing turnovers has been a key for Hendrix as well, and they have done a good job of converting many of those opportunities in past games. If Hendrix can hold the ball for most of the game and shut down the Tigers passing game and keep the Tigers from opening a run game, they can walk away with the win.
Of note, Hendrix Defensive Coordinator Zach Schultz will reunite with the Tigers on Saturday, having spent the previous four years on the Sewanee coaching staff.
The Warriors are 8-2 all-time against Sewanee, having not dropped a contest against the Tigers since 2018. Last year Hendrix came out on top, with a final score of 48-21. The game is scheduled for a 1:00 PM kickoff at Young-Wise Memorial Stadium. The livestream can be found here on the Warriors Sports Network.
