Mary Hardin-Baylor wins 2021 DIII football national championship in the Stagg Bowl

Mary Hardin-Baylor is the 2021 NCAA DIII football national champion. The Crusaders defeated North Central (IL) 57-24 to win the Stagg Bowl, completing a 15-0 season and winning their second national championship since 2018.

Mary Hardin-Baylor gave up a kickoff return for a touchdown to begin the game then took over. The Crusaders went up 9-7 minutes later and only trailed once more in the game: for about two minutes late in the first half before kicking a field goal to go into halftime with a 19-17 lead.

Quarterback Kyle King and linebacker Mikkah Hackett both had monster games to deliver their team the title. King threw for a program single-game record 436 yards, finishing 22-29 passing with 3 touchdowns.

Hackett was unreal on defense, totaling 10 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 interceptions, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery. He nearly ran back his first interception for a touchdown. Hackett was named the Stagg Bowl's Most Outstanding Player.

Read more: https://www.ncaa.com/live-updates/football/d3/mary-hardin-baylor-wins-2021-diii-football-national-championship-stagg-bowl