JACKSON, Miss. - Week nine of Belhaven Football will kickoff Saturday, October 29 as the Blazers host No. 10 Hardin-Simmons University inside Bellhaven Bowl Stadium. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. 

The Blazers are coming off of a 52-30 loss on the road to Louisiana College last week. Belhaven held a 20-14 lead at the end of the first half, but the Wildcats would go on to outscore the Blazers 38-10 in the second half.  The Blazers recorded 35 first downs and 615 total yards of offense, just eight short of the program record, but were undone by five turnovers, resulting in 17 Louisiana College points.

Belhaven is coming into the week nine matchup with Hardin-Simmons looking to snap a six-game losing streak. After starting the season defeating Riverside rival Millsaps College 28-25, the Blazers have dropped games at No. 2 Wisconsin-Whitewater, at No. 19 Huntingdon College, versus No. 17 East Texas Baptist, at Sul Ross State, versus McMurry and at Louisiana College.

Belhaven plays one of the toughest schedules in the ASC and all of NCAA Division III. Hardin-Simmons is the second Blazers opponent ranked in the top 10 of the d3football.com Top 25 Poll and the fourth ranked in the top 20. 

Hardin-Simmons enters Saturday's matchup with a 6-1 season mark. The Cowboys lost a hard-fought contest at No. 3 Mary Hardin-Baylor last week, 20-15, in a battle of unbeatens. Hardin-Simmons entered the fourth quarter with a 15-13 lead, but the Cowboys were held scoreless over the final 15 minutes and a Hardin-Simmons interception led to a Crusaders touchdown early in the fourth.

Prior to the week eight loss to Mary Hardin-Baylor, the Cowboys picked up wins over Southwestern, Southwestern Assemblies of God, Texas Lutheran, Sul Ross State, Louisiana College and Howard Payne. Mary Hardin-Baylor is the only ranked opponent Hardin-Simmons has faced this season.

Hardin-Simmons finished the 2015 season with a 9-2 overall record and a share of the ASC Conference Championship.

Saturday's game will mark the first all-time meeting between Belhaven and Hardin-Simmons. 

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