GAC WEEK 8 SCHEDULE
Saturday, October 26, 2024
Arkansas-Monticello vs Henderson State 1:00 P.M
Carpenter-Haygood Stadium at GeoSurfaces Field – Arkadelphia, Arkansas
Series History: Henderson State leads 52-31-2
Last Meeting: HSU, 42-14 (October 21, 2023).
Arkansas-Monticello Notes
The University of Arkansas at Monticello football team travels to Arkadelphia, Arkansas this weekend to take on Henderson State University for week eight of the 2024 season.
The Boll Weevils are currently sitting 3-4, following a home win to Arkansas Tech in week six. Monticello sits seventh in the GAC in scoring and seventh in total offense, averaging 18.7 points per contest and 318.3 yards per game. The Boll Weevils land sixth in the conference in rushing, posting 1039 total yards and averaging 148.4 on the ground per game. Defensively, UAM ranks seventh in total defense, surrendering 352.1 yards per contest, and ninth in scoring defense, allowing 32.7 points per game. Offensively, quarterback Demilon Brown leads the running game, averaging 68.71 yards a contest. Isaiah Cross is the fifth-ranked target in the GAC, totaling 300 yards on 23 receptions for an average of 42.86 yards per game.
“We’re really excited about competing against Henderson State,” said Head Coach Hud Jackson. “They are a great football team with great tradition. Our guys are coming off a game that has created excitement within the program. We are going to have to play really well, and our guys are looking forward to the opportunity. Eat’em up.”
Below you will find important information regarding live coverage, tickets, game match-ups, and social media links to keep up with the game.
THE MATCHUP
The University of Arkansas at Monticello Football team is playing in Arkadelphia against Henderson for the 45th time in program history. The teams have met 88 times in total since 1914, with their first meeting held in Arkadelphia. The result was a 35-0 loss for the Weevils.
LAST MEETING
Arkansas-Monticello lost to Henderson, 42-12 at home in 2023. The Boll Weevils tabbed 366 yards of total offense, recording one touchdown in that contest. Buddy Taylor led the air attack, connecting with 14-32 attempts for 234 yards. Tristen Smith led the team on the ground, rushing for a net of 36 yards in the contest, with a long of 13 yards.
All-TIME SERIES
UAM trails in the all-time series, 34-52-2, with the last win for the Boll Weevils coming in 2018. Monticello is 17-26 at home against Henderson, with the last win being a score of 24-17 in 2018. The largest margin of victory for the Weevils came during the 1957 season with a 43-0 win. The Weevils average 15.69 points against Henderson State.
Henderson State Notes
STORYLINES: SETTING THE SCENE
• Henderson State looks to secure its fifth winning season in a row with a win on Saturday. The Reddies are 10-1 against UAM in the Great American Conference era and lead the overall series 52-34-2. • Arkansas-Monticello aims to build from a 24-10 win at home against Arkansas Tech last week. The Boll Weevils have not defeated HSU since they claimed a 24-17 victory at Carpenter-Haygood Stadium in 2018.
REDDIES REPORT: OFFENSE
• Quarterback Andrew Edwards has thrown for more than 200 yards in five of the Reddies’ seven games this season. His latest outing, a 275-yard effort against Southern Arkansas, brought his GAC-leading passing yardage total to 1,624. The Bentonville, Arkansas, native also paces the league with 15 passing touchdowns. • Timieone Jackson continues to top the GAC leaderboard with 37 catches on the year. His 320 receiving yards lead the team and are the fourth most in the conference. • Despite having a relatively quiet day at the Murphy USA Classic, Cayden Davis remains one of the league’s top 10 pass catchers (233 yards). His 84-yard touchdown reception versus East Central is still the longest passing play in the league in 2024. • Jeremiah Davis recorded two rushing touchdowns in El Dorado to bring his season total to eight, which is tied for the fourth-highest in the GAC. He is also third in the conference in rushing yards (489). • Robbie Williams III has recorded at least 60 receiving yards in both of Henderson’s last two outings. He is the first Reddie receiver to record back-to-back games of 60 yards or more this season. • Bryson Corbin tallied a season-best 49 yards on three receptions against SAU. • Henderson State is third in the conference with 2,673 yards of total offense thus far in 2024.
REDDIES REPORT: DEFENSE
• Gary Lewis paces the Henderson State defense with 43 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, and three sacks. Jakobe Shell also holds a share of the team sack lead with three. • Jaylen Powell recorded his first 10-tackle game as a Reddie in the Murphy USA Classic. He is one of four HSU players with 30 or more tackles this season (Lewis, Kolbi Crawford, and Jordan Owens). • Henderson’s defense has allowed the seventh-fewest passing yards per game of any team in NCAA Division II in 2024 (136.4 yards per game). • The Reddies have the third-best opponent third down conversion rate in the GAC this season (30.8 percent).
REDDIES REPORT: SPECIAL TEAMS
• Kolby King hit a 46-yard field goal versus Southern Arkansas – his longest of the year. He is one of seven GAC kickers with a field goal make of 45 yards or longer this season. • Axel Robertson is fourth in the league with a punt average of 41.5 yards per attempt. He is currently one of the nation’s top 30 punters in that category.
THE OPPONENT: ARKANSAS-MONTICELLO
• UAM tallied 258 rushing yards as a team in its 24-10 victory over Arkansas Tech last week. Quarterback Demilon Brown led the charge with a career-high 204 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. He is the first Great American Conference player to rush for 200 or more yards in a game this season. Brown is now one of the league’s top five rushers: the Luxora, Arkansas, native has 481 yards this season. • On top of his efforts on the ground, Demilon Brown is also third in the conference with 1,107 passing yards. He has the seventh-best quarterback rating in the league among nine qualified quarterbacks (105.0). • Isaiah Cross has established himself as Brown’s favorite passing target with 300 yards on 24 catches. He is one of only five players in the conference with 300 or more receiving yards through seven games this year. • Wide receiver Royal Williams currently has the ninth-highest receiving yardage total of any player in the GAC (239). The Boll Weevils are one of four teams in the league to feature two top 10 receivers at this point in the year (joining Arkansas Tech, Southern Arkansas, and Henderson State). • Ervin Jones paces Arkansas-Monticello’s defense with 40 total tackles on the season. He is also third on the team with five tackles for loss. • The Boll Weevils boast three players with at least five tackles for loss: Robert Iverson Jr., Alfernee Hankins, and the Jones. Iverson Jr. is the reigning GAC Defensive Player of the Week: an honor he earned through a 13-tackle effort against ATU. • As a unit, UAM’s defense has recorded six turnovers: the fewest of any GAC team thus far in 2024. • Jordan Mansfeld blocked a punt and returned it 20 yards for a touchdown in last week’s game. • Kicker Dylan Duhon made the longest field goal of his career when he hit a 45-yard attempt in the fourth quarter of the Weevils’ game versus the Wonder Boys.
THE LAST MEETING
• Andrew Edwards completed 22 of his 27 passing attempts for 295 yards and four touchdowns in a 42-14 victory on the road. The Reddie quarterback also ran for 34 yards and a score. Filling in for an injured Demilon Brown, UAM’s Buddy Taylor went 14-of-32 passing for 234 yards and two picks. • Henderson’s Korien Burrell (99 yards) and Frederick O’Donald (96 yards) both narrowly missed out on triple-digit yardage on the ground. The Reddies accumulated 289 rushing yards as a team during the game. • HSU’s defense sacked Taylor a combined nine times. Gary Lewis led the charge with three sacks. Trenton Moore and Dylan Ndambuki had two sacks apiece. • Randarius Terry and Josh Brown both recorded an interception for the Reddies.
AROUND THE GAC
• No. 5 Ouachita Baptist seeks to stay perfect at 4-3 Arkansas Tech. • No. 7 Harding looks to rebound vs. No. 22 SAU after suffering its first loss since 2022. • Southeastern Oklahoma State aims for its third win in a row at SWOSU. • East Central looks to win back-to-back games for the first time since 2022 at SNU.
Oklahoma Baptist vs Northwestern Oklahoma State 2:00 P.M.
El Dorado, Arkansas
Series History: Henderson State leads 47-36-1
Last Meeting: SAU, 35-34 (October 14, 2023)
Oklahoma Baptist Notes
The Bison Football team will look to build upon last week’s convincing win when they travel to Alva to face the Northwestern Oklahoma State Rangers at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
OBU has won six of eight all-time Division II meetings against the Rangers. In fact, they have won five in a row and scored at least 30 points in four of those games.
Lit ‘Em Up
Redshirt freshman Kenny Rosenthal stepped back into the starting lineup last week against SWOSU and turned in an incredible performance. He completed nine of 14 passes (64.3%) and totaled 203 passing yards with four touchdowns. Two of those strikes were to Darius Melton while the others came to Kai McCarty and Charles Whitebear. The four scoring passes were a career-high for Rosenthal and marked just the second time since football came back to OBU in 2013 that a redshirt freshman threw four passing touchdowns in a contest. Previously, program great Preston Haire notched the same total against Southern Arkansas on Sept. 30, 2017.
He Couldn’t Be Stopped, He Couldn’t Be Reasoned With
Darius Melton had just two catches against Southwestern, but both were big-time scoring plays. The first came via a flea-flicker, a 51-yarder down the SWOSU sideline early in the second. Then with about a minute to go before halftime, Melton snagged the ball away from a SWOSU defender and raced 58 yards to the end zone. With that, the redshirt senior from Pompano Beach, Fla., achieved a performance not ever seen before on Bison Hill. He’s the first player to record a pair of 50-plus-yard touchdown catches in the same game.
Johnson’s ‘Special’ Moment
Linebacker Tyler Johnson delivered a rare play in the third quarter against SWOSU. A straight-up leap in front of a Bulldogs blocker and reach of the right hand led to a punt block for the Bison. One play later, the Bison put the game out of reach with a passing touchdown. That was just the fourth punt block in OBU’s D2 history. Previously, Charles Whitebear blocked one at Southwestern in 2023; Tyler Rhodes at Harding in 2018 and Jesse Salisbury versus Arkansas-Monticello in 2015.
Shut Them Out
Oklahoma Baptist’s second-half defense was very impressive last week against the Bulldogs. They gave up 85 total yards, forced two turnovers and most importantly, did not allow a single point to SWOSU. That marked just the seventh time since 2013 that a Bison defense shut out its opponent in the second half. Previously, in 2023, Gabe Eliserio‘s unit blanked Southeastern and Arkansas-Monticello. Prior to that, during the 2015 campaign, OBU kept Harding from scoring in a contest on Sept. 5.
Last Time vs. Northwestern
During last season’s 28-7 victory over Northwestern, the Bison defense really stood out. It allowed 217 yards of total offense and nearly earned its first-ever GAC shutout. OBU attained an impressive 13.0 tackles-for-loss which included six sacks as well. Scooter Baker registered a team-high 13 tackles while Brandon Spencer recorded an interception and two pass break-ups. That defensive performance helped OBU attain a 28-0 lead.
Offensively, Aidan Thompson threw for 279 yards and three scores while receivers Michael Marshall and Nick Harris each collected at least 83 receiving yards with a touchdown.
Quite the Hire
Northwestern Oklahoma State Head Coach Ronnie Jones made quite the splash this past January. He hired Jerry Glanville, yes, the former Atlanta Falcons head coach in the early 90s, to lead the Rangers’ defensive unit. Glanville has over 57 years of coaching experience which also includes stops with the then-Houston Oilers, Buffalo Bills and Division I Georgia Tech as well as Western Kentucky.
Stacking Them Up
The first thing that catches one’s eye is the Rangers’ struggles on offense. They are last, 12th, in the GAC averaging 11.3 points per game. Northwestern has also produced just 191 yards of total offense per game, another mark that’s 12th. For OBU, it is eighth in scoring (18.6) and tenth in offense (235.3 ypg).
NWOSU’s rushing and passing defense are sixth and seventh, respectively, giving up 180.9 and 176.9 yards per game. As for the Bison in those categories, OBU is 12th in rush defense (226.4 ypg) and ninth in passing (181.7).
Scouting the Rangers
Sophomore quarterback Brodey Johnson is seventh in the GAC averaging 127.7 passing yards per game. He’s thrown for seven touchdowns with four interceptions as well. Johnson’s favorite target is Travis Romar. He is 18th in the league with 18 catches, 199 yards receiving and three scores. On the rushing front, no one ranks in the top-25 of the GAC for Northwestern. Darien Gill has the most yards on the ground (167) while Giorgio Spiropoulos has a pair of rushing touchdowns.
Defensively, Coby Tillman leads the GAC with 72 stops. He’s also second in the league with 11.0 tackles-for-loss. Cornerback Bashu Delco ranks 13th in the conference with five pass break-ups. That includes a trio of interceptions. In the punting department, Matthew Sebade is ninth with a 39.0 yards per punt average. He also gotten 14 of his punts to be fair caught. That mark is No. 2 in the conference.
Northwestern Oklahoma State Notes
No notes available.
Ouachita Baptist vs Arkansas Tech 2:00 P.M.
Simmons Bank Field at Thone Stadium – Russellville, Arkansas
Series History: Arkansas Tech leads 44-36-7
Last Meeting: OUA, 31-24 (October 21, 2023
THE SERIES
Since 2010, Ouachita has dominated the series against Arkansas Tech to bring the overall series closer to even with the Wonder Boys still holding an eight-game lead at 44-36-7. However, Ouachita has won six in a row and 10 of the last 12 meetings, including last year’s 31-24 in Arkadelphia. Ouachita’s longest win streak in the series is its current streak of six. The longest overall win streak goes to Tech with eight straight wins from 1949-1960. At 87 games, Tech is Ouachita’s second-most played opponent in program history, second only to cross-street rival Henderson State with 96 meetings in the Battle of the Ravine.
Ouachita Baptist Notes
TIGER TRACKS
ROAD GAME #4
Game eight of the 2024 season has the Ouachita Tigers traveling for the fourth time of the season, this time to Russellville to take on the Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. this Saturday at Simmons Bank Field-Thone Stadium. Ouachita is 7-0 and one of the nine unbeaten teams remaining at the NCAA Division II level following a 17-13 victory over then-ranked No. 1 Harding this past Saturday at home. Arkansas Tech is 4-3 following a 24-13 road loss to Arkansas-Monticello this past Saturday. For Ouachita, this Saturday’s game is the fourth of the season against a team with a winning record.
TOP 5 TIGERS
Following a 17-13 win over then-ranked No. 1 Harding last Saturday at home, Ouachita moved up four spots to No. 5 in this week’s American Football Coaches Association Top 25 poll. The Tigers have been ranked nationally by the AFCA in 71 of the last 72 polls, reaching as high as No. 3 during the 2022 season. Also this week, the Tigers moved up four spots to No. 7 in the D2Football.com Top 25. Ouachita is one of three teams in the GAC receiving national recognition this week. Harding fell to No. 7 in the AFCA poll and to No. 8 in the D2Football. com poll. Southern Arkansas is ranked No. 22 and No. 25, respectively, after beating Henderson State 42-19 this past Saturday at the Murphy USA Classic in El Dorado.
TIGERS JUMP INTO NCAA POWER RANKINGS
NCAA.com D2 columnist Wayne Cavadi publishes weekly power rankings that highlight the top 10 teams in the nation. After three weeks of being included in the first five out, the Cavadi moved the Tigers into the top 10 at No. 9 this week after snapping Harding’s 25-game win streak. “What needs to be said. Heading into this weekend, Harding allowed just 13 points all season, and this Tigers’ team was able to put up 17. The defense was simply outstanding, holding Harding to ‘just’ 218 yards rushing, its lowest rushing output since Nov. 23, 2019, in the postseason against Northwest Missouri State. It was also the first time Harding’s elite stable of running backs didn’t score a rushing touchdown since Oct. 6, 2018, against this very same Ouachita Baptist program. The Tigers are now perfect in the toughest Super Region in DII and with wins against Southern Arkansas and Harding, are in real contention for the No. 1 seed and first-round bye.”
WEEK 7 RECAP
Ouachita moved to 7-0 for the sixth time in program history with a 17-13 win over previously unbeaten and top-ranked Harding this past Saturday at Cliff Harris Stadium. Ouachita’s defense stepped up to the challenge against the nation’s top offense, holding the Bisons to 288 yards of total offense and only 13 points. Harding finished 1-for-12 on third downs, had two fumbles, was forced to punt six times, and only made into the red zone once. After forcing a three-and-out on Ouachita’s first drive, the Bisons struck first with a touchdown at the 9:30 mark of the first quarter. Ouachita answered with a long scoring drive on 10 plays and 69 yards to score on a three-yard run by Kendel Givens. Following three-and-outs by both teams, the Bisons regained the lead on a 52-yard field goal by Magnus Lepak at the 9:55 mark of the second quarter. Again, the Tigers answered, this time with a nine-play, 61-yard drive capped by a 25-yard field goal by Dax Jaggers with 5:44 remaining before halftime to make it 10-10. Harding finished the first half with an 11-play, 72-yard drive capped by a 42-yard field goal from Lepak with 24 seconds on the clock to put his team up 13-10 at the break. After a scoreless third quarter, the Tigers opened up the playbook to take their first lead of the game with 12:58 remaining in the fourth with a handoff to Connor Flannigan who then threw a pass back to quarterback Eli Livingston who was left open for a four-yard touchdown. Both defenses took over for the rest of the game with neither team having more than six plays in a possession until the last minute when Harding ran 10 plays, but time ran out on the Bisons to seal the win for the Tigers.
OUACHITA STAT NOTABLES
• Ouachita is one of just nine unbeaten teams remaining at the NCAA Division II level. • Ouachita is second in the GAC and 24th nationally in third down conversions at 45.5 percent. Defensively, the Tigers are third in the GAC and 22nd nationally, holding opponents to just 31 percent. • Ouachita is second in the GAC and 26th nationally in fewest penalties, averaging 5.43 per game. • Ouachita is second in the GAC and 12th nationally in first down defense having only surrendered 96. • Ouachita leads the GAC and ranks 5th nationally in kickoff returns at 27.6 yards per return. • Ouachita leads the nation in net punting at 43.4 yards per punt. Individually, Tom Weston leads the GAC and ranks fourth nationally with an average of 45.2 yards per punt. Weston has punted 29 times with a long punt of 76 yards. He has 17 punts downed inside the opponent 20-yard line and seven punts of at least 50 yards. • Ouachita is second in the GAC and eighth in D2 in total defense, giving up just 243.1 yards per game. • Ouachita leads the nation and is second in all levels of college football in punt return defense, actually holding opponents to 4.5 negative yards per return. There’s only been two punt returns attempted on the Tigers this year. On the other side, the Tigers are leading the GAC and rank eighth nationally in punt returns with an average of 18.2 yards per return. Individually, Connor Flannigan leads the GAC and ranks eighth nationally with an average of 19.7 yards per return. • Ouachita leads the GAC and ranks fifth in the nation in red zone offense with a scoring rate of 92.6%. • Ouachita is one of four teams in the nation holding opponents to single digits in scoring. The Tigers rank third in the nation with an average of 8.7 points allowed per game. Ouachita has held opponents to single digits in four games this year, including one shutout. This past week, Ouachita limited Harding to just 13 points. The Bisons were averaging 61 points per game previously. • Ouachita leads the GAC and ranks third nationally in tackles for loss with an average of 9.9 per game. Individually, Mikey Gonzalez is one of the best in the nation in TFL and sacks. He averages 1.5 TFL per game and also ranks 10th in the nation in sacks with six total. • Ouachita quarterback Eli Livingston leads the GAC and ranks 11th in the nation in passing efficiency with a QB rating of 165.6. He also leads the league and ranks sixth nationally in yards per completion with an average of 15.8. Livingston is also tops in the GAC in points responsible for at 14 per game. He hauled in his first career receiving touchdown this past Saturday for what ended up being the game-winning score over Harding. • In addition to his passing efficiency, Livingston has also paced Ouachita’s rushing game this year and leads the GAC and ranks 15th nationally with an average of 6.4 yards per carry
SCOUTING THE WONDER BOYS
Arkansas Tech enters Saturday’s game with a 4-3 record following a 24-13 road win over Arkansas-Monticello this past Saturday. The Wonder Boys are 4-0 against teams from Oklahoma this year and 0-3 against Arkansas teams. Tech started the season 2-0 with a 44-41 overtime win over Oklahoma Baptist in week one followed by a 26-6 win over Southern Nazarene. Week three was a 27-12 road loss to then-ranked No. 20 Henderson State followed by a 38-7 loss to Southern Arkansas. Tech then beat the two western Oklahoma teams in back-to-back weeks, beating Northwestern Oklahoma State 44-21 on the road and Southwestern Oklahoma State 29-19 at home setting up last week’s game against UAM. The Weevils jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the first 20 minutes, which proved too much for the Wonder Boys to overcome.
LAST TIME OUT VS. ARKANSAS TECH
14th-ranked Ouachita scored twice in the final 10 minutes of the game, which proved to be enough for what ended up as a 31-24 victory over Arkansas Tech at home in week eight of the 2023 season. Tech scored on the first drive of the game to take an early lead in what turned into a back-and-forth battle between the Wonder Boys and Tigers. Ouachita answered, but it wasn’t until the same point of the second quarter on the first of what ended up being three rushing touchdowns for Kendel Givens. Tech responded with a field goal on its next drive to regain the lead 10-7. Ouachita then marched 75 yards on 13 plays and managed the clock to take its first lead of the game on a touchdown pass from Riley Harms to Bo Baker with 11 seconds remaining before halftime. That score put the Tigers up 14-10 at the break. In the second half, Gabe Goodman got the scoring started with a 30-yard field goal on the first drive to put the Tigers up 17-10. Tech fought back and regained the lead at 24-17 with touchdowns coming midway through the third quarter and early in the fourth. The Ouachita offense took over from there, highlighted by a pair of rushing touchdowns from Givens. His second of the game tied the game at 24-all, and was his 50th career rushing score, which set a new Ouachita record. He padded that record with another score late in the fourth quarter to put the Tigers back on top in what ended up being the final score of the contest. Ouachita ended up with a slight advantage in total offense at 366-353, including a 235-63 lead in rushing yards.
Arkansas Tech Notes
KICKING OFF
For the second time this season, the Arkansas Tech football team will be facing a nationally-ranked opponent as they play host to consensus top-10 ranked Ouachita Baptist. The Wonder Boys will be looking to hand the Tigers their first loss of the season and in the process return themselves to the win column. Kick-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. from Simmons Bank Field at Thone Stadium
TECH(NICALLY) SPEAKING
LAST GAME
The Wonder Boys are coming off a disappointing 24-13 defeat on the road at Arkansas-Monticello this past weekend. In that game, the Wonder Boys fell behind 14-0 through the first five minutes of the first quarter and were unable to fully climb out of the hole.
SCOUTING THE OFFENSE
Offensively after seven games, the Wonder Boys are averaging 25.0 points per game and 347.4 yards of total offense. Their ppg average ranks sixth in the GAC, while their total offense also ranks sixth. In the passing game, the Wonder Boys used a trio of quarterbacks with Ethan Forrester, Ethan Everson and Hunter Loyd making at least one start. Overall, Everson has played in all seven game and has made five starts. In his time on the field, Everson has thrown for 1,089 yards on 87-of-158 passing with seven touchdowns and four interceptions. As a team, their 217.3 passing yards per game rank third in the GAC. On the ground, the Wonder Boys have had 10 different ball carriers against this season. Deuce Wise has shouldered the largest load with 90 carries and leads the team in net yards with 441. Luke Gall is next on the team in rushing yards with 326. He also leads in rushing touchdowns with four. Myles West has come on as of late in the backfield and is up over 150 yards and has two touchdowns. Jordan Edington, who handles most of the short-yardage downs, has recorded three rushing touchdowns. The Wonder Boys’ 130.1 rushing yards per game ranks eighth in the GAC. In terms of receiving, Tech has had pass completions to 12 different targets. Joyrion Chase leads the team in receptions with 31, yards at 391 and has one receiving TD. Caleb Tanis is next with 388 yards on 26 receptions and is tied for the team-lead in touchdowns with two. Tight End Dayton Keller and wideouts Jordan Jackson and Jared Long are tied with Tanis for the lead in receiving touchdowns with two.
SCOUTING THE DEFENSE
Defensively through seven games, the Wonder Boys allow an average of 280.0 yards of total offense per game by their opponents and 25.1 points per game. The total defense ranks third in the GAC, while their scoring defense is fifth. Individually, Tech has six players that registered at least 25 tackles overall are led by Jyrin Steward and his 54 stops. Steward also lead the team in tackles for loss with 14.5 and has 2.0 sacks. Israel Whitmore is currently the team leader in sacks with 3.5. In terms of takeaways, the Wonder Boys have recovered three fumbles and come away with seven interceptions. Three of the picks have been hauled in by CJ Palmer. The Wonder Boys also have two pick-six interceptions this season with Diego Sanchez having a 62-yard one against Northwestern Oklahoma and Steward a 15-yard one against Southwestern Oklahoma. The fumble recoveries have been secured by Jordan Thompson, Tyler Mosley and Whitmore.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Christopher Baldazo has assumed the placekicking duties for the Wonder Boys and in seven games he is 11-for-12 in field goals with a long of 48 yards against Arkansas-Monticello. He is also 12-of-14 in extra point kicks. In the punting game, Logan Tymeson has been called upon to punt 30 times this season and is averaging 41.2 yards per punt. In the return game, Tyrique Jones leads the team in kickoff return yards with 90 yards on three returns. His long is 40 yards. On punts, he has returned three for 22 yards with a long of 16.
Southeastern Oklahoma State vs Southwestern Oklahoma State 2:00 P.M.
Flex-Chem Field at Milam Stadium – Weatherford, Oklahoma
Series History: Southeastern Oklahoma State leads 50-38-3
Last Meeting: SE, 32-13 (October 21, 2023
Southeastern Oklahoma State Notes
Noteworthy…
• The 2024 season marks 111th season of Southeastern football overall, 27th since joining NCAA Division II, and the 14th season as a member of the Great American Conference. • Saturday’s matchup with SWOSU is the 92nd meeting between the two programs of all time. The first meeting came during the 1923 season, a 16-7 win for SE. The Storm owns a 50-38-3 record in the series over that span, and has put together three winning streaks of at least five games, including the longest streak by either team of nine-consecutive victories from 2002 through 2010. SE has maintained an edge since the teams joined the GAC where the Storm owns an 8-4 mark in the series. • After snapping a five-game losing skid in the state of Arkansas with a win over UAM, the Storm return to Oklahoma where it has compiled a 29-4 record over Oklahoma opponents in the six-plus seasons under head coach Bo Atterberry, and is currently on a six-game winning streak versus in-state foes. • Southeastern junior linebacker Braeden Winters was named the D2Football.com Defensive Player of the Week following his 14 tackles, four TFL, and two sack performance in the week four win over Northwestern Okla- homa State. • SE heads into the 2024 season picked to finish fifth in the GAC Preseason Poll. The poll, voted on by the league’s coaches, saw the Savage Storm pick up 72 points in the voting, finishing eight points ahead of Arkansas Tech in sixth. Harding was the preseason top pick with 10 of the 12 possible first-place votes, followed by Ouachita Baptist in Second and Southern Arkansas in third place with one first-place nod apiece. Henderson State was fourth just ahead of the Storm, while Oklahoma Baptist checked in seventh, followed by Arkansas-Monticello and East Central in eighth and ninth, respectively. Southern Nazarene, Southwestern Oklahoma State, and Northwestern Oklahoma State would round out the poll in order. • SE returns a pair of All-GAC honorees, both in the backfield as DJ Brown was the team’s leading rusher and was a second team pick at running back, while Ryan Hirt was the number two rusher and was a selection for his special teams play. • The Storm returns five players who started at least five games last season on offense, and six on the defensive side. • SE’s initial 2-deep features plenty of youth as 10 of the 22 listed offensive players are sophomores in standing or younger, including three starters. Defensively the number is also 10, with four in starting roles. Storm special teams has just one but returns all its starters from last season. • SE RB DJ Brown is one of a record 178 nominees for the 2024 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team which features players and coaches from across the country and at every four-year collegiate level. A junior from Leonard, Texas, he becomes the fourth Savage Storm player in the last eight seasons to earn a nomination to the team. He put together 641 yards and four touchdowns on the ground in his first season with the Storm and added 94 yards and two scores receiving on his way to a second team all-GAC honor. Off the field, he has been an academic All-GAC selection and will be the president of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee for the upcoming season.
Southwestern Oklahoma State Notes
SWOSU Football looks to get back in the win column on Saturday against Southeastern Oklahoma State on Homecoming.
The Bulldogs will be trying to snap a three-game losing streak and pick up a win for the first time in the month of October. Last week, SWOSU suffered a 35-17 setback to Oklahoma Baptist in Shawnee after being held without points in the second half. The Dawgs couldn’t stay on the field, going 2-for-15 on third down with another three unsuccessful fourth down conversions.
SWOSU’s first non-offensive touchdown of 2024 came in the second quarter against OBU courtesy of Austin Houk when he forced, and then recovered, a fumble on special teams.
Jax Smith caught his first touchdown reception of the season, for 46 yards, in the second quarter against OBU. He now has nine grabs for 139 yards on the year. Smith joins Baylor Nash (17 catch, 161 yards) and Michael Arceneaux II (15 catch, 131 yards) as receivers with a touchdown grab this season.
On the ground, Kai Kunz netted 82 yards and was held without a rushing touchdown. Kunz has not scored just one rushing touchdown in any game this year. He’s been held out of the end zone three times but has scored two or more in four games this season and has rushed for at least 80 yards in five of SWOSU’s seven games.
Defensively, SWOSU came alive in the second half against the Bison after surrendering four touchdowns in the game’s first two quarters. After halftime the Dawgs allowed just 53 yards to OBU with help from Logan Monroe, who intercepted his first pass of the season, and Mason Daugherty, who became the eighth Bulldog to recover a fumble this season.
The Bison’s lone score in the second half came following a blocked punt that set them up in the red zone to start a drive.
Monroe (11) eclipsed the 10-tackle mark for the third time this season, outdone only by Keshaun Jackson whose 14 led the team for a second straight week.
Southeastern enters the contest with a 4-3 record and is coming off their largest win of the season after beating SNU 40-14 in week six. They average 25.7 points and 349.7 yards per game on offense, each good for fifth in the GAC, and are allowing 20.0 points and 293 yards per game, each good for fourth.
The Savage Storm offense is balanced on paper, having ran a nearly identical number of pass and run plays on the year. They have allowed the third fewest rushing touchdowns in the GAC this season, 9, and are holding opposing runners to under 3.5 yards per carry.
SWOSU is 4-8 against Southeastern since competing in the GAC and 1-3 at home during that same span. All-time, the Savage Storm hold a 51-37-3 advantage in the series which dates back to the 1920s.
The Bulldogs will be looking to snap a five-game losing streak on Homecoming that dates back to 2018.
East Central vs Southern Nazarene 2:00 P.M.
SNU Football Stadium – Bethany, Oklahoma
Series History: East Central leads 9-3
Last Meeting: SNU, 27-13 (October 21, 2023
INSIDE THE SERIES
Overall: 13th Meeting, ECU Leads 9-3 Current Streak: SNU (W1) Last Meeting: Oct. 21, 2023 (W, 27-13) Series Notes: The Crimson Storm will host the Tigers in search of their first win of the 2024 season. The Storm offense has continued to evolve over the year and looks to get in the win column. SNU comes off of a tough loss on the road at Southeastern. East Central comes off of a win against Northwestern Oklahoma State and will look to continue their momentum into their game.
East Central Notes
No notes available.
Southern Nazarene Notes
STORM WARNING
WHEN THESE TWO TEAMS LAST MET…
The Crimson Storm traveled to East Central last season to take on the Tigers. It was a back-and-forth contest that went the Storm’s way. It was a defensive battle in the first quarter. Neither squad was able to get on board as the clock ran down. The second quarter was similar, but the Tigers were able to get on the board after a 25-yard pass. ECU took a 7-0 lead and held on to the Storm for the rest of the second quarter. The Crimson Storm came out ready to respond after the halftime break, getting on the board with a fake punt as Nick Blanchard found the endzone to tie the score, 7-7. SNU then doubled their score after a fumble, recovering the extend their lead, 13-7. The Tigers were able to respond with a 58-yard run for a touchdown to tie the score at 13- 13. Gage Porter then gave SNU the lead after he made a 66-yard run. The fourth quarter was dominated by the defenses once again, but Porter was able to make another run to find the endzone and give the Crimson Storm the lead, 27-13, in the final minutes of the contest. The SNU defense was able to shut down the Tigers securing the road victory over East Central 27-13. This marked the first time the Storm had beaten the Tigers since 2021.
Southern Arkansas vs #1 Harding 3:00 P.M.
First Security Stadium – Searcy, Arkansas
Series History: Harding leads 31-27-1
Last Meeting: HU, 54-20 (October 21, 2023
Southern Arkansas Notes
WEEK 8 MATCHUP
• Potentially one of the largest contests in Mulerider Football’s history as the now ranked 22nd/25th Muleriders travel to Searcy, Arkansas after handling the Reddies in El Dorado for the 14th Murphy USA Classic. • This matchup, while has major implications on the Great American Conference title, is also being looked at almost as if it were a “play-in” game into the 2024 NCAA Division II Playoffs. • The Muleriders and Bisons will meet for the 60th time all-time as the series has run tight for the last 59 meetings with Harding having the advantage at 31-27-1. • The two groups meet as one of five ranked matchups (AFCA) in the nation, as well as one of three in Super Region 3. • The last time Southern Arkansas had defeated Harding came on the road as underdogs in 2018, as the Muleriders defeated the #7 Bisons at First Security Stadium 28-23. • Last season, the two met in the 13th Murphy USA Classic, in which Harding proved its might with a 54-20 victory against the Muleriders. Showing their dominance on their way to claiming the national title.
NOTABLES: SOUTHERN ARKANSAS
• The Muleriders are winners of four straight since falling to the lone undefeated team in the league, the #5/7 Ouachita Baptist Tigers. Prior to the current win streak, Southern Arkansas scored 84 points to opponents’ 76. Since then, the Blue and Gold have outscored its opposition 194-57. • Southern Arkansas has seemingly gotten better offensively and defensively each week. The Mulerider offense has gone from averaging 340.3 offensive yards a game to 486.25 offensive yards a game. • Defensively, SAU has gone from allowing 340 yards to opposing offenses to now allowing just 279.5 per outing while surrendering less than fifty yards rushing in the last two contests and under 100 in three of the last four games (43 rushes for 151 rushing yards vs SNU). • The Muleriders in the last four games would rank fifth nationally for offensive yards per game and 25th in the country for offensive yards allowed per game. • The major change for the defense has been the rushing defense as with the last four games, they would rank as the 14th-best rush defense in Division II (82.5).
NOTABLES: HARDING
• The reigning national champions caught much publicity this last weekend while in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, but mostly surrounding their first loss in 25 games. • The Bisons have been looked as the best team in the nation by a vast margin as Harding continues to house the top defense in the country as well as a top-three offense. • This season, the Bisons have outscored opponents 379-30 with the most points given up in a game being this last weekend against now #5/7 Ouachita Baptist (13-17). • The Harding defense, allowing just 4.3 ppg and 125 yards ppg (both 1st nationally), makes it to where the only way you can have a chance at downing the defending champs is by getting in a low-scoring affair. • HU has been known for its triple option offense, that while is made to chew clock, the group has been scoring 54.1 points per game (1st GAC | 2nd nationally) with the only blemish happening in Clark County.
Last week | W, 42-19 vs #25 HSU
• In last week’s trip to El Dorado, Arkansas, the Muleriders started hot and never lost control of their outing against the nationally ranked Henderson State Reddies as the Blue and Gold handled HSU 42-19 with a dominant play from both offense and defense. • Southern Arkansas proved to have the stronger offense of the two as the Muleriders scored on their first three drives, stalled for a couple, and the ran away with the game by scoring on three of their first drives in the second half. • That elite Mulerider offense was led by General Judd Barton as the junior out of Louisiana completed 17 of 22 passing attempts for 163 yards, but really wore out the Reddie defense with 11 carries, 121 yards, a long rush of 59, and three house calls. The junior claimed his third GAC Offensive Player of the Week and second in a row after his performance in the Murphy USA Classic. • The Mulerider defense stood strong against the highly-respected Reddie offense as the group held HSU to 325 yards of offense and just 50 yards of rushing
Harding Notes
Harding Team Notes
• Coming off their first loss of the season, Harding returns to First Security Stadium on Homecoming Saturday at 3 p.m. to take on 22nd-ranked Southern Arkansas, its third game against a nationally ranked opponent this season … HU is 44-17-2 (.714) in previous Homecoming games, has won its last nine, and is playing SAU on Homecoming for the first time since 1988 (HU 34-6). • Harding had its 25-game winning streak snapped Saturday but enters this week’s game with a 13-game home winning streak … a win would tie the longest home winning streak in program history, 14 games from Oct. 20, 2018-Nov. 27, 2021 … Southern Arkansas enters the game with a six-game road winning streak. • KEY STAT: Time of possession could be the number to watch. Harding controls the ball for an average of 35:52 minutes per game (2nd in Division II), while Southern Arkansas averages only 26:59 minutes (148th). • This will be the 60th meeting between HU and SAU with the Bisons holding a 31-27-1 lead … Harding has won the last four games in the series, but Southern Arkansas holds a 15-13-1 series lead in games played in Searcy. • Sixth-ranked Harding dominated Southern Arkansas 54-20 last season in El Dorado, Arkansas, rushing for 631 yards, its second-highest total in history, behind solid performances from Braden Jay (202 yards, 1 TD) and Blake Delacruz (201 yards, 2 TDs). • Harding is ranked No. 7 in the AFCA Top 25 Coaches Poll … Harding has appeared in 72 consecutive AFCA polls. • Harding leads D2 with 426.3 rushing yards per game and has eclipsed 500 yards twice … HU (2,984) has 707 more rushing yards than second place in D2 (Eastern N.M., 2,277) … HU also leads D2 with 7.17 yards per rush and 37 rush TD. • Harding’s defense is allowing a Division II low 4.3 points per game … only one team has scored more than 20 points against Harding in their last 22 games … the HU record for scoring defense is 8.7 points allowed by the 1962 Bisons. • Harding’s defense also leads Divison II with 125.0 yards allowed per game … the Bisons allow a D2-low 2.57 yards per play and have allowed a D2-low three total touchdowns … the HU record for total defense is 184.9 yards per game by the 1966 Bisons. • Harding ranks second in Division II with 35:52 time of possession … the Bisons have held a TOP lead in all seven games this season and in 25 straight overall … Harding has had two games this season with more than 40 minutes of possession. • Harding’s defense ranks second in Division II in 3rd Down Conversion Pct., allowing only 20.5 percent conversions … the Bisons have allowed five or fewer third down conversions in all seven games this season. • OPPONENT WATCH: Southern Arkansas ranks second nationally in turnover margin at +11 with 16 turnovers gained and only five lost … QB Judd Barton ranks 16th nationally with a 66.1 completion percentage … SAU has had four kicks blocked this season and averages 8.43 penalties per game (138th in Division II in fewest penalties).
Harding Player Notes
• QB COLE KEYLON … 30-3 as a starter … 4th in GAC passing TD (8) and 11th in rushing TD (4) … 6th in HU career rush TD (25) … needs 87 pass yards to become 16th HU player with 2,000 career pass yards … 9th in HU career pass TD (21) • FB BLAKE DELACRUZ … GAC leader and 4th in D2 with 10 rush TD … 12th in GSC with 393 rush yards … 5th in HU career rush yards (2,794), needs 30 yards to pass Jim Howard (2,823, 1964-67) for 4th … 3rd in HU career rush TD (42), needs four TD to pass Park Parish (45, 2012-16) for 2nd … needs 61 all-purpose yards to become 13th HU player with 3,000 … 5th in HU career scoring (258 points) … had 201 rush yards and 2 TD vs. SAU in ‘23 • FB ANDREW MILLER … 6th in GSC rush yards (455) and 7th in rush TD (6) … 12th in HU career yards/rush (7.76) • SB BRADEN JAY … 2nd in GAC all-purpose yards (108.86), 2nd in receiving TD (3), 7th in rush TD (6), 10th in rush yards (431), 13th in combined kick return yards (132) … 15th in HU career rush yards (1,799), needs 201 yards to become 10th HU player with 2,000 rush yards … 9th in HU career rush TD (23) … HU career leader in yards/rush (12.76) … 19th in HU career all-purpose yards (2,574) … 11th in HU career scoring (174) … needs 1 TD to become 5th HU player with 30+ TD … rushed for 202 yards and 1 TD vs. SAU in ‘23 • SB CHAUNCEY MARTIN … 11th in HU career yards/rush (7.86) • DL DRE HALL … 4th in GAC sacks (4.0) … 6th in HU career TFL (30.0) … 2nd in HU career sacks (22.5), needs 2.0 sacks to tie Tre’von Biglow for the school record • DL GAGE PRICE … 3rd in GAC sacks (5.0) … 7th in GAC TFL (8.5) … 10th in HU career sacks (13.5) • LB CLARK GRIFFIN … 10th in GAC tackles (47) … has 213 career tackles, needs 3 to move into HU’s NCAA era top 10 • DB DARION DUNLAP-JOHNSON … 5 tackles, 1 FF vs. SAU in ‘23 • DB TY DUGGER … 2nd in GAC and 6th in D2 with 4 INT, 9th in GAC passes defended (6) … 7 tackles vs. • RS KENDALE ALLEN … 3rd in HU career kick return yards (1,207), needs 31 yards to pass Aaron Walters (1,237, 1991-94) for 2nd … 2nd in HU yards/kick return (27.43) … 4 tackles, 1.0 TFL vs. SAU in ‘23 • K MAGNUS LEPAK … 2nd in GAC in scoring (64), 3rd in FG per game (0.75), 4th in field goal pct. (75.0) … 7th in HU PAT kick pct. (93.8) … 4th in HU FG pct. (70.0)
