GAC ROUNDUPS

SOUTHERN ARKANSAS 38, ARKANSAS TECH 0

Southern Arkansas quarterback Barrett Renner went 25 of 36 passing for 299 yards and 3 touchdowns Thursday to lead the Muleriders to a season-opening victory over Arkansas Tech in Magnolia.

Renner went right to work in the first quarter, htting Karonce Higgins for a 6-yard touchdown pass that capped a 6-play, 68-yard drive in just under three minutes. On the ensuing Arkansas Tech possession, DeMarcus Pegue returned an interception 27 yards for a touchdown to give SAU (1-0, 1-0 Great American Conference) a 14-0 lead.

Renner’s second touchdown pass came to start the second quarter, going to Sircharles Perkins for 14 yards as the Muleriders took a 21-0 lead. Jared Lancaster returned a punt 68 yards for a touchdown and Higgins caught his second touchdown pass, a 4-yarder with 3:36 left in the first half that gave SAU a 35-0 lead.

Higgins finished with a team-high 7 catches for 117 yards. Austin Wilkerson hit a 29-yard field goal as time expired in the first half to set the final score.

Arkansas Tech quarterbacks Cale Fulsom and Carter Burcham threw for 83 yards each, but Fulsom was intercepted twice and Burcham once. Burcham also ran for 35 yards, while Bryan Allen ran for a team-high 37 yards on 9 carries.

Southern Arkansas plays Harding next on Sept. 8 in Searcy, while Arkansas Tech (0-1, 0-1 GAC) plays its home opener against Henderson State.

SW OKLAHOMA STATE 49, ARKANSAS-MONTICELLO 35

Southwestern Oklahoma State (1-0, 1-0 GAC) had 553 yards of total offense, including 421 through the air to defeat the University of Arkansas-Monticello (0-1, 0-1) at ASAP Energy Field in Weatherford, Okla.

The Savage Storm’s Casey Freeman was 18-of-26 passing for 416 yards and threw 7 touchdowns against the Boll Weevils who got 283 yards and a touchdown from Cole Sears in the air.

SWOSU led 28-21 at halftime and 35-28 entering the fourth quarter. The Savage Storm scored on the first play of the quarter to go ahead 42-28 before the Boll Weevils got to within a touchdown on a 3-yard touchdown run by Sears with 10:57 remaining.

The Savage went ahead two scores on another Freeman touchdown pass with 8:57 left to set the final margin.

Sears completed 26 of 52 passes for the Boll Weevils who had 4 players with at least 4 catches.

Sears and teammate Nigel Dora each had 44 yards on the ground to lead all rushers.

OUACHITA BAPTIST 29, NW OKLAHOMA ST. 21

Ouachita Baptist University (1-0, 1-0 GAC) earned the road victory over Northwestern Oklahoma State (0-1, 0-1) in Alva, Okla.

Kris Oliver had two touchdowns to lead the Tigers to a 20-7 halftime lead. Cole Antley added field goals of 23 and 43 yards to give the Tigers a 20-0 lead before the Rangers added a touchdown before intermission.

An OBU touchdown in the third quarter was offset by another Ranger score as the Tigers led 26-14 with 3:18 left in quarter.

Antley added a field goal with 13:43 left in the game before the Rangers scored a touchdown with 2:47 remaining to set the final margin.

It was the 12th consecutive time the Tigers started the season with a victory.