TODAY’S GREAT AMERICAN CONFERENCE GAMES

OUACHITA BAPTIST AT HARDING

WHEN 6 p.m.

WHERE First Security Stadium, Searcy RADIO Harding: 95.3-FM KVHU in Searcy; Ouachita Football Network: 101.1-FM, KDXE in Little Rock (flagship), KUOA-AM, 1290 and KUOA-FM, 97.7 in Siloam Springs, KCXY-FM, 95.3, Camden, KZNG-FM, 105.5 and KZNG-AM, 1340, Hot Springs, KNAS-FM, 105.5, Nashville, KQOR-FM, 105.3, Mena; 100.3-FM INTERNET obutigers.com, hardingsports.com RECORDS Ouachita Baptist (5-0); Harding (4-1) COACHES Todd Knight (105-94 at OBU in 20th season, 133-126-2 in 26th season overall); Paul Simmons (15-5 in 2nd season at Harding).

SERIES Harding leads 32-23-4 (Harding leads 4-3 in GAC)

LAST MEETING Harding won 31-28 in Arkadelphia COMMENTS Game of the week in the GAC and one of the top matchups in all of NCAA Division II, with OBU (No. 6 in the AFCA Top 25) taking on No. 19 Harding on the Bisons’ home field. Harding has won the past two meetings, and the Bisons might be in a win-or-else situation if they want to make their third consecutive appearance in the Division II playoffs. If Harding loses, it can finish no better than 9-2 in what appears to be a three-team race for the GAC title between Southern Arkansas (5-0), OBU (5-0) and Harding (4-1). The Bisons, who lost to SAU 28-23 in Week 2, would also be on the short end of all tie-breakers if all three teams tied at 9-2, leaving it up to the Region I selection committee to determine how many GAC teams would make the playoffs. The GAC has never sent more than two teams to the playoffs since its inception in 2011. But OBU’s Knight said: “We went last year at 9-2.” Harding made a run to the NCAA Division II semifinals after starting last season 0-3. The Bisons won their final eight GAC games, including a victory over Arkansas Tech in the regular-season finale in what turned out to be a playoff play-in game. Simmons said he doesn’t view today’s game as a season-maker or season-breaker. “I really think a 9-2 team from our conference would be in the playoffs.” Rhetoric aside, this is a matchup involving two of the top 10 rushing offenses and scoring defenses in Division II, with Harding No. 1 in rushing offense (336.8 ypg) and OBU No. 9 (284.8 ypg). OBU (10.4 ppg) is No. 1 in the GAC and No. 3 in Division II in scoring defense; Harding (14.6 ppg) is No. 2 in the GAC and No. 13 in the nation. They rank first and third in the GAC in rushing defense: Harding (76.2 ypg) and OBU (124.6 ypg). Overall, Harding (41.8 ppg) is No. 1 in the GAC and No. 10 in Division II in scoring offense; Ouachita is No. 3 in the GAC (33.6 ppg). “They’re pretty dominant,” Knight said of Harding. Simmons sees it as even-up game that could be decided by the kicking game. Ouachita and punter Jake Ford (41.4 ypp) is No. 5 in Division II in net punting (41.1) and Ford has dropped 11 of 26 punts inside the opponent 20. Harding and Cameron Scott (37.6 ypp) are No. 5 in the GAC and No. 31 overall in net punting. Scott has dropped 8 of 20 inside the 20. Both teams control and take care of the ball: Harding (34:32) is No. 9 in Division II in time of possession; Ouachita (32:02) is 4th in the GAC, No. 34 in Division II. The teams have combined for 11 turnovers in 10 games: OBU (5) and Harding (6), “It will be a field-position battle,” Simmons said. One wild card is how productive the passing games will be. Harding ranks 12th in the GAC and No. 166 in Division II in passing yards per game (57.6); Ouachita (122.6 ypg) is No. 10 in the GAC and 158th in the nation. But Harding averages 24.0 yards per completion, but is only averaging 5 attempts per game.

SOUTHERN NAZARENE AT SOUTHERN ARKANSAS

WHEN 2 p.m.

WHERE Wilkins Stadium, Magnolia RADIO 99.1-FM KVMZ in Magnolia INTERNET muleriderathletics.com RECORDS Southern Arkansas (5-0), Southern Nazarene (1-4)

COACHES Bill Keopple (54-46 in 10th season at SAU); Andy Lambert (7-20 in 3rd season at SNU, 109-116 in 23 seasons overall)

SERIES Southern Arkansas leads 6-0 (5-0 GAC) LAST MEETING Southern Arkansas won 27-15 in Bethany

COMMENTS Southern Arkansas got a scare on the road against Oklahoma Baptist, winning a 55-45 shootout that showed the Muleriders can be attacked on the back end of his secondary if the front 7 can’t get pressure on the quarterback. OKBU’s Preston Haire threw for 476 yards 5 TD passes. “They spread the field and got it out quick,” Keopple said of the Bison. “You think you know how it’s going to go, but it never does.” Keopple said he was pleased with the way SAU’s offense bounced back after a lackluster effort the previous week against Northwestern Oklahoma. Senior quarterback Barrett Renner (387 passing yards, 3 TDs) and running backs Lorenzo Alexander (24-100 rushing, 2 TDs) and SirAnthony Perkins (16-125, 3 TDs) were productive, but nobody came up bigger than all-purpose wide receiver Jared Lancaster (9-156 receiving, 3 TDs), who was named the co-GAC Offensive Player of the week. Lancaster, a redshirt junior from Shreveport, is 24-295 receiving, 4 TDs for the season, with almost half of that production last week. Lancaster (9-132 punt returns, 1 TD) also plays a key role on special teams for the Muleriders. “He’s one of the premiere plays in the league that nobody knows about,” Keopple said. “My deal has been that we need to get the ball to him more, and we did.” … Southern Nazarene is last in the GAC in scoring offense (13.0 ppg), 12th in total offense (188.4 ypg) 11th in passing offense (60 ypg) but is No. 6 in the GAC in total defense and scoring defense and No. 1 passing yards allowed (123.2).

ARKANSAS MONTICELLO AT ARKANSAS TECH

WHEN 6 p.m.

WHERE Thone Stadium at Burkle Field, Russellville RADIO 102.3-FM KCJC, Russellville; 93.7-FM KHBM in Southeast Arkansas INTERNET arkansastechsports.com,uamsports.com RECORDS Arkansas Tech (2-3), Arkansas-Monticello (1-4)

COACHES Hud Jackson (24-57 in 8th season at UAM); Raymond Monica (33-29 in 6th season at Arkansas Tech), 78-63 in 13th season overall SERIES Arkansas Tech leads 46-26-3 (4-3 GAC) LAST MEETING Arkansas Monticello won 46-45 in Monticello

COMMENTS Arkansas Tech outgained No. 6 Ouachita Baptist 432-357 last Saturday, with 60 plays and more than 300 yards coming in the second half. But the Wonder Boys scored one touchdown in a defeat that was sealed when Ouachita’s Keandre Evans intercepted a Carter Burcham pass and returned it more than 100 yards for a touchdown. ATU cut the lead to 10-7 early in the fourth quarter and had first and goal at the Ouachita 5 before Evans’ interception turned what might have been a 17-14 score to 24-7. … Arkansas Tech RB Bryan Allen (23-104 rushing vs. OBU) is third in the GAC in rushing (85-433, 1 TD) and third on the Wonder Boys’ all-time list with 3,144 yards. Allen needs to average 77 yards per game to become No. 1 on ATU’s all-time list. Burcham (72-152 passing, 996 yards, 5 TDs) has thrown 6 interceptions, including 3 last week against OBU and ranks No. 6 in the GAC is passing. UAM senior quarterback Cole Sears (88-174 passing, 1,190 yards, 7 TDs) is fifth in the conference in passing. He has also rushed for 7 touchdowns. Tight end DeAndre Washington (16-310 receiving, 4 TDs) is one of the GAC leaders averaging 19.4 yards per catch.

OKLAHOMA BAPTIST AT HENDERSON STATE

WHEN 2 p.m. WHERE Carpenter-Haygood Stadium, Arkadelphia RADIO Henderson State Sports Network: 100.9-FM KDEL and 1240-AM KVRC in Arkadelphia, 99.7-FM KWPS in Hot Springs, 106.9-FM KYXK in Gurdon, 104.1-FM KZYP/1310-AM in Malvern, 99.3-FM KAFN/690-AM in Benton INTERNET hsusports.com

RECORDS Henderson State (2-3); Oklahoma Baptist (2-3)

COACHES Scott Maxfield (96-51 in 14th season at Henderson, 125-63 in 18th season); Andy Lambert (7-19 in 3rd season at SNU; 109-115 in 23rd season overall) SERIES Henderson State leads 3-0 (3-0 GAC) LAST MEETING Henderson State won 14-13 in

Shawnee

COMMENTS Henderson State rallied from a halftime deficit to end a two-game losing streak with a 24-10 victory over Southern Nazarene in Bethany. … The Reddies are 1-7 in their past 8 home games, dating back to 2017. … The game shapes up as a possible shootout, with Oklahoma Baptist quarterback Preston Haire (149-235 passing, 1,458 yards, 12 TDs, 10 INTs.), the GAC’s leading passer after a 476-yard, 5-TD game against Southern Arkansas in a 55-45 loss. … Henderson’s Richard Stammetti (117-219 passing, 1,435 yards, 11 TDs, 4 INTs.) is No. 3 in the GAC passing yards. … Henderson ranks 11th in the GAC in total defense (410.4 yards per game), while OKBU is last in the league in total defense (455.0 ypg). … OKBU’s Cagney Roberson (37-409 receiving, 1 TD) leads the GAC in receptions. … Henderson’s John Murray (30-407, 3 TDs), Ben Johnson (30-323, 4 TDs) and Chase Lodree (21-321, 3 TDs) all rank in the top 8. Henderson running back Logan Moragne (56-231, 3 TDs) is the GAC’s third-leading rusher, but Querale Hall (20-105, 1 TD) led the Reddies against Southern Nazarene with 85 yards on 15 carries.