■ Muleriders quarterback Hayden Mallory reaches for a package of Canned Heat for left tackle Mason Harding to box Friday at the Texarkana Resources for the Disabled in Texarkana, Ark.
Postseason football has come back to Texarkana.
The Southern Arkansas University Muleriders (8-3) take on the Missouri Western State University Griffons (6-5) at Razorback Stadium at Noon today in the Agent Barry Live United Bowl.
The bowl game marks the first time that the two teams have met. Bill Keopple is the Muleriders’ head coach, while Matt Williamson coaches the Griffons. Southern Arkansas represents the Great American Conference, and Missouri Western State is out of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. Each school is in Division II.
“It’s all about taking care of the football when we have it and trying to take it away when we don’t have it,” Keopple said. “Turnovers play a big part in the game. We want to control the football and protect our quarterback. Line play on both sides of the ball will be critical. Hopefully we can hold up against their defensive line and keep them off our quarterback.”
Barrett Renner is the starting quarterback for SAU. Renner has thrown for 2,804 yards on 222of-330 passing, 21 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Renner is a fourtime, all-conference player.
“We enjoy stopping the run; that’s something we always want to do,” Williamson said. “But we’re going to have to stop their quarterback, as well, because he does a really good job. He has some weapons around him, and he’s very versatile in the thirddown game. He keeps the chains moving, and it’s very impressive to watch.”
Ka’Ronce Higgins has 66 catches for 1,083 yards and nine touchdowns for the Muleriders.
SAU is scoring an average of 28.5 points per contest and have given up 19.0. The Griffons average 27.3 per game and give up 22.5 per game.
“They have a very good offensive line, two explosive running backs, and their quarterback is a dualthreat guy,” Keopple said. “If we had our choice, we would want to play a team that runs the ball. We will need to try to stop their running game. We haven’t played in three weeks so I am hoping that our timing will be there.”
James Bailey Jr. (121 carries for 661 yards), quarterback Dom Marino (108 totes for 644 yards) and Shamar Griffith (95 rushes for 631 yards) lead MWSU’s rushing attack.
The three have combined for 1,936 of the Griffons’ 2,518 total rushing yards and have combined to score 18 TDs.
Marino has hit on 138 of 258 passes for 1,606 yards, eight touchdowns, and eight interceptions.
“Turnovers can change games; it changes momentum,” Williamson said. “When the offense turns the ball over, it gets everybody down a little bit. It pumps the defense up a little bit. It’s a momentum changer, especially if you can score. I think we’ve had about three or four defensive touchdowns, and both of our coaching staffs have done a really good job of presenting the importance of protecting the ball on offense and creating turnovers on defense.”
Spearheading MWSU’s defense is linebacker Anthony Williams, who has a team-leading 89 tackles on the year. Linebacker James Huskey has made 82 stops, and safety Kobe Cummings has 74.
Defensive linemen DaVondrick Lison and Antonio Washington lead the Muleriders’ 4-2-5 defense. Lison is SAU’s leading tackler with 61 stops on the season.
Defensive end Anthony Washington, who has 57 tackles, and Lison lead the team in sacks with 6.5 apiece. Defensive back Brock Floyd is third for the Mulerideres in tackles (52).
“The biggest thing will be execution,” Williamson said. “These two teams come in after losing their last football game (of the regular season), and I expect them to get after each other. Whoever executes the best, whoever wins the turnover battle and wins the third-down battle will probably end up hoisting the trophy at the end of the game.”