Texarkana’s Cole breaks single-season rushing mark in OBU loss Saturday
ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – It wasn’t the outcome Ouachita Baptist wanted, but it was a special season nevertheless, especially for Pleasant Grove graduate TJ Cole.
Cole and third-ranked OBU wrapped up the 2022 season on Saturday with a 47-17 loss to No. 8 Northwest Missouri State at home in the opening round of the NCAA Division II playoffs.
The Texarkana native finished his collegiate career with nearly 4,000 yards rushing, including 1,672 this season, which breaks the program’s 44-year, single-season rushing record.
The previous record was held by William Miller, who had 1,668 yards in 1978.
Cole also etched his name in the record books earlier in the season against Southern Arkansas on Oct. 22 when he rushed for six touchdowns, tying him for the most in a single game.
The following week against East Central University, he added two more touchdowns to set a school record for career touchdowns. He broke Brockton Brown’s record of 43 that was set from 2016-19.
Saturday’s loss was Ouachita’s first of the season, and gives the Tigers a final season record of 11-1. Northwest improves to 10-2 and advances into the second round of the playoffs where it will travel to Allendale, Michigan, next Saturday to face the No. 1 team in the nation, Grand Valley State. GVSU had a firstround bye as the No. 1 seed in Super Region 3.
The Bearcats controlled the game from the early-going, forcing the Tigers to a three-and-out on their first possession, and then getting a scoop-and-score 18-yard fumble return for a touchdown on the next Tiger drive.
Ouachita responded with a short drive, but long enough to get within Gabe Goodman’s field goal range. The Arkadelphia native connected from 37 yards out for his eighth field goal of the year to put the Tigers on the board late in the first quarter.
Ouachita’s defense kept the Tigers in the game early, forcing a Bearcat field goal early in the second quarter to keep the game at a one-score margin. However, the Bearcats defense held Ouachita scoreless through the rest of the second quarter and late into the third quarter, while building a 40-3 lead heading into the final period.
The Tigers broke their scoring silence with a 12-play, 67-yard drive in the first four minutes of the fourth period, capped by a 2-yard touchdown pass from Riley Harms to Tucker Swoboda. Ouachita finalized the scoring with a touchdown in the final seconds of the game, this time a 1-yard touchdown rush by Kendel Givens to cap an 11-play, 80-yard drive.