UAM to face Ouachita Baptist
From the time the University of Arkansas at Monticello’s football schedule was released, it was clear that Harding and Ouachita Baptist universities would pose the biggest two-week challenge of the season.
One half of that, a 59-19 Harding win last Saturday, is far in the rearview mirror of UAM (2-1 overall and Great American). Not far ahead in the Boll Weevils’ view is fourth-ranked Ouachita Baptist (3-0), the defending GAC champion, which has won 15 straight regular-season games.
The Weevils will host the Tigers with kickoff at 6 tonight at Convoy Leslie-Cotton Boll Stadium.
Coach Hud Jackson didn’t give the Weevils much time to mull over the blowout at Harding, going straight to practice less than 24 hours after the game.
“We want to get them back on the practice field as quickly as possible,” Jackson said, adding that the Weevils had their opportunities at Harding. “The great thing about it, Mondays are our day off from practice, so we’re not sitting around another 24 hours, whether it’s a win or loss.”
Ouachita Baptist moved up one spot in the American Football Coaches Association Division II poll after toppling Southern Arkansas University 52-24. The Tigers’ offense, at 52 points per game, is second-best in the GAC to Harding (53.7), and their conference-leading defense (12.7) will give UAM’s third-best offense (42) another formidable challenge.
The Tigers’ run game is not as prolific as Harding’s, but Kendel Givens (75 yards per game) and Chris Henley Jr. (63) find themselves among the conference’s top10 leading rushers. Givens has run for 7 touchdowns this season.
“The biggest thing for us, they have a great attack,” Jackson said of the Tigers. “They’re always going to run the ball well. We’re going to contain that as best we can. Defensively, they’re going to be a sound football team, well-coached. We’ve got to match up with that. We have to find a good way to match up with them.”
Ouachita Baptist’s defense has recorded 14 sacks this season, so Jackson is emphasizing better protection for UAM quarterback Demilon Brown. Luckily for the Weevils, their offense is still atop the conference chart for yards per game at 290.3, and the unit has scored 11 touchdowns, tying Ouachita Baptist for first in that category.
“O-line and d-line play are going to be key,” Jackson said. “It’s a totally different defense that you’re going to try to defend. We can’t have Demilon feeling pressure. We feel like we’re talented in our receiver position, but if we don’t have time to throw, that makes it a neutral factor. We’re always going to bounce back and complete.”
Ouachita Baptist last lost in the regular season 35-21 to Southeastern Oklahoma State University on Nov. 6, 2021. The Tigers’ streak began the following week in the Battle of the Ravine over Henderson State University.
As the Tigers head into Monticello, Jackson’s Weevils are taking some lessons learned from their loss at Harding, which moved from No. 11 to No. 10 in the AFCA poll.
“When you play hard and go up against an offense that’s not very common, and they’re good at it, trying to defend Harding’s offense, you have to be disciplined,” Jackson said. “You cannot deviate from it. You have to be disciplined. We might have been a step behind or our eyes were in the wrong place. You have to be disciplined and have your eyes in the right place. We didn’t do that.
“Teams are going to be more physical and we have to be more disciplined.”