TODAY’S GREAT AMERICAN CONFERENCE GAMES

OUACHITA BAPTIST AT OKLAHOMA BAPTIST

WHEN 1 p.m. Central

WHERE Crain Family Stadium, Shawnee, Okla.

RADIO 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, KNASFM, 105.5, Nashville, KQOR-FM, 105.3, Mena INTERNET obutigers.com RECORDS Ouachita Baptist (6-0, 6-0 GAC); Oklahoma Baptist (2-4, 2-4)

COACHES Todd Knight (101-94 in 20th season at Ouachita Baptist, 129-126-2 in 25 seasons overall; Chris Jenson (2041 in fifth season at Oklahoma Baptist) SERIES Ouachita Baptist leads 5-2-1

LAST MEETING Ouachita Baptist won 52-14 in Arkadelphia

COMMENTS Ouachita Baptist moved up to No. 5 in AFCA Top 25, its highest ranking ever, after defeating Harding 7-3 on Saturday night in Searcy. … The Tigers’ defense persevered against Harding, which rushed for 277 yards and held the ball for more than 40 minutes. The Tigers didn’t allow a point in the second half, despite yielding two 14-play drives and first-and-goal situations inside their 10, and they are the No. 1-ranked scoring defense (9.3 ppg) in NCAA Division II. … Senior WR Drew Harris (Benton) hasn’t scored a touchdown after scoring 26 last season, but he was an integral part of the Tigers’ victory over the Bisons, especially after redshirt freshman Brayden Brazeal was forced to leave the game with an injury to his right hand. Harris took charge on OBU’s second possession of the second half, driving the Tigers 85 yards in 12 plays, including a 24-yard completion to LaDarius McElroy on third and 15 from the Harding 43. … Knight said Brazeal has a “good chance” of playing today but would not commit to a starter. … Oklahoma Baptist scored 45 points two weeks ago at home against Southern Arkansas before getting shredded by Henderson State’s rushing attack in a 56-21 loss in Arkadelphia. Bison quarterback Preston Haire (165-280 passing, 1,675 yards) leads the GAC in passing and is No. 13 in Division II. WR Cagney Roberson (40-460, 1 TD) leads the GAC and is tied for 17th in Division II with 6.7 catches per game. “They’ve got an NFL receiver and a phenomenal quarterback,” Knight said. Oklahoma Baptist’s defense is on the opposite end of the spectrum from Ouachita Baptist. The Bison are last in the GAC in scoring defense (42.0 ppg), rushing defense (288.7 ypg) and total defense (479.0 ypg).

ARKANSAS-MONTICELLO AT SOUTHERN NAZARENE

WHEN 1 p.m. Central

WHERE SNU Football Stadium, Bethany, Okla.

RADIO 93.7-FM KHBM (southeast Arkansas)

INTERNET uamsports.com RECORDS UAM (2-4, 2-4 GAC); SNU

(1-5, 1-5)

COACHES Hud Jackson (25-57 in eighth season at UAM); Andy Lambert (7-21 in third season at SNU, 109-117 in 23rd season overall)

SERIES UAM leads 4-1

LAST MEETING UAM won 35-23 in Monticello

COMMENTS The Boll Weevils ended a three-game losing streak with a 34-16 victory over Arkansas Tech in Russellville, the Boll Weevils’ first victory in Russellville since 2001. UAM controlled held the ball for 39:15 to Tech’s 20:47, outgained the Wonder Boys 360-327 and won the turnover battle 3-0. “We played a complete game,” UAM Coach Hud Jackson said. “If we don’t play a complete game, we’re not going to win.” … Kicker Josh Mariano was named the GAC’s Special Teams Player of the Week after kicking field goals of 34 and 35 yards, going 4 for 4 on extra points and averaging 40.8 yards on 5 punts, including 2 downed inside the 20. … Jimel London intercepted 2 passes, 1 for a touchdown. … Senior quarterback Cole Sears (20-33 passing, 216 yards) rushed for a touchdown and is fourth in the GAC in total offense at 248 yards per games. Four Boll Weevils — Imani Riley, Jeremy Hampton, Alex Day and Juan Day — gained between 21 and 42 yards rushing. Eleven different Boll Weevils caught passes. … Jackson said UAM’s opponent, Southern Nazarene, plays with an intensity that belies its 1-5 record. “They’re built around not giving in,” Jackson said of the Crimson Storm, who rank No. 2 in the GAC in pass defense. “It looks like they’ve got 18 guys dropping back there in the secondary.”

SOUTHERN ARKANSAS AT SE OKLAHOMA STATE

WHEN 2 p.m. Central

WHERE Paul Laird Field, Durant, Okla.

RADIO 99.1-FM KVMZ, Magnolia

INTERNET muleridersports.com

RECORDS SAU (6-0, 6-0 GAC); Southeastern Oklahoma State (4-2, 4-2) COACHES Bill Keopple (55-46 in 10th season at SAU); Bo Atterbrerry (31-20 in fifth season at Southeastern Oklahoma State, 72-48 in 11th season overall) SERIES SAU leads 22-17-3

LAST MEETING SAU won 49-19 in Magnolia

COMMENTS The Muleriders are 4-0 in a stretch of six consecutive games against the GAC’s Oklahoma side, but SAU had to hold on for the third consecutive game against teams with a combined record of 5-13. … The Muleriders recorded 13 tackles for loss, including 3 sacks, and forced 2 fourth-quarter turnovers in a 21-16 victory at Wilkins Stadium in Magnolia. The Muleriders built a 14-0 first-quarter lead, but Southern Nazarene, which came into the game at the bottom of the GAC in points per game and yards per game, went 75 yards in 17 plays in an 8:11 drive that cut the lead to 14-7. SAU led 21-10 before Southern Nazarene scored with 6:57 to play, and the final 5:30 included 4 turnovers — 2 from each team. … SAU meets a Southeastern Oklahoma team that has won three in a row and is led by quarterback Rollin Kinsaul (27-37 passing, 324 yards, 3 TDs last week), the GAC Offensive Player of the Week. … Kinsaul (50-74 passing, 617 yards, 5 TDs, 1 INT; 23-91 rushing) has started the past 2 games for the Savage Storm. “He’s obviously doing some things well, things they like to do,” SAU Coach Bill Keopple said. … Southern Nazarene WR Jaylen Sims (38-554 receiving, 6 TDs) is second in the GAC in receiving yards. Kenneth Burks (127-548 rushing, 9 TDs) is the GAC’s second-leading rusher.

HARDING

AT SW OKLAHOMA STATE

WHEN 2 p.m. Central

WHERE ASAP Energy Field, Weatherford RADIO 95.3-FM KVHU, Searcy INTERNET hardingsports.com RECORDS Harding (4-2, 4-2 GAC); Southwestern Oklahoma State (2-4, 2-4)

COACHES Paul Simmons (15-6 in second season at Harding); Chet Pobolish (2-4 in first season at Southwestern Oklahoma State, 1-0 overall) SERIES Harding leads 8-5

LAST MEETING Harding won 42-0 COMMENTS Harding, which remained in the AFCA Top 25 at No. 24, attempts to rebound from a head-shaker of a 7-3 loss to No. 5 OBU last week in Searcy. Harding controlled the ball for more than 40 of the game’s 60 minutes, ran 67 plays to 42 for OBU and outgained the Tigers 306-178. The Bisons rushed for 277 yards, and still lead the GAC and Division II in rushing with 323.0 yards per game. The Bisons had 3 drives totaling 44 plays, each time reaching the OBU 5, and came away with 3 points, a 19-yard field goal by Cameron Scott in the first half. “Certainly, some of the credit has to go to their defense,” Coach Paul Simmons said. “But you’ve got to make plays when they are there in front of you.” Simmons said he wouldn’t be surprised by anything that happens in the final five weeks of the GAC season. … Harding, after a 426-mile bus ride, plays a 2-4 Southwestern Oklahoma team that has averaged 42 points in victories over Arkansas-Monticello and Henderson State but 9.5 points per game in losses to Ouachita, Southern Arkansas, East Central (Okla.) and Southeastern Oklahoma.

ARKANSAS TECH AT NW OKLAHOMA STATE

WHEN 2 p.m. Central WHERE Ranger Field, Alva, Okla. RADIO 102.3-FM KCJC, Russellville INTERNET arkansastechsports.com RECORDS Arkansas Tech (2-4, 2-4 GAC); Northwestern Oklahoma State (2-4, 2-4)

COACHES Raymond Monica (33-30 in six seasons at Arkansas Tech, 78-64 in 12 seasons overall; Matt Walter (1425 in fourth season at Northwestern Oklahoma State)

SERIES Arkansas Tech leads 11-4

LAST MEETING Arkansas Tech won 6610 in Russellville

COMMENTS The Wonder Boys have lost two in a row, with seven turnovers being the most obvious wart. Six of the turnovers have come on interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns in the losses — 24-7 at Ouachita Baptist and 34-16 to Arkansas-Monticello in Russellville. “Absolutely, we’ve got to protect the football better this week,” Arkansas Tech Coach Raymond Monica said. “We’ve got to score, put the ball in the end zone.” … Arkansas Tech’s offense ranks third in the GAC in total yards (383.7 ypg) but 10th in scoring offense (18.2 ppg), a byproduct of a minus-6 turnover margin over the past two games. … Monica said either redshirt freshman Carter Burcham (75-161 passing, 1,045 yards, 5 TDs, 8 INTs) or junior transfer Manny Harris would start today in Alva. Burcham has been the starter the past five games after coming off the bench in the season-opener. Harris replaced Burcham midway in the third quarter last week with the Wonder Boys trailing 31-7. Burcham (3-9, 49 yards, 2 INTs) and Harris (4-10, 88 yards), a junior transfer from Cisco (Texas) College, both struggled statistically against the Boll Weevils. “We let them battle this week,” Monica said. … The Wonder Boys can lean on senior running back Bryan Allen (107-560, 2 TDs), the GAC’s leading rusher. Terrez Hampton (33-552, 1 TD) is third in the conference in receiving yards per game. Senior linebacker KJ Reid (80 tackles, 39 unassisted), leads the GAC in total tackles.

HENDERSON STATE AT EAST CENTRAL (OKLA.)

WHEN 3 p.m. Central

WHERE Koi Ishto Stadium, Ada, Okla. 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 (3-3, 3-3 GAC); East Central (2-4, 2-4) COACHES Scott Maxfield (97-51 in 14th season at Henderson State, 126-63 in 16 seasons overall); Al Johnson (2-4 in first season at East Central) SERIES Henderson State leads 16-12-1 LAST MEETING East Central won 24-16 in Arkadelphia

COMMENTS Henderson State has won consecutive games and is the only GAC team with a 3-3 record. “You look back on it, and we’re a couple of plays from being 5-1,” Coach Scott Maxfield said. “But I guess a lot of people can say that.” Losses in Weeks 3 and 4 stick with Maxfield. The Reddies blew seven-point fourth-quarter leads at Northwestern Oklahoma (losing 30-24) and at home to Southwestern Oklahoma (losing 35-31). … The Reddies rallied from a 10-7 halftime deficit to beat Southern Nazarene 24-10 two weeks ago and dominated Oklahoma Baptist 56-21 last week in Arkadelphia with 599 total yards, including 383 rushing. … Maxfield said it’s important for the Reddies not to get ahead of themselves. All he has to do is bring up last season’s 24-16 loss to a 2-9 East Central team in Arkadelphia. “We’re taking it one week at a time,” Maxfield said. “Still got a lot of games.” East Central is coming off a 17-7 loss at Northwestern Oklahoma after beating Southwestern Oklahoma 18-11. … The Tigers rank middle of the pack in most GAC defensive categories, but their offense is 11th in scoring (16.7 ppg) and 11th in total yards (222.0 ypg). Senior wide receiver Trinity Benson (29-276 receiving; 25-175 rushing) is 10th in the GAC in all-purpose yards (499) and has scored 7 touchdowns, 5 more than anybody else on the ECU roster.