4-1 teams looking for separation
Teams will separate themselves from each other when the smoke clears after today’s Great American Conference games. Two local-interest games feature four teams that are all 4-1.
Ouachita Baptist faces off against Arkansas Tech at Thone Stadium in Russellville, Ark., at 1 p.m.
Last year the Tigers (4-1, 4-1) defeated the Wonder Boys (4-1, 4-1), 14-9, and are going for their fifth-straight win over Arkansas Tech.
OBU posted a big win last week in a 26-21 win over a tough Harding team at Cliff Harris Stadium. The play of the game was in the fourth quarter when the Tigers’ Demetric Jennings forced a fumble. At the time, Harding was up, 21-17, and were moving the football with ease.
Ke’Vonte Pope leads OBU in receiving with 25 catches for 313 yards and two scores, while teammate Kris Oliver has amassed 504 yards on 75 carries and eight TDs at running back.
Tigers’ quarterback Austin Warford has hit on 62 of 111 passes for 845 yards and five touchdowns. Former Liberty-Eylau standout Donelle Hoof has gained 198 yards on 37 totes with five scores for Ouachita Baptist.
HENDERSON STATE CLASHES WITH HARDING
Henderson State (4-1, 4-1) takes on Harding (4-1, 4-1) today at 6 p.m. in Searcy, Ark., at First Security Stadium.
The game will feature the GAC’s top rushing offense against the top rushing defense. The Bisons average 367 yards rushing, while the Reddies’ defense allows 92 yards on the ground per game.
Henderson State defeated Arkansas Tech, 17-7 last Saturday, giving the Wonder Boys their first loss of the season.
Former Atlanta Rabbit standout linebacker senior Lawson Schultz made 15 tackles against Arkansas Tech and leads the Reddies with 40 tackles and 5.5 tackles for loss.
Redshirt junior—and former El Dorado star linebacker— Josh Davis is second in tackles with 34 and made nine stops
against the Wonder Boys for Henderson State.
Reddies’ running back Jaquan Cole set a school record for rushing yards in a game last Saturday with 245. Henderson State quarterback Dallas Hardison has hit on 94 of 154 passes for 898 yards so far this season.
Henderson State has slowed two of the top offenses in the GAC—Southwestern Oklahoma and Arkansas Tech. The Reddies have given up just seven points and a total of 543 yards of offense in the last two games.
Harding is coming off a 26-21 loss to Ouachita Baptist last week in a game that saw the Bisons total 368 yards of rushing offense.
Last year, Harding came back from an 11-point halftime deficit to defeat the Reddies, 28-24. (3-2, 3-2) celebrates its 100th Homecoming game against Oklahoma Baptist (1-4, 1-4) at Wilkins Stadium at Rip Powell Field in Magnolia, Ark. Kickoff is at 2:30 p.m.
Last week, the Muleriders upended Southern Nazarene, 55-20. True freshman running back William McKnight had 95 yards on just five carries and three touchdowns for SAU.
Mulerider quarterback Barrett Renner hit on 23 of 35 passes for 354 yards and one score, while teammate Tanner Hudson caught five of those passes for 114 yards. Sidney Moore had 207 all-purpose yards including 165 kickoff return yards on four returns.
Bison sophomore quarterback Dezmond Stegall leads his team in passing (410 yards) and rushing (306 yards). Oklahoma Baptist’s defense allows 35.8 points per game and 474 yards on average.
Southern Arkansas plays the Bison for the first time ever as the Bison are in their first year in the Great American Conference.